Chapter Nine: The ultimate moment

    The big heavy oak church door stood there half opened, the only thing that reminded everyone what had happened just a few moments ago. Candy was gazing lost at the opened door. Sunlight was rushing bright inside, making everything around Candy seem dark. It was as if it was only her and the opened door that stood opposite her. The light at the end of her tunnel...She felt in her heart the unbearable urge to start running, running as fast she could to see him again, to touch him, to give him her heart just as he did with his, those few moments ago...

    The atmosphere inside the church was numb, faint whispers were the only thing making the presence of all those people real. Albert was still standing next to Candy, without moving, his mind processing everything that they had witnessed. He lowered his head towards Candy.

    - Are you OK sweetheart?, he whispered.

    - Yes... Albert, Candy answered back at him but she felt that the words heard weren’t hers. She was just standing there, deep into her fantasy of her running towards her Terry. His eyes had marked her mind and heart, however she’d tried to erase the memory of Terry kneeling in front of her, exposing his deepest feelings for her, she felt unable to do so.

    Even Archie that was always first to criticise Terry and his actions, was still feeling dumbfounded by witnessing Terry’s pleas, the passion of his words had even touched him while he silently was staring Candy looking at the door with absent desperation mirroring in her eyes.

    Jon was in deep conversation with his mother and his best friend as the wedding guests turned to look at the priest who was ready to open his book again. He cleared his throat and whispered to the groom.

    - Are we going ahead with the wedding my son?, Jon heard the priest’s low voice close to his ear. He glanced at his mother, pressed his lips, the strain of a decision hanging on the air had washed over his face, he looked tired. His eyes coloured with sadness, a love not meant to be...He looked at Candy that was only physically there but for him she was already miles away. He softly touched her shoulder.

    - Candy...? he said with a soft albeit serious tone in his voice. He wanted to burst in tears right there and then. He struggled with feelings of love, anger, jealousy, and abandonment but most of all with feelings of honour and justice. He wished that this was all a terrible nightmare that they’d wake up, he and Candy already married.

    She turned slowly her face towards him, her eyes blurred with tears. She bit her lower lip as not to burst to sobs seeing how Jon had been affected by all these. The happiness that she had promised him with everything she got, no longer existed. She felt terrible guilt, anguish for being the one that her past had hurt a dear friend of hers without being able to stop it, as fate cannot be stopped, she had come to conclude several months ago.

    - I’m so sorry Jon...., she whispered and her voice broke. Jon took her by the shoulders and turned her softly, his body opposite hers, his eyes gazing deeply hers. She could see tears squeezing their way through at the corners of his eyes.

    - I think we better go outside Candy..., Jon said, struggling to keep his feelings below the surface. Candy nodded and followed him outside the church, leaving Terry’s file on Albert’s hands.

    The bright sun that had escaped from the clouds blinded them. They shut their eyes for a few seconds. No one was talking, what they were feeling right now, to both of them was almost beyond words. Jon turned and looked at Candy, the green of her eyes surrounded by a pink hue from crying, her lips deep red and moist, quivering, she was ready to burst to tears. Jon felt the urge to kiss her.

    - Candy...he whispered and took her affectionately in his arms, pressing her softly on his body, feeling her heat, lowered his head, cupped her right cheek with his hand and took her lips softly with his, their tears mixing together within the kiss. It was a long sorrowful kiss, a farewell kiss. Candy pressed her arms on Jon’s back, tightening her grip on his jacket.

    - I’m sorry she whispered as his lips were brushing hers. He pulled his head back and looked at her with the love he felt all this time she was with him.

    - It wasn’t your fault Candy..., Jon said, I already knew that you didn’t love me the way I loved you...and I already knew about Terry too..., Jon continued.

    - You knew?, Candy said and her eyes widened with surprise.

    - Yes...Archie had told me the first night they arrived here, I pressed him to tell me, I wanted to know how to win your heart over him, he spoke again with a resigned tone in his voice.

    - And you never said anything...?, Candy thought out loud.

    - How could I?, Jon asked her back. I was thinking probably sometime in the future, you’d feel comfortable enough to tell me yourself Candy, Jon replied.

    - I never meant for any of these to happen Jon, she said back to him, feeling her heart being swept by feelings of guilt.

    - I know Candy, Jon said and left a sigh. He turned his eyes elsewhere, looking vaguely in the distance. Thick teardrops were trickling down his face.

