Truth was we had been apart for only a few hours and I ached for her, and not only her but for Holly also. We truly were a family and this ceremony was just our public celebration of that. Connor and Libby had both flown in for the party yesterday and were over at Bette and Tina’s with Andy and Holly and I missed them all.

I think back to Thursday night, the only time Andy and I have had alone together in what seems like forever, as we have been so busy since returning from London.

I came home from yet another day of visiting potential sites for my new restaurant, again having had no success, knowing that I would not have another chance until we returned from our honeymoon in just under two weeks time.

The house was quiet and blissfully empty, for the past few weeks it seemed the world and his wife had set up camp here going over details and orders for the wedding day. The quiet washed over me that night like a warm blanket relieving some of the tension of the day. I moved through up the stairs and toward Holly’s room to see what she was up to. As I opened the door to the empty room I heard her move behind me circling my waist with her arms.

“She is with her Auntie Alice and the gang over there, we have the place to ourselves. And I have a surprise for you down stairs.”

I laughed as I let her lead me by my hand back down the stairs, Alice would have a fun night, Holly was enamoured by her and seemed to find everything that Alice did hilarious. Alice could never get her to do anything because everything she did made the little girl giggle until she was out of breath or crying. We all found it just as funny to watch and Alice loved it though she would pretend to get annoyed.

I hung behind watching Andy’s exquisite rear as she walked in front of me. She must have been home for some time to have picked Holly up from nursery and drop her at Alice’s, she was dressed casually in white linen pants and a form hugging black top, I could tell from the scent that hung around her that she had bathed also. It was nice; it was rare that she ever beat me home at the moment.