Page 93 of Forgive Not Forget
“Anna, I want to walk — ”
“You’re fine in your chair, Dad,” she said, concerned for his balance. “We’ll manage.”
“No. I’m your father. I want to walk you down the aisle. It’s not something I ever thought I’d do. Now I can, I’m not letting my failing body stop me.”
Realising he wasn’t taking no for an answer, she gripped him under one arm. Katherine stepped in and hooked herself through his other. The original plan had been for Rebecca to push him down the aisle between the brides. Carrie had placed the chairs far apart to allow for his wheelchair. It seemed the plan was shot.
“How about we walk you down the aisle, Harry?” Katherine asked. As ever, she was fantastic with him, leaving his pride intact. Anna’s heart ached that much more.
“It would be an honour if you would.”
Katherine turned to Anna, a shimmer in her eye. “Ready?”
Anna took a deep breath and grinned. “Ready.”
Rebecca flashed a thumbs-up through the window to Carrie, and the doors to Abbey Barn opened for its first wedding.
CHAPTER36
Katherine blinked away the tear that was forming in her eye as they walked with Harry, slowly but steadily, down the aisle to the soft tones of Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Being walked down the aisle by a father figure was something she had never expected, having lost her father as a child.
“You okay, Dad?” Anna whispered, giving his arm a little squeeze against her own.
“I’m all right, love. You okay? There’s still time to turn around.” A smirk crept across his lips.
“Don’t even try it, either of you,” Katherine hissed under her breath as they neared the two registrars.
“As if I would.” Anna grinned. “Give it fifteen minutes and you’ll be stuck with me forever.”
“And me,” Harry chimed in.
Katherine’s lips tightened. “I can think of nothing better.”
The sound of stifled giggles came from Abigail and Rebecca behind them.
They reached the end of the aisle, where Mabel was waiting with Harry’s wheelchair. After setting him back down in to it, Anna passed her bouquet to Abigail as Rebecca relieved Katherine of hers.
They grasped each other’s hands as they made their final approach to the registrars together.
Silence fell as the music slowly faded away. Katherine took a moment to observe the simply yet beautifully decorated room. Two vases of dusky pink roses sat on either side of the table and white bunting strung across the beams.
The taller of the two registrars, a woman in her fifties with shoulder-length, ash-blonde hair, took her position in front of Anna and Katherine.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the beautiful Abbey Barn for the marriage of Anna and Katherine. My name is Andie; I will conduct the ceremony, and Georgina” — Andie gestured to her colleague — “will complete the schedule, which is the legal record of the marriage. This ceremony will be in accordance with the civil law of this country. This requires the couple to declare their freedom to marry one another. They will then go on to make their marriage vows in which they promise to take each other as partners for life. These vows are a formal and public pledge of their love and a promise of a lifelong commitment to each other. Please be seated.”
Katherine gave Anna’s hand a light squeeze and received one in return.
“This place in which we are now met, has been duly sanctioned, according to law, for the celebration of marriages, and we are here today to witness the joining in matrimony of this couple and to share in their happiness. If there is any person here present who knows of any lawful impediment to this marriage, then they should declare it now.”
“Meow.”
All eyes turned to the aisle to see Virginia waltzing along it.
The room broke into a fit of giggles.
“Virginia!” Katherine chastised the cat. It was typical of her to crash a wedding and something they would need to consider for Abbey Barn’s future clients.
The cat spotted Harry patting his legs and jumped onto his lap, twirled a few times, and then settled herself into a ball. Harry beamed at being reunited with his old friend.
