went over to the tree and started to climb back up it as well.
“No kiss for me?” Rich asked.
“No,” Charlie and Bex said in unison before laughing at the fact that they’d both replied.
Matt also smiled, but as he saw Charlie reach the branch that led across to Claire’s window he called; “Charlie?” He waited for her to turn and look down at him before he said; “not too much wine okay? You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”
Charlie finished her climb, and when she was safely back inside Claire’s room she called down; “sorry Mr Grayson, but there’s a new doc in town and she says I’m good for another few bottles!”
Emily’s face appeared at the window, and she said reassuringly to Matt; “she’s had one spritzer, and I’m only going to let her have one more.”
“Seriously,” Charlie said nudging Emily with her hips.
“Oh sorry,” Emily said laughing as Charlie shook her head at her.
Matt smiled at them and said; “see you all tomorrow.”
“Will you recognise me?” Charlie asked sarcastically.
“Will you be the one in white?” He asked her, and Rich laughed appreciatively.
“Night ladies,” Rich called.
“Night,” they all replied.
Matt and Rich watched Claire shut her bedroom window, and Matt slapped Rich on the back as they walked away, Matt laughing as Rich rubbed his backside. “You really are an idiot at times,” he said; “and totally insensitive.”
“Well if you can’t laugh about a bit of memory loss, what can you laugh about?” Rich asked, and when Matt laughed again he asked; “pub?”
Matt nodded in reply, and then he couldn’t help but smile to himself. Tomorrow he and Charlie were going to renew their vows in the same church that they’d gotten married in eleven years earlier.
***
“Well here we are again mate,” Rich said to Matt as they sat in the front right hand side pews.
“Yep,” Matt said.
“Don’t know what comforting words I said the last time,” Rich said.
“Rich,” Adam said appearing to their right.
“They’re here?” Rich asked, and Adam nodded. “Ready?” Rich asked Matt, and when he nodded Rich smiled and said; “okay in that case, I’ll be right back,” and he walked away with Adam.
“Rich!” Matt said, but Rich just gave him a cheeky thumbs up as he turned his back on him again.
Matt stood up as the familiar music began, and everyone turned their attention from him to the doors at the back of the church which had just opened.
He watched Rich and Bex walk down the aisle together, and he smiled. Bex was in a lavender gown that suited her colourings perfectly, and Rich winked at him as he kissed Bex. She then went to stand on the left hand side of the altar, and Rich again took up his place next to him.
“I got double booked mate,” he said making Matt laugh.
Next in were Rach and Ben, and Matt saw that Rach was in a deep emerald green dress. Ben was in a traditional morning suit, as was he, as was Rich, and as were Nick and Adam he knew.
Matt saw that following them in were Nick and Emily. Emily was in a turquoise dress, and he wondered why Charlie hadn’t asked all the girls to wear the same colour. Yet he was distracted from this thought, as he saw Claire and Adam walking down the aisle behind Emily and Nick.
Claire was in a tight figure hugging black dress that went to the floor, and Matt couldn’t help but acknowledge how good she looked in it. He also knew that Rich was thinking the same thing because he heard him wolf whistle very quietly.
“Eyes to the back now please,” Claire whispered with a smile as she came level with them.
Matt looked to where she’d said, and he saw Charlie at the same time as the whole church made a collective; “aaah” sound.
She was stood in a full length silver dress, which was covered in sequins all around the hem. The front of the dress was low cut, and her hair was pinned back from her face. Matt couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked, and he smiled as she began to walk towards him.
One thing struck him as strange though as Charlie approached the altar, and that was that she wasn’t walking down the aisle with Harry. In fact as she got closer to him, he wasn’t sure that he recognised who she was walking down the aisle with at all. Did he know this man he wondered? He looked vaguely familiar Matt thought, but he