Chapter 8: Wedding Bells and Tears

There was a stunned silence as everyone stared at Reg, still down on one knee in front of Julie. They waited hardly breathing to hear Julie’s answer. She looked at Ella and Gemma who both smiled and nodded. Turning to Reg she answered, ‘Yes.’ They kissed as everyone cheered.

Ella and Gemma gave their mum a hug and a kiss then did the same to Reg. Then Ernie and Susan congratulated them both, followed by Lewis and Rupert.

‘I wasn’t planning on doing this tonight,’ Reg said to Julie, ‘So we’ll have to go shopping for a ring next week.’

In response to questions about when, they said, ‘We’ve no idea, but there’s no rush. Mind you,’ Reg said, ‘There’s no need to hang about either. We’ll discuss it over the weekend and let you know. Everyone in this room is invited, naturally.’ Reg added.

‘Can we drop you off Lewis?’ Ernie asked. ‘Yes please,’ Lewis said. ‘I’ll leave my bike here until tomorrow.’ As they drove to Lewis’s Ernie said, ‘Well, that was a lovely surprise.’ ‘I felt sure it would happen,’ Susan said as she drove along, ‘But I didn’t expect it tonight.’

Ernie turned to look at Lewis and Rupert in the back seat. ‘How about you two?’ he said, but he was looking mainly at Lewis. ‘Yes, I was sure it was coming sooner or later,’ Lewis said. ‘But I think Ella and Gemma putting the meal on for them tonight probably clinched it in Reg’s mind. He must have been concerned how the girls would take it.’

‘We’ll probably never know,’ Ernie said thinking Lewis probably knew more than he was letting on. ‘But I’m very happy for them.’ They dropped Lewis off and told him they hoped to see him soon.

When he got in, he texted Ella. ‘If you have no plans for tomorrow, how about the three of us take a picnic and cycle over to the old railway by Danny’s. There’s a place to lock our bikes then we could walk the linear park. The forecast is good.’

‘Great idea,’ Ella sent back after consulting Gemma, ‘I’ll see to the food in the morning, you just come over here for ten.’ Then a few moments later another text, ‘Can Gemma invite Rupert?’ ‘Of course,’ Lewis replied.

The next morning Ella and Gemma got up and went downstairs. They had their own breakfasts then set the table for Julie and Reg. Whilst they waited for Julie and Reg to surface, they prepared their picnic lunch.

Just before ten Lewis and Rupert arrived. Lewis had walked over, and Rupert had cycled. They greeted each other with hugs and kisses. Then Reg and Julie appeared. They looked very happy. Gemma and Ella gave them both a hug and a kiss then Lewis and Rupert did the same.

Julie and Reg looked surprised to see Lewis and Rupert. ‘We’ve decided to take a picnic lunch and go off on our bikes for the day.’ Ella told them. ‘We thought you two might like some time to yourselves. We’ll text when we’re heading home.’ Ella added with a grin at her mum.

Julie gave Lewis a smile. She could sense his hand in that.

They set off and cycled over to the linear park. It took then half an hour to get there. Just as they were locking their bikes up, Lorraine and Danny cycled up. Lewis had texted them to let them know and said they were welcome to join them.

Rupert and Gemma were introduced, and they sat at the picnic benches for a while chatting. Then they set off walking. The pathway being previously a railway line was quite wide, so they could walk six abreast if they wanted to.

Sometimes they did, sometimes they became three couples one behind the other. Ella noticed that Rupert and Gemma were holding hands a lot. ‘Is that because Danny and Lorraine are, as well as me and Lewis.’ she mused, ‘Or are they getting closer than I thought.’

She studied them without making it obvious. They seemed very happy in each other’s company. She liked Rupert so she decided, ‘Que sera sera.’

Occasionally Danny and Lewis would walk together chatting and Lorraine and Ella would do the same. Danny and Lewis talked about counselling and their police friends. Danny told Lewis that Tom had a girlfriend. Lewis was pleased to hear it.

