Birdcage

Chapter 26 Lila; Nine months later...

Salty, sea air brushes against my skin in the warm breeze as I sit on the balcony of my hotel suite, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Once I recovered from my injury, I was offered a job with the agency as an Operational Field Researcher. It was my role to gather information on targets as a civilian, and feed it back to the agency. It was something that I was found to be quite good at, and I have never been happier within my working life; every day is a new adventure. Occasionally Dane and I have worked as a team, and while some say that working with your boyfriend never works out well, it has only made us stronger. I ended up moving in with him officially, and even though my parents thought it was too rash and too soon – I have never been happier. They were somewhat appeased eventually, when I took Dane to Norfolk to visit them and he was nothing short of a prince charming- winning my Mum and Dad over completely.

Dane also kept his promise to me and took me travelling for two months around Asia. We spent time in China, exploring the temples and the Great Wall; in Japan, experiencing their huge cities and overwhelming technology; in Thailand- where we danced until the early hours on a white, sandy beach; Cambodia, where we learnt some amazing culture and history and absorbed the beauty of their National Parks. Finally – and my favourite – we visited Vietnam, where we rented a boat and sailed it a long Ha Long Bay. With this though, I caught the travelling bug and vowed to make sure I visit every country there is before I die.

We are currently in Mexico, only this time - it's our honeymoon. Three months ago, Dane asked me to marry him, and I can tell you it was a resounding 'yes' from me. Telling my parents and getting their blessing wasn't easy; they loved Dane, but they had only just gotten over the fact I had moved in with someone I had barely known for a month. Now, after only being together a mere five months - we were announcing our engagement. After a few weeks of talking them down though, they came to terms with the fact I'm an adult and make my own decisions. They trust my judgement of Dane and soon my mother was in full wedding planning mode. We wanted something simple though, with only close friends and family present. So, four days ago on a beach in the Riviera Maya, we became husband and wife. My Mum and Dad were there, along with Gen, Robbie, Jude and Rena – with whom I became close friends. Dane didn't have any family there - especially since his brother has disappeared off the face of the Earth; not that he would have been welcome. I know it still hurts Dane deeply - and he still has love for his brother – but he can never get over what he has done and the fact he won't take the punishment for it. He did have people there for him though; Greg and Luke; Terry and his wife; even Gwen. She was also dubious about our decision to get married, but her and I have become friends in our own strange way and she only wants the both of us to be happy.

It was the best day of my life so far. After the ceremony we had a barbeque on the beach, before dancing and drinking all through the night. I was even pleased to notice Greg and Gen getting a long well - so well in fact, she called me when they landed back in the UK to inform me, they were going out on a date. It was an unexpected turn of events, but a happy one. Our loved ones joined us in the run up to our big day, and we even celebrated hen and stag nights. Gen had arranged for us girls and Robbie – who chose to join us instead of the men – to go to a spa, where we had massages, facials and champagne. Robbie then took over for the evening and organised for us to enjoy a VIP table in one of Rivera Maya's top nightclubs. This part of the day was far less civil than the first, and I was made to wear a cheap veil; a tacky learner's badge; a white garter around my thigh, which was on display thanks to the white mini dress Robbie had bought for me; and all night I had to drink out of a penis-shaped straw. Regardless of this not being my usual style, I still had the best time. Gwen even got involved, and I was shocked to see this usually strait-laced, stern woman, dancing on a table after one too many vodka shots. I still have no idea what exactly went on during Danes stag do; however, I did see a rather candid shot of him dressed as a woman in one of the bars. Whenever I ask him, he just tells me it's too traumatic to talk about. A day after the ceremony, our friends and my parents flew back home – leaving us to enjoy our honeymoon in peace. So far, we have snorkelled in the most beautiful sea; sunbathed on the white sands together; made love whenever we have had chance; and eaten some of the best food Mexico has to offer.