19
The crew had arrived early to put up the massive white organza, Aladdin styled tent in the back yard. The finished product was being tweaked by Ianto and Jack knew he would continue to fuss right up to the actual entrance music if he didn't intervene.
White lace table cloths over aqua under cloths that showed through the lace adorned the tables with the back wall lined with the head table. The aqua ribbon and sashes on the backs of the chairs that were also draped in white looked perfect as well.
The curtained entrance was tied back with matching ribbon, like a massive four poster bed. Fresh white roses and pink gladioli were tied into the bows with small glass water vials to ensure their freshness throughout the day and evening. Ianto had not forgotten her favourite colour, even though she had tried to keep it aqua for Gray, Ianto knew it wouldn't be the same without her signature pink here and there.
Two small stainless steel fire pits placed outside at a safe distance in case the evening air dropped in temperature too much for the children.
The walls were opaque and the garden surrounding them on three sides showed the splashes of colour through the thin material. The floor had been covered with a huge blue oriental rug in the middle for the dance floor and the grass was neatly trimmed as it peeked between pale aqua and white oriental runners that made great walkways between tables.
A spring wedding, fresh flowers for the centrepieces. White daisies along with bright blue Granny-bonnets, white roses and pink gladioli with hunks of ivy spilling onto the table tops were offset with the silver glittery spirals reaching for the sky. The whole thing looked crisp and airy.
Each corner boasted massive arrangement to match the dainty centrepieces with aqua, silver and white helium balloons using the flower arrangements as anchors as they flowed to the ceiling.
The pagoda was now fully finished and stood in its full splendour, just to the right of the reception tent.
White lattice work with little pink rosebuds painted in the woodwork. Ianto had spent hours painstakingly hand-painting each petal and stem, now Rhia saw the finished product for the first time and she burst into tears. Her pink would be in force for the ceremony after all.
Ianto had stood on a ladder to reach most of it, his bad leg cramping as he refused to fail. Another accomplishment and another mark of achievement in his recovery. Well, recoveries. The cancer, then the fall. He had joked to her over the phone the night before that everything was coming up roses. Now she saw for herself, cheeky monkey! And he wondered where Walter got it from?
It looked like something out of a fairy-tale. The lattice work was like fine filigree and she knew it must have cost a fortune, not to mention the white marble birdbath that was inside, shot with rose pink veins for the podium. After the wedding it would go into the memorial garden, amongst the roses.
Ianto's hand painted climbing rose crawling over the masterpiece was the best part. The little crystals, hung with clear fishing twine, sparkled in the sunlight inside some of the openings and the little diamantes Ianto had glued onto some painted petals to emulate dewdrops made the whole thing shine.
She would get married in there. She would become a Harkness in there.
As she walked around the marvel she noticed something. Every here and there entwined amongst the roses was a little rainbow ribbon. Oh. Aurora!
Rhia sat and howled at the perfectness of it all. Trust Ianto to pull her dreams right out of the ethos of her imagination and make them so sweetly better.
Ianto left the arrangement he was currently pulling to bits and sat with her on the step of the pagoda. He held her as she wept and tried to thank him though her blubbering.
Jack came out and motioned to Ianto who kissed her and rose to follow his husband back inside.
Walter had been watching nearby with his cousins and they approached her, Rory on David's hip.
The children surrounded her as they sang "morning has broken" and she hugged them for remembering one of her favourite songs. Little devils.
She didn't even wonder where Ianto had gone, knowing whatever he was doing, it would be to make her day better. God, if that were possible.