Epilogue

"You ready?" I ask Sarah, glancing nervously up towards the vintage white clock that hangs upon the bridal suite wall, indicating our lateness.

She sips her champagne with a trembling hand, but doesn't respond. Sarah simply glides across to the floor length window and looks across the rolling grounds of the boutique hotel. "I never thought I'd get married."

For a second, I barely hear her as I am listening to Caroline fending off the wedding planner at the door. "Just give us five more minutes." She says with authority before closing the door.

"Sarah, you've made Ben wait long enough for today! Now you're making him wait for you downstairs. Do you want to marry him?" I asks abruptly, sick of tiptoeing around her.

"Of course." She spins round in her completely fitted cream silk gown. Her short blonde hair has been curled to soften her usual blunt bob. She looks radiant with an ornate silver tiara holding her veil in place.

"So let's get get down there!" Caroline says in frustration. "He must be down there thinking you have cold feet."

"It's just with the exception of Lizzie and Daniel, everyone else who I'm close to that has got married... well, it's ended badly." The tears threaten to spill over onto her cheeks which will ruin her perfect makeup.

I pick up a tissue and hold it just beneath her eye. "Don't cry!" I practically shout. "Ben adores you. He has from the second he met you! Now, we are going to walk down to the ballroom and you are going to marry the man of your dreams... and you are going to live happily ever after... even if I have to drag you down there myself!" I chuckle softly, but thankfully she nods.

"I know he loves me. I'm just so nervous that he will leave me eventually." Sarah finishes her champagne with a gulp.

"I think he has already experienced your special version of crazy... and he's still here!" Caroline teases.

Sarah rotates her shoulders repeatedly while she exhales slowly. "You're right! OK, let's do this!"

Remembering the order we are to enter the ballroom, Caroline takes Lilly's hand and exits the room first. "Jack. Grace. It's time for the wedding." They both run across the room from where they have been counting ducks around the lake. I bend to straighten Jack's bow tie and his little black suit jacket. Trying but failing to flatten his curls, I decide to give up as he squirms beneath my touch. "You look very handsome." I kiss his cheek. He smiles up at me with big blue eyes, looking the image of his father.

Turning towards Grace in her cream silk bridesmaid dress with a golden bow to compliment my dress, I couldn't feel any more proud of them. "You look beautiful." I say to her, kissing her in the same place while I put her gold headband in her mane of light brown waves. She spins round to show me for the tenth time in the last five minutes how her dress spins out as she moves.

I stand, take both of their hands and begin the walk to the ballroom. As we are about to enter to follow Caroline and Lilly into the room, I turn to face Sarah. "You are going to make Ben the happiest man in the entire world. I love you."

"Thank you for being here with me today." She then bends towards the twins. "You two look absolutely adorable."

"Thank you." They both say shyly before looking up to me with their cheeky smiles.

My not so little three year old twins then proudly walk up the aisle on either side of me. I hear the ooohs and aaahs of the guests around us as they thankfully behave perfectly.

My eyes meet Ben's wild stare at our lateness. He looks like he could be sick with nerves. I answer his silent question of a doubt with an enormous smile and a nod. I watch his shoulders relax immediately.

Standing next to him is Daniel, looking every inch the movie star. His hair is short, and his stubble trimmed to perfection. His ocean blue eyes dance with pride and emotion as he looks from me to our children. He smiles his million dollar smile, exposing his dimples that still makes my heart skip a beat even after all these years. I grin in response, feeling like my heart could burst.

When we reach the top of the aisle Ben holds out his hand for both the twins to high five him. I then usher them to our seats so that Sarah can finally make her entrance, forty five minutes late.

I immediately feel my bottle lip begin to wobble the second Sarah enters the room. Ben exhales dramatically to control his emotions the moment he lays eyes on her. Daniel squeezes his shoulder from the side with a massive grin. Sarah appears to walk on air, she floats effortlessly up the aisle. She never takes her eyes off Ben as she beams at him. I almost feel like I am imposing on a secret moment between them.

The service is brief, and we all cheer once they are named husband and wife. "Can we eat cake now, Mommy?" Grace asks a little too loudly.

Ben leans over to her before they start to exit the room. "Yes sweetheart, you can eat cake now."

"Woo hoo!" Jack cheers, but then squeals with excitement as Daniel swiftly grabs him from behind to lift him up.

"When did you get so big?" Daniel asks as he pretends to be unable to lift Jack more than four inches from the ground. Jack laughs wildly before Daniel moves to carry him out of the room. Grace holds my one hand while Daniel gently holds the other. We walk slowly back down the aisle, following the other guests. "You look breathtaking." He whispers against my temple.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself!" I lean across to gently kiss his lips.

Once we are outside in the baking sunshine, we pose happily for photographs alongside Sarah and Ben. The overwhelming heat begins to make me feel sick and lightheaded. "Would you mind if I went and sat down for a while?" I ask Sarah quietly.

"Shit! Of course! Are you feeling OK?" She asks urgently studying me closely from head to toe.

"I'm fine. It's just the heat." I explain as Daniel appears at my side and takes my arm. "I'm OK." I say, but I lean into him, grateful for the support.

"Lizzie, you're eight months pregnant and it's thirty degrees!" He pulls a chair across for me to sit down and stops a waiter to order me a glass of cold water. He kneels before me and places his hands across my bump. "You being naughty for Mommy?" He chuckles as our baby kicks Daniel's hand.

I place my hand across his. "This is the last time!" I smirk while our twins run across the lawn towards us. "Three children will have us outnumbered."

"Never say never!" He laughs as the twins reach us. "So, Jack and Grace, what are you thinking? Boy or girl?"

"Boy!" Jack exclaims loudly.

"Girl!" Grace bobs her tongue out at Jack.

Once I have rested and drank the ice cold water I feel much better. "We should get back to Sarah and Ben." I hold my hand out to Daniel and he pulls me to my feet. We watch the twins playing with Ben as they study the ducks on the lake.

Before we begin to walk, Daniel cups my face in his hands. "I love you so much." He kisses me softly. 

"I'm basically a bloated whale!" I sigh against his lips.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world! You're all I see, Lizzie Weston... all I ever need to see!" His eyes burn into me, and somehow I understand that he means every word.

- hey guys!

So this really is it! The end of Trilogy! I can't quite believe it!

Pleads let me know what you think.

I'm so very grateful for all the love and support.

I'll post a little author's note very soon! Love T x -