Eastern District School

Chapter 100 - The Wedding

"You're shaking!" Rich informed her, steadying her hand with his own in the back seat of the car. He leaned across despite the restriction of the seat-belt and kissed her again. As he pulled away from her lips, they locked eyes and shared understanding smiles. She was shaking from pure adreniline, of which only seemed to have lasted and gotten her to this point. She had been worried of every little thing that could have happened. Worrying constantly...until now. Now that time had passed and along with it the chance of anything going wrong.

There were several big things that contributed to her heightened stress levels. Mostly things that were not under her control. She always liked to arrange and organise things. Her line of work and the work that had been done, spoke volumes. When it came to Eastern District, yes - she was in control, when it came to her wedding? - Well, perhaps she did have some control...but when the caterer came down with food poisoning at the last minute, or even the very day before when the Wedding car had been involved in a huge pile up on the motorway, the car then a write-off - those were the things that she didn't have to deal with. They automatically fell down to their wedding planner that Martha had insisted on. At first Rose had been reluctant to this modern plan that people seemed to follow. She was not a modern woman, all par the fact that she was the only female hands-on architect this side of the country. She went around the country trying to restore the building of the past, trying to put an historical look on things. She was not a woman of the future...or rather she had not been.

Sitting in the back of their Wedding car, en route to the reception with her husband, one might argue otherwise. From now on it was all about the future. It was about the adventures of husband and wive, as corny a book title that might be - it really was a new part of her life, it wasn't just a new chapter. She was not the same person she was last summer.

Her worries of every little thing that could have gone wrong had been with her until she had walked down that isle, turned to face her partner and looked up into his eyes. She had never seen such a look in his eyes. It were as if his nerves plus her own were able to create a stable bubble around them. One that melted anything that might be thrown at them. The ceremony had gone so fast, and in such a dreamlike state that Rose still felt she were dreaming now. She sure hoped that Benny's recording of the wedding came out okay, because at this stage it might be her only memory of the events of today. Although some vivid points would stay with her. As she slowly walked down that isle, her arm looped through her father's arm, noticing the faces of others. From Thomas Carter sat at the back with his son Nevile, right the way down to Tracey, her Nan and then finally her mother. There seemed not a dry eye in the nursery of Eastern District...and this had been before the ceremony. As her father kissed her cheek, she already felt the lump in her throat that would remain with her as she took her vows to love and protect the man who had already proved that he loved and protected her. Peter Johnstone then turned from the front and took his place by her mother's side. It was a wonder she was able to even stand on her own two feet.

She had seen Rich's side of the family too, as she took step after step towards him. Some family she might not even know until the introduction this afternoon at the reception. No doubt many of them she would unlikely remember. Then there had been his brothers, both dressed smartly, and Anthony there with his fiance' too. All three of them smiled, a grin from ear to ear as she passed. Last, at the very front had been Thomas and Martha Stock. Rich had asked his father to be his best man. Thomas had a cool look about himself as he accepted, but as he pulled his son close and embraced him, she saw a tear escape his eyes. No matter how calm and sophisticated a man might be, or even be trained to be, when it came to his family, love was sure to show.

Other's in that room included the very group of men she worked with, who had become like her family. Benny of course was recording and had set up a tripod next to the registra at the far of the room. Bill, Steve, Rob and Jay were there too. Smiling more than she had ever seen them do. She was looking forward to introducing them to her mother at the reception too.