Chapter 89

"I think I had a breakthrough with Marcus!"

Yvonne's excitement drew a smile from the two girls as they entered the door.

"Oh?" Hope asked as she threw her jacket towards the coat hooks. Shawna caught it and ferried it the rest of the way. "What happened?"

"I came back. I didn't realise he was here, so I got out my guitar to practice," she explained, pushing up her floppy sleeves as she followed them into the kitchen. "He came out of your room - didn't say a word - pushing his amp in front of him, powered up, and joined in."

"Was he happy?" Shawna asked, putting the kettle back on the base as Hope busied herself with cups.

"I don't know. He was sort of blank looking. He kept up. He was obviously there."

"Did he say anything?" Hope asked.

"Just 'thanks' after about an hour. Then he packed up and headed out."

Shawna dipped her hand into her back pocket and pulled out a battered timetable, flipping it over to get to the right part.

"He's due back in about fifteen minutes."

"You think I should get out the way?" Yvonne asked.

"No!" Hope exclaimed. "We've scheduled a practice today anyway. We've only got a week now."

"Have we decided what we're going to play yet?" Shawna asked, biting at her lip.

"Not really, no," Hope admitted.

Yvonne started to speak, but Marcus pushed open the front door talking animatedly on his phone.

"Of course I'll tell them ... They're right here ... Did you want to ask them yourself? ... You're sure? ... OK, I'll call you again tomorrow." He clicked the phone shut and then froze in place as he realised the three girls were staring at him.

"What?"

"You're going to ask us what?" Shawna asked.

"And who was that, anyway? Nick?" Hope added.

"That was Ally," he explained, putting his phone away in his pocket. "Nick asked her to marry him..." he started, but Hope's squeal of delight cut him off.

"Aren't you excited?" she asked, having turned to Shawna who showed no obvious reaction.

"That was about two years ago, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, clearly enunciating with a pointed look for Hope.

"Sorry," she muttered, obviously not sorry at all.

"Ally accepted but said she wanted to wait."

"And I told you I thought she was waiting until you were out of the way," Shawna said.

"Do you want to hear this?" he asked, tossing his coat across the back of the sofa.

Yvonne stifled a laugh, but the others actually managed to look contrite.

"Sorry," Shawna said, taking one of his hands in hers.

Hope grabbed the other and mimed zipping her mouth shut with her free hand.

"Right..." Marcus said, and frowned obviously searching for where he'd been in the conversation.

"Ally and Nick waiting to marry," Yvonne suggested, and he nodded.

"Well, Ally's decided she wants to get married before the baby comes."

"She's showing already," Hope pointed out. "She wants to get married with a bump?"

"No-one cares about that sort of thing any more," Shawna said laughing. Yvonne cleared her throat, and they both turned back to Marcus, trying not to laugh at his frown.

"AND she wants to invite you to be in her bridal party."

"What? Like ... like bridesmaids?" Hope whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yeah."

This time her interruption and the expression on her face were expected and brought out a smile from Marcus.

"Bridesmaid?" Shawna crinkled her nose.

"Don't try to pretend like you don't love the idea," Yvonne said, tilting her head slightly with a wry look.

"Well, maybe," Shawna admitted, allowing herself a smile as she turned back to Marcus. "Is Caitlyn going to be there?"

"Ally said she's asked but hasn't had a response yet."

"Who's Caitlyn?" Hope asked.

"Ally's sister," Shawna explained. "She lives abroad somewhere."

"Hong Kong," Marcus explained. "We have to go ask El and Bri as well."

"She's asked them, too?" Hope laughed.

"Well ... she doesn't get out much. Doesn't know many people. As she put it, she's asked all the women she's had a conversation with this year outside of work. And her sister."

"I'm going to be a bridesmaid!" Hope sang, dancing about, hugging Shawna and then turning to hug Yvonne too. She stopped when she realised how stiff Yvonne was.

"That's OK. You should be happy," Yvonne assured her.

"Never been a bridesmaid?" Shawna asked, and Yvonne merely shrugged and shook her head.

"That was all three of you," Marcus pointed out.

"What?" Hope and Yvonne said it at the same time, turning to face him.

"All three of you. Ally wants us all to go down in two weeks time for fittings."

Yvonne couldn't seem to find words, her mouth opening and closing silently. Hope gently wrapped her in a hug, whispering something Marcus couldn't hear to her as she started to cry.

"So, will you want a hand with writing your speech?" Shawna asked Marcus, nudging his hip with hers.

"What speech?"

"Best man's speech."

"I'm ... I'm giving the bride away."

"What?"

"I can't get up and give a speech like that," he said, but she could tell he wasn't entirely happy with the idea. "Nick and I talked about this when he first asked her. So Ally asked if I'd give her away, which sounded pretty cool."

"Won't her Dad want to do that?"

"They don't talk, apparently. She's sending them an invitation, but she expects to get it back unopened."

Shawna paused a moment, laying a hand on his shoulder to turn him back to face her.

"So you don't want to be Best Man?"

"I'd like to," Marcus admitted. "But it's his wedding, and I don't want to ruin it for him."

"What are we going to do about it?" Shawna asked, sipping at her tea.

"What can we do?" Hope asked. "I think it's a shame, but I understand."

"I thought you were all for encouraging him to challenge his limitations?"