Ella told Lorraine how lucky she was being able to sleep over at each other’s homes. ‘It’s not possible at mine or Lewis’s,’ she said, ‘So we have to wait for opportunities.’ ‘But I’ll bet you really enjoy it when it happens.’ Lorraine said with a grin.

Ella told her about Reg’s proposal the night before. They had a discussion about getting used to having a new person in the house. ‘At least you like Reg,’ Lorraine said. ‘It must be awful for kids whose parents pick someone they don’t like.’

Just after one o’clock they reached the far end of the walk. There was an old station preserved as it used to be. It even had a length of railway line but no train. It had a café and toilets.

Alongside was a large area of picnic tables then a grassy area overlooking the sea. They went and sat on the grass. They unloaded their picnic, then silence fell briefly as they munched away. When they had finished cans of pop were passed round. Once they had all finished, all the waste and cans were taken over to the bins by the café.

Then they all relaxed on the grass for a while to give their legs a rest and allow their food to settle. Danny and Lorraine as well as Ella and Lewis were lying on their sides facing each other.

Rupert was lying flat on his back, so Gemma lay at right angles to him, on her side and put her head on his stomach. He smiled at her and like the others, they dozed off for a while.

Ella was first to wake, she gazed happily at Lewis’s face opposite. Leaning forward she kissed him which woke him up. They sat up and looked around. Everyone else was still asleep. Ella smiled when she saw Gemma and Rupert. ‘They make a nice couple, don’t they.’ Lewis said.

He leaned over and gave Danny a dig in the ribs. Ella went over and shook Gemma. They all got up and stretched. Then giving the area where they had been a final policing for litter, they set off back.

As they walked along, they were in pairs, one behind the other. Gemma took hold of Ruperts hand, and they strolled along happily. ‘Do you realise what we have just done back there?’ Gemma asked him.

When Rupert said, ‘No.’ she gave him a grin and said, ‘We slept together.’ Rupert laughed, ‘Yes I guess we did,’ he said. ‘Was that your first time?’ he asked jokingly. ‘Yes, it was.’ she told him. ‘Me too,’ he said, ‘That makes it very special.’

They walked along hand in hand in silence for quite a while. Unknown to each other, they were both thinking how nice it would be to sleep together properly.

They returned to their bikes, tired but happy. They said goodbye to Lorraine and Danny, then cycled back to Ella’s. Before they parted, Ella and Lewis had a long hug and a kiss.

Gemma and Rupert watched them start, then Rupert turned to look at Gemma. She gave him a smile and gave him a quick kiss on his lips. Rupert put his arms around her, and they kissed properly. They only kissed briefly then broke away. ‘That was lovely,’ Gemma told him with a smile.

When Ella and Lewis finished and parted, they had been too busy to see anything of what Gemma and Rupert had done. Rupert came over and gave Ella and Lewis a hug and a kiss then Gemma gave Lewis and Rupert a hug and a kiss.

As Rupert and Lewis cycled away in opposite directions Ella and Gemma went in. ‘That was a lovely day,’ Gemma said. ‘You and Rupert seem to get on well together,’ Ella said. ‘I’m so glad.’

Reg and Julie greeted them happily. Julie had a roast dinner underway. ‘Dinner will be an hour yet,’ Julie said, ‘So come and sit down, we’ve lots to tell you.’

They sat in the lounge and Julie nodded to Reg. He said, ‘We’ve discussed lots of things, but were not telling you things that are decided, just what we think is ideal for us. We want to know right away if you don’t like anything we suggest. We’re going to be a family, so that’s a MILLION reasons why we all have a say in what happens.

‘First off, the wedding. Your mum and I don’t want a big church wedding. What we are thinking of is a registry office wedding at the Town Hall. I have no family left so I will only be inviting three good friends from work.’ ‘We will invite your gran of course,’ Julie said to the girls. ‘So that’s twelve up to now.’ ‘I have four friends at work that I’d like to invite. How about you two?’ ‘Ruperts already included,’ Gemma said, ‘So I’m fine.’ ‘Same for me with Lewis,’ Ella said. ‘How about Lewis’s mum and dad and his brothers?’ Julie asked. ‘That would be nice,’ Ella said, ‘I’d like them to meet Reg.’