A Spot Of Bother

85

They were getting married.

Katie felt excited about it in a way she hadn’t before. She knew she was doing the right thing this time. They were going to be in charge. It really was going to be their wedding. And a part of her was secretly pleased that the news was going to piss people off.

She’d worried about asking Ray. Would he believe her? Would he want to take the risk of her getting cold feet a second time?

Then she thought, Fuck it. What else were you supposed to do when you loved someone and wanted to marry them? And if the invitations had already been sent, well, it seemed wise to pop the question pretty quickly.

So she girded her loins and asked. On bended knee. So she could make it funny if it all went horribly wrong.

He lit up. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

She was so surprised she found herself trying to make him change his mind. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“Hey.” He took hold of her shoulders.

“What?”

“I said yes. I said I wanted to marry you.”

“I know, but-”

“You know what?” asked Ray.

“What?”

“You’re back again.”

“Meaning?”

“The old you,” he said.

“So you really do want to get married? In a fortnight?”

“Only if you promise not to ask me again.”

“I promise.”

They stared at each other for five seconds or so, letting it sink in. Then they jumped up and down like children.

She expected Mum to be angry. Given the hassle. But she seemed oddly resigned. Apparently, she hadn’t even got around to telling the guests it was off. Maybe she suspected this was going to happen all along.

Katie said they’d arrange everything. All she needed were the phone numbers. There was nothing Mum had to do. “And Ray and I are going to pay. After all we’ve put you through it seems only fair.”

“Well, if you insist,” said Mum. “Though I’m not sure how your father is going to feel about it.”

“Richer,” said Katie, but Mum didn’t laugh. “How is Dad, incidentally?”

“He seems fine.” She didn’t seem very happy about this.

“Good,” said Katie. Perhaps Mum was just having a bad day. “That’s really good news.”

The florists were downright rude. They could still squeeze the job in but it would cost more. Katie said she’d get flowers from someone nicer and put the phone down, full of an uplifting righteous indignation she hadn’t felt for a long time, and thought, Bugger flowers. Ray suggested they pick up a bouquet on the morning of the wedding and this struck them both as very funny.

The caterers were more understanding. Indeed they seemed to think she’d just come out of hospital, which involved some rapid footwork on Katie’s part, and when she mumbled something about tests coming back negative there was actual cheering from the other end of the line. “We’d be honored to provide the food.”

The cake people weren’t even aware that the wedding was off and clearly thought Katie was insane.