Story of another us // Calum Hood #book 2

41

One year and 3 months later
(Or 15 months)

Emily and Calum sat in the living room of the Sydney appartment. A bowl of popcorn was between them as they sat in silence watching a 'super vet' a TV programme. It wasn't what they intentionally wanted to watch but somehow they ended up here. They had been sitting in a comfortable silence since it had started. They hadn't been home long from a day of family visiting and last minuet wedding arrangements. The wedding was the following day and it had been stressful. A lot more stressful than Emily had imagined it to be but it was finally arranged and so close. Calum had helped with the wedding, here and there. It was hard planning a wedding in LA when you were getting married in Australia. That probably made it more stressful than it needed to be.
Calum glanced at the coffee table and noticed a plastic DVD case pocking out under a pile of papers. He frowned and leaned forwards before he sighed and looked at Emily.
"Have you not watched this?" He asked. Emily looked at him before the DVD and shock her head. "Do you not wanna watch it?"
The DVD was something that Rachel had left Emily saying 'for when you marry' on the front. Emily's nan had kept until a few weeks ago. She told her to watch it before the wedding, not after. Emily hadn't worked up the courage to watch it.
"Yeah" Emily said quietly
"Well I'm gonna have a shower so" Calum said handing her the DVD which she reluctantly took from him. "You don't want me to stay do you?"
"No I'll be fine" Emily answered making Calum give her a small look of disbelief before he stood up and walked out of the room. Emily bit her lip and looked down at the DVD. She sighed before walking over to the TV and playing the DVD into the player. She walked back to the sofa and pulled Oreo onto her lap as the home DVD started.
It started with a home video of Holly and Emily playing weddings when they were six years old. You could hear the laugher of Holly's mum and Rachel in the background as the two best friends pretended to exchanged vowels before dancing in a circle together. A few seconds after the home video stopped Rachel's face appeared on the screen. Emily sucked in a breath as she looked at the familiar face that had never faded in her mind.
"As much as I love Holly I don't think you guys will actually get married" Rachel said looking into the camera "but I hope she's your maid of honor because she knows your wedding plan better than anyone else and her speech would be the best speech in the world." Rachel said before she paused and looked down at her lap before sadly back up at the camera. "I know that you would always say that your dream was to go to university and have a career you love, which I hope happened but I know that your real goal is to find someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with, happily. Even if you deny it you know you want that perfect happy ever after- everyone does it doesn't make you unrealistic. I know that I may not have given you much hope in the meaning of true love but even though you saw me go through marriages and divorces I think you know it exists. I don't think you would marry someone who it didn't feel right with. You're a clever girl, you can figure that out. So take on the world with them, fight with them but for them. Create happiness and never put your happiness in someone else's hands. I don't know who you're marrying, unless somehow you marry Calum which would be amazing and almost extraordinary but I'm sure they are a humble and perfect human in your eyes. Never settle for less and never let them make you unhappy. If it doesn't work out you can just get married two more times and we'll be even" Rachel joked a little before she went silent. "I wish I was there, I wish I got to see probably the most important day in your life but shit happens and I'm not. It sucks but that's life. You'll look beautiful in your dress, and I'm sure the design of the wedding is immaculate. So smile and embrace your bridal beauty. I hope you put Tommy in a bow tie. I wish you best and I'll be watching don't worry. I love you" Rachel said with sadness in her eyes as she looked into the camera. "Oh and try not to trip walking down the aisle" and with that the screen went black and the DVD ended. Emily felt tears run down her face which she wiped with the back of her hand before she switch the TV on to a film instead.