You Never Said - Part 3 To The Producer (A Ricky Wilson Fan-fiction)

A Day She'd Been Dreading

Laura was more reserved than she had been anytime since she'd come back from Cornwall and that was saying something. Barely any words had been spoken in the Martin Wilson household in the last few days, aside from polite conversation about their days at work or a final goodnight as they lay back to back in bed. The only conversation Ricky had attempted was about wedding venues as Chris had suggested. He was told in no uncertain terms that was the last thing on Laura's mind.

Ricky entered the bedroom in his suit, white shirt and black tie. Laura looked him up and down but said nothing as she added lipstick to her  lips, replaced the lid and stroked down the pleats of her black dress. There had been none of the changing of outfits endless times that Ricky usually found so comical. Her dress had been ironed the night before and hung on the end of her wardrobe in preparation for the day she had been dreading.

Laura took a final look in the mirror, before checking her watch. "We better be off. The traffic might be terrible." And with that, she left the room.

Ricky followed her downstairs moments later. He slipped on his black shoes, placing each foot in turn on a stair as he did up the laces. Straightening his tie in the hallway mirror he saw Laura stood behind him looking sadder than he'd ever seen anyone look in his life. He turned to face her.

"Don't do this on your own Laura." He'd gripped each of her hands in his own. "I am here now. I'll be here tonight, tomorrow, forever." He paused. "As long as you let me."

Laura allowed her eyes to meet his. She knew he meant every word he said. She just had to accept it. But there was too much to think of first. 

"We have to leave now."  Laura slipped her hands from his and picking up the keys from the table, she headed towards the front door.

Aidan hadn't made it. There'd been some garbled message on her answerphone when she'd left work the day before explaining that although he could get a flight to the UK, getting back for the time he needed to was a little more tricky. He'd said he loved her, he always would and as he'd told her the other day, he would be there for her whenever she needed him. But he wasn't was he. She needed him today and he was five and a half thousand miles away. But Ricky would be. Well this time she'd learnt that it was truly time to move on.

- - - - - - -

Four figures stood outside the crematorium. Two men discussing  each of their cars in hushed tones. And two women, one holding the other's hand.

"That's it then." Laura announced to her best friend.

"I'd have thought James would have shown his face." Katie hadn't been impressed by the lack of his appearance.

"He's recording in France. I told him not to worry. He text me this morning.  He'll be thinking of me." Laura released her hand to dab at her eyes. She had cried. Not floods of tears, but she'd cried. And Ricky had held her hand the whole time and she'd let him. There for her as he said he would be. Laura looked across to him now.  Katie followed her gaze.

"It was good of Tom to take a day off work." Laura said, watching as Tom and Ricky were now bending down looking at something on the door of Tom's car.

"He wouldn't have dreamt of not coming to support you Laura. Neither of us would.  He's going on about that bloody scratch again! I can't help it if I let go of a full trolley of shopping on a slope!" Katie huffed,  making Laura smile at her friend's clumsy behaviour. "What now then? Home?" Katie asked turning her attention back to Laura, who nodded.

"Maybe a stop on the way back. Then yes, home." Laura stuffed her tissue away in her handbag. "Ricky wants to look at wedding venues next weekend." Katie was a little surprised.