Single Parent

Chapter 18

ONE YEAR LATER:

I pulled my tie back into place and played with the knot, knowing it looked wrong. My hands were shaking from nerves and I could barely keep myself stood in one place long enough to look in the mirror.

"Calm down." Meg walked up to me and took hold of my tie, fixing it for me. "You look fine, alright. And she looks beautiful Nate. You're going to stand up there, and watch her walk down the aisle and marry the love of your life. That's all there is to it. You love her."

"More than anything."

"Then stop thinking about everything else, about all the things you have to do and about what you have to say, and just remember how much you love her and how much you want to make her your wife."

"Where are the guys?"

"Tom and Mark are helping everyone get seated and Chris is occupying Sophia with Matthew." She smiled, talking about her two month old son. She came back from the honeymoon pregnant, and over the months as Rosie and I planned our wedding, I watched Meg and Chris fall more in love over their growing child and it was laughable how much they'd changed, and grown up the same way i had to, all those years ago.

"She's still here?"

"Nate, I think you're the more nervous one here. She's cried, she's had her nerves, but she's been up and ready for hours, she really just wants to marry you. She's got a really good surprise for you as well."

"What? I haven't got her anything."

"Trust me Nate, you've got a part in this surprise. Just be happy for once alright? Take a deep breath now." She put a hand on my cheek and I took a deep breath. "There we go, now come on, you're going to take your place." She held my hand as we walked into the church and she handed me to Tom and Mark at the doors and then disappeared into the back rooms of the church where Rosie was.

I took my place at the front of the church, and Tom stood beside me, his hand on my shoulder supportively. He had actually found himself a serious girlfriend. Since Mark and Nicole took us all to Vegas and got hitched, and Meg and Chris had their son, and Rosie and I were getting married, he seemed to suddenly realize that he wanted the same things, and his girlfriend was honestly amazing, she was perfect for him, and he knew it.

"You ready Nate?" I smiled at the girl in question walked up to us and gave me a kiss on the cheek and stood beside Tom and he seemed genuinely happy.

"I think so. What about you Claire? You ready to take care of one little girl for a couple of weeks?"

"Sophia? I can't wait. You really have an angel there Nate. You really did a great job, you and Rosie have."

"She is a great kid." Tom agreed with Claire and placed a soft kiss to the side of her head. "I think we're ready." He patted me on the shoulder and Claire walked back down the aisle on Mark's cue, to take her place as bridesmaid. Nicole was in charge of Rosie, Meg was in charge of keeping control of the kids and us guys, and Claire was in charge of making sure everything ran smoothly.

"She's coming." Chris leaned in to whisper in my ear and stood back, behind Tom and Mark fell into place behind him.

"She looks beautiful mate." Tom put his hand on my shoulder and I turned my head to see Meg reach me at the altar and she leaned in to kiss me on the cheek and Nicole and Claire did the same, winking at their own husbands and boyfriends. I looked back to see Rosie appear in the doorway, her arm linked through my Dad's, who had stepped up to give her away when we had been planning the wedding and Rosie had suddenly seemed to realize she had no-one there for her.