Rising Light

Chapter 18: Till Death Do Us Part

'I will, Mum,' Kate said, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder, her attention on the array of items on her bed. She was still undecided about what she actually wanted to pack; it was one thing throwing clothes into a bag for cases, this time she actually needed to put a little forethought into it all. After all, it wasn't every day that her friends got married.

'Everything?'

Kate chuckled softly. 'Mother, I promise to take pictures of everything. Especially,' she added quickly, shifting the phone to her other ear, 'Poppy's dress. Though, you're gonna be there so why you need proof of it all...' She let the comment fade out, she knew exactly why her mother wanted photographs. It was just something that her mother did.

'Good,' her mother said, and Kate could hear the smile behind her voice. 'Call me a worrier –'

'You're a worrier.'

'– but are you going to be all right going all that way on your own?'

'Of course I am,' Kate assured her, before finally settling on the edge of her bed. 'Anyway, I won't be alone. I've got a plus one.'

'You do?' asked her mother, and the excitement behind her voice was obvious. 'You didn't mention anyone...'

'That's because I'm going to take a friend.'

Her mother made a soft, disbelieving sound.

'Seriously, Mum, just a friend. Not every - One second.' Kate shifted the phone away from her ear, noticed that she had another call coming from Poppy. 'I think the bride may kill me if I don't take this. Talk later?'

'Give Poppy and Ed my love,' said her mother cheerily, before Kate switched calls.

'Oh my gosh!' yelled Poppy, causing Kate to move the phone away from her ear. 'Are you still coming?'

'Of course,' Kate chuckled. 'Why wouldn't I be?' Between everything else, Kate had been more than excited to remember that the wedding was so close. She'd almost forgotten it until earlier that week, when Poppy had called her and all but yelled down the phone to her about the countdown.

Poppy huffed, and Kate could practically see her pushing her light brown curls off her face. 'Because Ben dropped out, so I thought maybe you would too.'

Kate's stomach knotted uncomfortably. She hadn't been sure if she'd be glad to see Ben again or not, but now the decision had been fully taken away from her, she felt a little disappointed. 'I wouldn't miss this for the world.'

'Good,' chirped Poppy. 'Now, I'll see you there bright and early with your plus one. And I want all the details.'

'It's not... Like that,' Kate finished lamely as her friend cut the call. The idea of taking Leah to the wedding was one that she could see the benefit of; especially if Ben was going. Not that she'd invited the other woman yet, but knowing Leah she'd have found a way to come. Now, with the prospect of there being no Ben, Kate was in two minds. Perhaps she didn't even need a plus one. She'd be surrounded by people she knew, people who weren't dogged by the shadow of Newcastle at all.

'You all right?' John asked, causing Kate to look towards him quickly.

A sudden flash of inspiration came to Kate. 'John, do you want to be my plus one to a wedding?'

John looked slightly taken aback, and she could see something like confusion behind his eyes. 'The last wedding I went to was my older sister's and I really don't like weddings,' he noted, sounding off hand about it as he padded into the room.

'Not all weddings are...' Kate paused from dropping her phone charger in her bag, looked up at him as the words sank in. 'You – you've got an older sister?'