Love Story

Day five of the Season of Love continues with an affirmation of love. Sometimes faith in your loved one is having a motivational speech just at the right time. The picture is the "Bride on the Rocks" a natural formation in the Amalfi Coast.You can see the mini tiara and the bouquet and the neatly coiffered hair. That reminds me, I haven't worn my BTP tiara for ages. May run around with it tonight...


The Bride © Billy London 

Cezar stared at his reflection in the toilet mirrors. Last time as an unmarried man, he thought with a lurch in his stomach. He could still feel The wooden pew of the registry office beneath his thighs and on examination he saw splinters in between the cotton weave of his one expensive suit.
He'd bought it for his aunt's wedding last year, always thinking if he ever was drugged into marriage, he'd buy himself something decent. Instead, there'd been an unnatural rush to make them man and wife. His fiancée waited outside for him. Somewhere. Could he call her his fiancée? They barely had an engagement. To be fair they barely had the time to fit this wedding in. As soon as they decided they were on the marriage conveyer belt at the first available date was Valentines Day. They'd travelled to the registry office on the tube, people staring at him in his suit and Lacey in her white prom dress. She looked like a girl from a Bruno Mars video. A throw back to the 50s. Her baby bump had barely showed with the froth of so many netted skirts. He'd eyed the man opposite who tried to take a sly picture and motioned shooting him. The phone was hastily put away. It wasn't like he doubted Lacey. She was too good for him and everyone knew it. Except Lacey...
"Oi," his best man and witness popped his head around the door. "Lacey's doing a runner."
Snatching up his jacket, Cezar ran out of the gents. "Where?"
"Back to the tube station. Her mate trying to talk to her."
Cezar hurried out of the registry office and sprinted in the direction of the beehive and white dress. "Lacey!" He yelled.
She turned around along with Amanda, a friend she'd had since her school days. Amanda made an apologetic face and mouthed, "Couldn't stop her."
"Lace, what are you doing?" He asked, breathing heavily.
She put her hands on her hips and stared across the road at the traffic instead. "Wrong question. What are we doing? Seriously what are we doing here?"
His first trial as a husband. Okay, he could do this. The words were in him somewhere if Lacey would give him a minute to think. Before she started off back to the tube again, he caught her by the arm. "Don't go."
"A little bit if humiliation now is better than a lifetime of me resenting you or you hating me for taking your freedom away."
Cezar's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "You think this is about embarrassment?"
Her lips tightened in disapproval. "You're raising your voice."
"Because you're not making any sense!" He burst out. It took him a moment to gather himself, closing his eyes briefly. "We talked about this."
"And then the actual day arrives and... Cezar, didn't you see all those people with their friends and family? Happy? Waiting for this day for years? And then there's you and me. Rushing in to cover for a mistake."
"That's not true," he denied. "Okay we weren't expecting a baby but you and I said we wanted something different than what we went through. I still don't know my dad and you said you wouldn't want your kid running between two homes."
Lacey's eyes filled with tears and she looked across the road at passing traffic. "I'm scared. I don't know anyone my age with kids but believe me I wouldn't have even asked you to marry me if I didn't fundamentally think you were the woman I wanted to spend my life with."
She took a step towards him and it was all he needed to embrace her. "We don't have to get married," she murmured.
"Tax credits, tax breaks and benefits. It's more money for Mini You."
Lacey pulled back. "You've looked into it?"
He rolled his eyes. "I read that mother care catalogue you left in the bathroom. Everything's fucking expensive."
Removing a packet of tissues from his pocket, he withdrew one and gently dabbed under her eyes. "Out of everything, this is the best bit."
"I can't drink," she reminded him, her face set in annoyance. "Bruh, you can still dance. Let's go."
With a deep breath, Lacey nodded and held out her hand. As they turned back to the registry office, his best man waved then over. "Don't worry about the freak out Lace," he called, thrusting a thumb in the direction of the rooms. "Some birds found out the groom's been sleeping with er stepmum. It's a riot."
Cezar glanced at Lacey, who released his hand and started backing towards the tube again.  "It's a sign," she muttered, her eyes darting to escape.
"It is not a fucking sign, Lace. Lace!"
He supposed it would be good practice for running around after a toddler...