The Wedding Day minus one.
Having arrived at the pub within a few moments of each other and once she and Ian have booked in, Alice takes it upon herself to ask Malcolm about what now is destined to have a happy ending, which in no small part was due to his selfless support of Harry during the time Ruth had been away and on her return had been the hand of friendship to both of them, whether there is anything that they as in the other guests may have overlooked when it comes to ensuring that the wedding is everything and more than they are expecting? As well as assuring him that whatever he tells her will be kept within boundaries which means that at no point will either Ruth or Harry be made to feel uncomfortable.
His response of, 'if I may be so bold, I think the reason they want to get married in the house is because it is and always will be their safe place,' as well as making sense from what she sees as quiet man who she intends keeping an eye on during the course of the next couple of days to ensure that he doesn't feel isolated, something she knows only too well can happen if you come to a wedding on your own, adds yet another layer to what she and Ian already know is a relationship which has survived unimaginable heartbreak, as well as setting Malcolm apart from Andrew and Marianne who are signed up to collect the pre-ordered food and Harry's children the extra chairs which have been donated for the day from the village hall, all of whom are more than equipped to sail through the day without having to reach for somebody's hand metaphorically or otherwise.
Her assumption that the couple in question also recognise Malcolm's vulnerability, proven when she and Ian having driven over to the house to give their children the be good for Harry and Ruth chat, Ruth comes into the kitchen to make a pot of tea, with a silent apology she recognises as meaning they will be later leaving than intended, which again sees her taking matters into her own hands by saying, 'why not take Malcolm with you because it's not as if the rest of us can't manage and providing you don't get back before four when we usually start to prepare dinner, I promise you we won't have done anything that you're not both happy about.'
'I don't know what we'd do without you,' says Ruth, before surprising her by adding, 'does everyone feel this nervous the day before their wedding?'
'Only the ones who aren't marrying Harry,' she says with no idea where the thought came from, but is equally relieved given Ruth's expression that it seems to have removed the tension, reminding her of Ros's funeral and how she and Harry had stayed behind after the others had left, when Ian had not so subtly suggested he also conducted weddings, the moment she now firmly believes was when the seed had been sown to what is a friendship that as the years go by will only grow stronger.
.
Their plan had been to change things up by going to somewhere other than Southwold, but as the suit Harry will be wearing and Ruth's dress are in shops within touching distance of each other, as is the toy shop where they want to buy both children a gift for no other reason than they have been a welcome distraction from all that has been happening around them and after all Malcolm deserves to see what is their new normal, plus there are plenty of places to have a light lunch, allows them drive away before Andrew, Marianne, Graham and Catherine arrive, in the knowledge that whatever else is discussed whilst they are away that their desire to have a child of their own won't be one of them.
Malcolm's protest that Ruth should be sitting in the front of the car, rejected hands down which means that Harry can see Ruth sitting between the two children in the back and thanks Alice for what feels like the umpteenth time for her ability to find the words to ensure that he and Ruth stay in the moment.
Only for Malcolm who seemingly agrees with the sentiment to say, 'I'm finding hard to imagine a time when the two of you haven't been living here.'
Any further conversation if it can be described as such, not only is Harry unable to hear but is between the children until he parks up and they walk the short distance to the centre of town, where his response of, 'when we go out to dinner on Ruth's birthday, or our anniversary,' is after Malcolm has asked him, 'when or if he'll wear the suit again?'
A question which isn't repeated or does Malcolm comment when Ruth's dress which of course Harry himself has seen is brought out for her approval in the shop next door, because it is in a word stunning in an understated way, or when Ruth is pushing the buggy in which Lucy is sitting, he takes Freddie's hand as though this is a regular thing which of course it is, only for Freddie to inform Malcolm when they are in the toy shop that Uncle Harry is his best friend, at a time when Ruth who is now carrying Lucy has stopped in front of what are cuddly toys because Lucy has breathed Peter as in the rabbit, whereas he and Freddie are heading to the section marked build your own in search of some Lego, pondering when they get there which of the many castles is most like the one they had built together on the beach. Without realising that together has made Malcolm wish that maybe if life had been kinder there might have been a child calling him uncle, whilst not knowing of course that he and Ruth are doing their best to make this happen. That and how when he had last seen them, he had suggested that he was going to walk the coastal paths around the UK visiting castles, neither of which he has done.
.
Expecting everyone to be there when they get home, it comes as a pleasant surprise to find it is only Ian and Alice, the others apparently having gone back to the pub both to eat and sleep and won't be back until fifteen minutes on the day itself, that and dinner which is a casserole is not due out of the oven for another half an hour which gives the children enough time to let off what steam they have left by showing their parents their presents before going upstairs to wash their hands, helped of course by their favourite Uncle and Auntie.
Children who are completely unaware given how young they are of what is now a feeling of calm which has settled over the couple in question who having hung his suit next to her dress on the wardrobe door are standing in front of the window which thanks to Len's suggestion gives them a panoramic view of the marshes and the sea beyond, and just as Malcolm who knows them better than anyone else had told Alice, are imagining a future that thanks to a past which has been firmly buried is within touching distance.
Out of bounds are the dining room and the room beyond the kitchen but other than that despite some of the furniture having been re arranged the house is as they left it or as Ian puts it when they come back downstairs, 'you wanted a no fuss wedding and a no fuss wedding is what you're going to have, trust me I'm a vicar.'
All of which makes for a very pleasant and relaxing evening around the fire for all concerned, especially Malcolm who after a couple of glasses of wine is beginning to doze off, until it is time for the children to go to bed which is when he's surprised yet again that it's Harry and Ruth who not only take them but are apparently going to give them their breakfast in the morning, when the spy in him who had once said, I think it's wonderful, I mean it's been staring us in the face, now thinks what if?
Not that he intends to ask, but it will be something to distract him tomorrow because he more than anyone will recognise the unspoken messages which pass between them, that and if he's correct in his assumption and at some time he is set to become an uncle it will make future visits interesting to say the least, in the same way when Alice suggests that the three of them should head back to the pub, he's encouraged by the fact that the weather forecast according to Ian and who is he to argue, is for the following day although cold to be sunny.