19

31 December

Of course she said yes. For a moment, the kids worried that she wasn’t going to answer, let alone say yes. Mark had to ask the question twice. But she just made him do that because she liked the sounds of the words, ‘Will you marry me?’

‘Yes. Yes!’

Mark had been a bit more confident that Lisa would say yes. He’d brought a bottle of champagne with him. As he popped the cork, he realized he was the only person in the room who was both legally old enough and not pregnant and could therefore drink it. Still, no one cared. The thought was a good one.

Mark and Lisa married on New Year’s Eve, at 5 p.m. It was a candlelit civil ceremony in a country hotel. Lisa thought New Year’s Eve was a wonderful evening to marry. Out with the old, in with the new! Mark thought it was a wonderful evening to marry, as he was not likely to ever forget their anniversary. And Lisa’s brother, John, voiced the thoughts of all the guests. It was a wonderful evening to marry, as they’d all be getting drunk anyway that night. They might as well do it in candlelight.

It was a smallish wedding, only thirty guests. Lisa and Mark’s close families came, and a few friends who were available at the last minute – more than you’d imagine. Most people don’t make plans for New Year’s Eve until about the 29th of December. Everyone is sure that, at the last minute, they’ll be invited to an amazing party. This year, for Mark and Lisa’s friends and family, exactly that happened.

Lisa bought a cream dress and jacket from Monsoon. It was a bit expensive but what the hell! If not tonight, then when? She told herself that, as it was floaty, she’d be able to wear it throughout the pregnancy and afterwards. Gill agreed that this was true, because the outfit was cream and baby sick would blend.

The girls wore green velvet off-the-shoulder dresses. Both of them were wild about how grown-up and beautiful they looked. They would have liked to hide their happiness and excitement (as being that happy and excited wasn’t exactly cool) but they couldn’t. They weren’t good enough actresses.

Jack was also impressed with the suit hired just for him. Although Mark, John and Lisa’s dad all grumbled about looking like stuffed penguins, Lisa didn’t believe them for a moment. She knew they all loved wearing the posh suits. Every one of them thought he was James Bond.

Lisa carried pink roses. She carried them over her bump, because Carol reminded her to do so about fifty times, although it was a mystery as to who exactly Carol thought they were hiding the bump from. The best man’s speech was full of jokes about shotgun weddings. The ceremony was short but did the job. The buffet was great and everyone ate until they felt sick. Lisa was pleased – she liked the idea that they were keeping her company.

Lisa felt as though she was walking on air, held up by good wishes from her friends and, most importantly, by hope for her future.

Lisa watched as her mum and dad danced around the disco floor. They danced a slow and old-fashioned dance. It was familiar to her. She’d watched them dance together hundreds of times. Her kids pushed and shoved each other, half kindly, half looking for trouble, on the same dance floor. She’d seen that often enough too. Suddenly Lisa was aware of Mark by her side.

‘Happy?’ he asked.

She nodded, flushed with how perfect it all was.

‘Want to dance?’ he asked.

‘Can you?’ she asked. She was a bit surprised. They’d never danced together.

‘I’ll hold you. We’ll sway. No one will laugh. It’s our wedding day.’

Lisa took Mark’s hand and followed him on to the floor. There they swayed together. Three generations. One happy family.