Everyone laughed.
“But I am delighted to have been asked to share this beautiful day with Denise and Tom, and here’s to them having many more beautiful days like this together.”
Everyone cheered and reached for their glasses.
“However!” Holly raised her voice over the crowd and held her hand up to silence them. The noise died down and once again all eyes were on her.
“However, some guests here today will be aware of the list that a marvelous man thought up.” Holly smiled as John’s table; Sharon and Denise cheered. “And one of those rules was to never, ever wear a ’spensive white dress.”
Holly giggled as John’s table went wild and Denise broke down into hysterics remembering the fateful night when the new rule was added to the list.
“So on behalf of Gerry,” Holly said, “I will forgive you for breaking that rule only because you look so amazing, and I will ask you all to join me in a toast to Tom and Denise and her very, very ’spensive white dress, and I should know, because I was dragged around every bridal shop in Ireland!”
The guests in the room all held up their glasses and repeated, “To Tom and Denise and her very, very ’spensive white dress!”
Holly took her seat and Sharon hugged her with tears in her eyes. “That was perfect, Holly.”
Holly’s face beamed as John’s table held their glasses up to her and cheered. And then the party began.
Tears formed in Holly’s eyes as she watched Tom and Denise dancing together for the first time as husband and wife, and she remembered that feeling. That feeling of excitement, of hope, of pure happiness and pride, a feeling of not knowing what the future held but being so ready to face it all. And that thought made her happy; she wouldn’t cry about it, she would embrace it. She had enjoyed every second of her life with Gerry, but now it was time to move on. Move on to the next chapter of her life, bringing wonderful memories with her and experiences that would teach her and help mold her future. Sure it would be difficult; she had learned that nothing was ever easy. But it didn’t feel as difficult as it had a few months ago, and she assumed that in another few months it would be even less difficult.
She had been given a wonderful gift: life. Sometimes it was cruelly taken away too soon, but it was what you did with it that counted, not how long it lasted.
“Could I have this dance?” A hand appeared before her and she looked up to see Daniel smiling down on her.
“Sure.” She smiled and took his hand.
“May I say that you’re looking very beautiful tonight?”
“You may,” Holly smiled. She was happy with how she looked, Denise had chosen a beautiful lilac-colored dress for her with a corset top that hid her Christmas belly, and there was a large slit up the side. Leo had done a beautiful job with her hair, pinning it up and allowing some curls to tumble down onto her shoulders. She felt beautiful. She felt like Princess Holly, and she giggled to herself at the thought.
“That was a lovely speech you made,” he smiled. “I realize that what I said to you was selfish of me. You said you weren’t ready and I didn’t listen,” he apologized.
“That’s OK, Daniel; I don’t think I’ll be ready for a long, long time. But thank you for getting over me so fast.” She raised her eyebrows and nodded over at Laura, who was sitting moodily on her own at the table.
Daniel bit his lip. “I know it must seem crazy fast to you, but when you didn’t return any of my calls, even I got the hint you weren’t ready for a relationship. And when I went home for the holidays and met up with Laura, that old flame just sparked again. You were right, I never got over her. Believe me, if I hadn’t known with all my heart that you weren’t in love with me, I never would have brought her to the wedding.”
Holly smiled at Daniel. “Sorry for avoiding you all month. I was having a bit of ‘me’ time. But I still think you’re a fool.” She shook her head as she watched Laura scowl back at her.
Daniel sighed, “I know she and I have a lot to discuss over the next while and we’re really going to take things slowly, but like you said, for some people love just lives on.”
Holly threw her eyes up to heaven. “Oh, don’t start quoting me on that one,” she laughed. “Ah well, as long as you’re happy, I suppose. Although I don’t see how you ever will be.” She sighed dramatically and Daniel laughed.
“I am happy, Holly, I guess I just can’t live without the drama.” He glanced over at Laura, and his eyes softened. “I need someone who is passionate about me, and for better or for worse, Laura is passionate. What about you? Are you happy?” He studied Holly’s face.
Holly thought about it. “Tonight I’m happy. I will worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. But I’m getting there . . .”
Holly gathered in a huddle with Sharon, John, Denise and Tom and awaited the countdown.
