Decades Of Love [Complete]

13 - 1951, August

Callum smiles as he kisses his wife's forehead while her shut eyes still shield her from the world under the night's control. Corinne tightens her grip on the t-shirt in one of her hands as she snuggles into her husband's side, unaware of the light dominating the room due to his figure. "Darling, can you let me go? I need to pee," Callum whispers tucking the black hair behind Corinne's ear.

Corinne replies with a grunt crossed with a sleepy groan as she turns over away from the voice. Callum places his pillow in her grip which Corinne tucks her head into. He laughs before heading towards the bathroom.

Sleepily Corinne opens her eyes as she realises he left the room due to the coolness of the pillow. "Great," Corinne mumbles before sitting up. She runs her right hand through her hair, looking at the wedding photo opposite their bed. It was the last one they have of Marvin and Rowan, Rowan actually outliving his father by two weeks. It only took one month for their mother to follow.

Douglas and Elsie are now Edmund's guardians until he is eighteen in ten months but he will probably stay there anyway. Edmund is taking over manufacturing whereas Douglas is handling the stocks and the business side of it. He uses Elsie as his secretary to help him cope with everything as he can't on his own.

As for Serenity and Terence, they managed to work through everything and their trip down the aisle was two months before Callum's and Corinne's which was two months ago.

Callum pads back into the room to see Corinne staring mindlessly out of their window. He had checked Kate's room to see it was empty so she was obviously with Giles. Why they didn't just share a room straight away confused Callum. "Can you get Kate so I can talk to her as I cook breakfast?" Corinne asks quietly turning to face her husband with a smile as he perches on the edge of the bed.

"Sure, love. Do you want me to get her now?" Callum replies softly. He leans across the bed to brush Corinne's hair back gently and then kisses her temple.

"If you can. Don't force her out."

Callum grins at Corinne. "I never done anything, she tripped as she walked past me so it looked like I pushed her."

"Of course she did." Corinne kisses his cheek and stands up, going across to their wardrobe to get out an outfit for the day ahead. They're going to drop in on Douglas to see how the four of them are doing.

"She did. You can ask her yourself." Callum comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Just go. Last time you tried helping we didn't get out until lunch."

"I see how it is." Callum laughs and places a kiss on her temple again. Corinne smiles at him so he lets her go, heading out of their room again.

The collie yaps, seeing Callum move across the landing to Giles's room. Callum knocks on his friend's door, footsteps approaching from the other side. "Good morning, Giles," Callum says when the door opens.

"Good morning to you too, sir. What is it?" Giles replies.

"Kate isn't in her room. Do you know where she is?"

"No, I don't, sir, sorry. Why?"

"Oh, it's all right. Corinne asked for her that's all." Callum makes his voice slightly louder and is rewarded with footsteps.

"What's wrong with Corinne?" Kate asks appearing at Giles's side.

Callum smirks slightly. "She just wanted to talk as she done breakfast," Callum says.

"I'll go down now then. Good morning, sir." Kate bobs a quick curtsey before walking past Callum to the kitchen.

"How did you know?" Giles asks.

"Kate wasn't in her room earlier. There was only one place she could have been," Callum states. "I don't know why you didn't just move in together when we moved in."

Giles shrugs. "We hadn't talked it through then."

Callum nods before turning slightly to go, however, he stops and grins at his friend. "Rin and I did it better."

Giles just narrows his eyes as Callum walks away laughing to himself.

~~~~~

Watching the fields, Corinne smiles before looking at Callum in the driver's seat. "Have you spoken to Serenity since last week's argument?" She asks.

"Of course not. She's still being stubborn whereas I'm trying to fix this. Every time this happens it reverts to Serenity being childish," Callum responds as he turns the car into the Madison's drive.

"Just give it time. Snapping out of a twenty-year habit is hard Cal."

Callum just glances at his wife, a soft smile overtaking his lips instead of the original frown.

"There's my favourite Edwards!" Douglas exclaims, his nine-month-old son in his arms. "Thought you got lost."

"I wouldn't get lost on the way here," Callum states.

Corinne stands by Douglas, letting her nephew grip her fingers as she smiles. "How is everything?" Corinne asks.

"El and Ed are helping me with some paperwork in the study. How's Col doing?" Douglas asks.

"Settled fine. Gerard and Kate aren't good at sneaking around like Cal and I used to."

"Ah. You two caused mayhem with that. Remember the time we searched the grounds in the middle of the night before we realised Callum would be with you."

"I don't get why you thought I would have run away in the middle of the night. That still confuses me now," Callum points out.

Corinne laughs lightly before heading into her childhood home, soaking in the memories of the empty halls due to Rowan's and her parents' absence. Cross stitches and the odd photograph hang on the walls as her quiet steps take her through the familiar walls.

In her memories, Rowan runs towards her laughing and smiling as Corinne, Douglas and the collie chase him. She reaches out a hand, brushing it over Rowan's hair as he passes her. The figures disappear as she turns a corner towards her father's office.

"I am so proud of you. Corinne, you have grown into a beautiful woman and I am so glad I've made it to your wedding day. I just know he will protect you with every bit of himself. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't make it to today," Marvin says quietly, tears slipping down his face as he embraces a tearful Corinne.

Tears slip out of her eyes as she walks past her father and her, the pair fading as, once again, Corinne turns a corner.

A door stands partially open so Corinne pushes the door in curiosity to see herself stood in the middle of the room, a simple white dress encasing her figure. Kate sorts out a bouquet of flowers as Corinne's mother stands arranging Corinne's veil. "You don't know how long I have waited to get you ready for today. I'm so happy for you, my little girl," Corinne's mother says taking Corinne's hands with her own.

Nervous Corinne laughs at her mother's words with a small smile. "I am taller than you, mother, I'm not so little anymore," Corinne replies.

"This just feels surreal. My little girl is finally grown up."

Walking past the figures, Corinne goes through the doors onto the patio, wiping her eyes with a hand.

On the lower patio stands Callum by a pastor as he stares at Corinne walking down the aisle with her father. His blue eyes watch her in awe and love no one there could deny.

Corinne snaps out of her thoughts as footsteps approach her. Familiar arms wind around her waist from behind, a lightly stubble-covered jaw resting on her head. "I like thinking about our day too. You looked so beautiful and you continue to look more beautiful every day when you wake up next to me every day as my wife," Callum whispers.

"I love you, now until forever. That will never change," Corinne replies quietly.

"I love you more, I will continue to for decades. Also, I will annoy you all that time too." The pair laugh, Corinne staring at the flowers while Callum watches her instead.