slow dance to ‘Hey Jude’.
Ryan squeezes my waist as we watch them, clearly so much happier doing their little waltz together than the fancy moves the Coopers were making them throw. My throat aches as I realize that this is exactly what their marriage is, a slow waltz and they have, in their own way, been enjoying it all along. It’s me who’s always wished they’d dance faster and fancier.
‘Ehhh, Ry, Molly!’ Carl says in his The Fonz voice as he lurches over to us and throws his arms around our shoulders, closely followed by Alex who clearly thinks he’s Patrick Swayze, and Gaz who appears to be marching across the dance floor like Doody from Grease . ‘Isn’t this just the best day ever! When are you gonna do the deed, eh?’
‘I’d love to do the deed wiv her ,’ Gaz says with a chortle, tilting his pork-pie hat in Lydia’s best mate’s direction. ‘Watch this!’ And he marches over to the bridesmaid who is gyrating in the middle of the dance floor. We watch as Gaz taps the girl on the shoulder and she immediately turns around and snogs him.
‘No way !’ Alex yells.
Everyone bursts out laughing. ‘Don’t think that means you can avoid the question, bro,’ Carl says, ruffling Ryan’s hair just as Lydia dances up and throws her arms around us.
‘Come on,’ she says, jumping up and down just as the DJ puts on ‘We Are Family’ . ‘All the Coopers together!’
Ryan kisses me on my head as the three of them begin to bounce.
‘But I’m not a Cooper!’ I protest, feeling my feet being lifted up off the floor as Jackie and Dave join us.
‘Not yet,’ Lydia whispers, and I blush.
‘Bou-KAAAAAY TIIIIIIIME!’ Jackie screeches across the dance floor at the end of the song and I watch as the female guests streak past me, an orange lightening flash of fake tan, all yapping excitedly like a pack of Chihuahuas. Lydia gets up on the stage in front of the band clutching her pink floral bouquet complete with pompoms, and Ryan nudges me with his elbow.
‘Aren’t you going over?’ he whispers.
‘Nope, I reckon I’m safer back here,’ I say, folding my arms for good luck.
‘Are you READY?!’ Lydia screeches and holds up her bouquet of fuschia roses as if it’s the Olympic torch. ‘ONE, TWO, THREE-EEEE!’
I watch as the bouquet soars in slow motion, over all the girls’ heads, their faces shine with hope, then turn to frustration, and then disappointment as it flies over and beyond their reach. And then I feel Ryan push past me and I watch in astonishment as he leaps athletically into the air to catch it. Then Ryan lands and turns around, brandishing the bouquet and grinning broadly at me. He runs over and slam dunks it into my arms before doing a lap of the room, like he’s just won the FA Cup. Then he appears in front of me again, throws his arms around me and kisses me as the room erupts into cheers.
I cover my face in embarrassment and he pulls my hands away from my face so he can kiss me. Lydia waves at me from the stage delightedly and Carl gives a thumbs up. I spot Jackie and Dave in another corner jumping up and down and clapping. I feel my skin prickle and my face turn the same colour as my dress.
Ryan laughs. ‘Sorry, babe, I just couldn’t resist . . . ’
‘Couldn’t resist showing off!’ I chastise, but I smile and I slip my hand into his.
He winks. ‘I just know how bad you are at sport. You’d never have caught that! Most girls would be thanking me.’
‘Ah,’ I interrupt, ‘but you forget, Cooper. I’m not like most girls . . . ’
He grins and cups my chin, pulling me in for a kiss. ‘I know, Molly Carter. That’s what I love about you.’
10.01 a.m.
I wander into my empty bedroom, wrapped in a towel. I take a moment to look around. It may not look like much now with the mattress on the floor and everything in boxes, but of all the rooms in the house this is the one I’ll miss the most. It’s been my haven over the past few years. Ryan and I
Ryan squeezes my waist as we watch them, clearly so much happier doing their little waltz together than the fancy moves the Coopers were making them throw. My throat aches as I realize that this is exactly what their marriage is, a slow waltz and they have, in their own way, been enjoying it all along. It’s me who’s always wished they’d dance faster and fancier.
‘Ehhh, Ry, Molly!’ Carl says in his The Fonz voice as he lurches over to us and throws his arms around our shoulders, closely followed by Alex who clearly thinks he’s Patrick Swayze, and Gaz who appears to be marching across the dance floor like Doody from Grease . ‘Isn’t this just the best day ever! When are you gonna do the deed, eh?’
‘I’d love to do the deed wiv her ,’ Gaz says with a chortle, tilting his pork-pie hat in Lydia’s best mate’s direction. ‘Watch this!’ And he marches over to the bridesmaid who is gyrating in the middle of the dance floor. We watch as Gaz taps the girl on the shoulder and she immediately turns around and snogs him.
‘No way !’ Alex yells.
Everyone bursts out laughing. ‘Don’t think that means you can avoid the question, bro,’ Carl says, ruffling Ryan’s hair just as Lydia dances up and throws her arms around us.
‘Come on,’ she says, jumping up and down just as the DJ puts on ‘We Are Family’ . ‘All the Coopers together!’
Ryan kisses me on my head as the three of them begin to bounce.
‘But I’m not a Cooper!’ I protest, feeling my feet being lifted up off the floor as Jackie and Dave join us.
‘Not yet,’ Lydia whispers, and I blush.
‘Bou-KAAAAAY TIIIIIIIME!’ Jackie screeches across the dance floor at the end of the song and I watch as the female guests streak past me, an orange lightening flash of fake tan, all yapping excitedly like a pack of Chihuahuas. Lydia gets up on the stage in front of the band clutching her pink floral bouquet complete with pompoms, and Ryan nudges me with his elbow.
‘Aren’t you going over?’ he whispers.
‘Nope, I reckon I’m safer back here,’ I say, folding my arms for good luck.
‘Are you READY?!’ Lydia screeches and holds up her bouquet of fuschia roses as if it’s the Olympic torch. ‘ONE, TWO, THREE-EEEE!’
I watch as the bouquet soars in slow motion, over all the girls’ heads, their faces shine with hope, then turn to frustration, and then disappointment as it flies over and beyond their reach. And then I feel Ryan push past me and I watch in astonishment as he leaps athletically into the air to catch it. Then Ryan lands and turns around, brandishing the bouquet and grinning broadly at me. He runs over and slam dunks it into my arms before doing a lap of the room, like he’s just won the FA Cup. Then he appears in front of me again, throws his arms around me and kisses me as the room erupts into cheers.
I cover my face in embarrassment and he pulls my hands away from my face so he can kiss me. Lydia waves at me from the stage delightedly and Carl gives a thumbs up. I spot Jackie and Dave in another corner jumping up and down and clapping. I feel my skin prickle and my face turn the same colour as my dress.
Ryan laughs. ‘Sorry, babe, I just couldn’t resist . . . ’
‘Couldn’t resist showing off!’ I chastise, but I smile and I slip my hand into his.
He winks. ‘I just know how bad you are at sport. You’d never have caught that! Most girls would be thanking me.’
‘Ah,’ I interrupt, ‘but you forget, Cooper. I’m not like most girls . . . ’
He grins and cups my chin, pulling me in for a kiss. ‘I know, Molly Carter. That’s what I love about you.’
10.01 a.m.
I wander into my empty bedroom, wrapped in a towel. I take a moment to look around. It may not look like much now with the mattress on the floor and everything in boxes, but of all the rooms in the house this is the one I’ll miss the most. It’s been my haven over the past few years. Ryan and I
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