“Five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one! HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Everyone cheered and balloons of all colors of the rainbow fell from the ceiling of the function room and bounced around on the heads of the crowd.
Holly hugged her friends happily with tears in her eyes.
“Happy New Year.” Sharon squeezed her tightly and kissed her on the cheek.
Holly placed her hand over Sharon’s bump and held Denise’s hand tightly. “Happy New Year for all of us!”
Epilogue
HOLLY FLICKED THROUGH THE NEWSPAPERS to see which one contained a photo of Denise and Tom on their wedding day. It wasn’t every day that Ireland’s top radio DJ and a girl from “Girls and the City” got married. That’s what Denise liked to think anyway.
“Hey!” the grumpy newsagent yelled at her. “This is not a library, you either buy it or put it down.”
Holly sighed and began to gather every newspaper from the newsstand once again. She had to take two trips to the counter due to the weight of the papers and the man didn’t even think to help her. Not that she would have wanted his help anyway. Once again a queue had formed behind the till. Holly smiled to herself and took her time. It was his own fault, if he would just let her flick through the papers she wouldn’t have to hold him up. She made her way to the top of the queue with the last of the papers and began to add bars of chocolate and packets of sweets to the pile.
“Oh, and can I have a bag too, please.” She batted her eyelashes and smiled sweetly.
The old man stared down at her over the rim of his glasses as though she were a naughty schoolgirl. “Mark!” he yelled angrily.
The spotty teenager appeared from the shopping aisles once again with a pricing gun in his hand.
“Open the other till, son,” he was ordered, and Mark dragged his body over to the till.
Half the queue behind Holly moved over to the other side.
“Thank you.” Holly smiled and made her way toward the door. Just as she was about to pull the door open it was pushed from the other side, causing her purchases to once again spill out all over the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” the man said, bending down to help her.
“Oh, it’s OK,” Holly replied politely, not wanting to turn around to see the smug look on the old man’s face that was burning into her back.
“Ah, it’s you! The chocoholic!” the voice said, and Holly looked up startled.
It was the friendly customer with the odd green eyes who had helped her before.
Holly giggled, “We meet again.”
“Holly, isn’t it?” he asked, handing her the king-size chocolate bars.
“That’s right, Rob, isn’t it?” she replied.
“You’ve a good memory,” he laughed.
“As do you,” she grinned. She piled everything back into her bag, lost in thought, and got back onto her feet.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll bump into you again soon.” Rob smiled and made his way over to the queue.
Holly stared after him still in a daze. Finally she walked over to him. “Rob, is there any chance you would like to go for that coffee today? If you can’t, that’s fine . . .” She bit her lip.
He smiled and glanced down nervously at the ring on her finger.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” she held her hand out. “It only represents a lifetime of happy memories these days.”
He nodded his head understandingly. “Well, in that case I would love to.”
They crossed the road and headed over to the Greasy Spoon. “By the way, I’m sorry for running off on you the last time,” he apologized, looking into her eyes.
“Oh, don’t worry; I usually escape out the toilet window after the first drink,” Holly teased.
He laughed.
Holly smiled to herself as she sat at the table waiting for him to bring back the drinks. He seemed nice. She relaxed back in her chair and gazed out of the window to the cold January day that caused the trees to dance wildly in the wind. She thought about what she had learned, who she once was and who she had now become. She was a woman who had been given advice from a man she loved, who had taken it and tried her hardest to help heal herself. She now had a job that she loved and felt confidence within herself to reach for what she wanted.
She was a woman who made mistakes, who sometimes cried on a Monday morning or at night alone in bed. She was a woman who often became bored with her life and found it hard to get up for work in the morning. She was a woman who more often than not had a bad hair day, who looked in the mirror and wondered why she couldn’t just drag herself to the gym more often, she was a woman who had sometimes hated her job and questioned what reason she had to live on this planet. She was a woman who sometimes just got things wrong.
On the other hand, she was a woman with a million happy memories, who knew what it was like to experience true love and who was ready to experience more life, more love and make new memories. Whether it happened in ten months or ten years, Holly would obey Gerry’s final message. Whatever lay ahead, she knew she would open her heart and follow where it led her.
In the meantime, she would just live.
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