    - There is no wedding Candy...unfortunately I can’t marry a girl whose heart will never be free..., he spoke again trying to control his voice, lowering it on purpose. Candy’s lips were trembling; a newfound respect and gratefulness for her dear friend were filling her heart. She was immensely sorry that he was to leave from her life.

    - You must go and find him..., Jon now spoke and Candy’s eyes widened like two huge green lakes, ...otherwise you will never be truly happy in your life Candy, his voice sounded firm as he turned to look into her eyes.

    - Jon...I..., it’s not right..., Candy replied confused and hesitant, while her heart jumped at the tiny thought, that going after Terry was a possibility.

    - He loves you Candy...even more that I’d ever be able to love you my darling...so you better go to him soon...believe me...second chances don’t come too often.

    Candy lowered her head and cried as a wave of emotions was hitting her like foamy waves hit the shore. He touched her chin softly, raising her head up and looked into her eyes. He wiped her tears with his thumbs.

    - We’ll have to go back in to break the news to the rest Candy; he said and kissed her softly on her forehead.

    - I wish you all the happiness Candy, he said slowly.

    - I wish you all the happiness Jon, she answered back at him, looking at him with sadness in her eyes. He got hold of her hand.

    - We’ll go in together, he said to her and squeezed her delicate fingers softly in his hand.

    - Together, Candy answered and they both walked towards the church.

    They went in, two dark figures standing in front of the bright light that was filling the entrance of the church. Everyone was waiting. Jon’s voice was heard stern and firm.

    - I’m deeply sorry everyone...but there will be no wedding today, he said loudly as he was staring the people standing in front of them.
    - Candy and I have decided that we didn’t belong together, he continued.

    He turned and looked at her. Candy looked into his eyes, hoping with her heart that one day he’d find the girl that he truly deserved and their never to be wedding would be a distant memory.

    - We apologise to every one of you for all that mess, Candy now spoke loudly. Jon and I have wished to each other to find true happiness in our lives and we leave this sacred place with no hard feelings. We wish together the same to you, Candy finished what she felt she had to say and her eyes fell on Albert that was looking at her feeling very proud of his little one, handling this situation on her own, standing on her two feet.

    Candy and Jon hand in hand moved towards their families, only to leave each other as friends and family gathered around to hug their own. They all slowly went in the carriages and left for home. Candy was sharing one carriage with Albert. He was holding Terry’s divorce papers.

    - Are OK Candy?, he spoke at some moment breaking the silence. Candy turned her eyes to look at Albert while her mind was already with Terry.

    - I guess so Albert...I still feel awful for Jon, and that bothers me a lot, but I know that I’ll be fine in the end...just because I somehow felt that Jon will be OK too eventually, Candy replied.

    Albert pointed to Candy the divorce papers.

    - These were for you, Albert said and gave them to Candy.

    She took them and placed them on her lap, it felt surreal for her, opening the file, only to read the big letters declaring the divorce between Terry and Susanna. She still couldn’t believe it. At the bottom of the page was a handwritten note on a light blue piece of paper with the logo of “Le Paris” hotel. Candy knew that hotel; it was the oldest in town. She recognised Terry’s handwriting.

    “    My adored Freckles,

    If you are reading this, then you finally can see for yourself that everything I may have said were true. Just like my endless love for you is more real that life itself.
    I’ll be waiting for you in “Le Paris”...until tomorrow morning...I hope to my heart that I will see you...

    Always yours
    Terry    ”

    Candy’s eyes were sparkling with tears. Her love was still here, waiting for her. She pulled her head up.

    - I need to go find him, Albert!, she said her voice hoarse from emotion.

    - I think you must little one; Albert said and broke a shy smile to Candy.

    She returned him the same smile as her cheeks blushed to the thought of reuniting with her true soul mate, her Terry she loved from the first time she laid eyes on him, looking so lonely and sad one cold and foggy night on board of Mauritania.

    They arrived first to the house, and Candy rushed upstairs to change. In a few minutes she was wearing her green cotton dress and her leather sandals, the bun at the back of her head loose, long blonde curls escaping from everywhere all tangled up with little jasmine flowers. She went to the street and started running. She got on a carriage on her way to the hotel. After several moments, she was there. She stepped out and looked at the hotel as her heart was jumping on her throat, her eyes wide and moist from the depth of love she was feeling for Terry. It was true and useless to fight it. She had fallen in love for him utterly and completely. Terry and only he was the one for her...

    She went in the hotel, and asked at the receptionist which room was the one for Terrence Grandchester. The receptionist looked at Candy and smiled.

    - It’s number 14, miss, the receptionist told Candy. She thanked him and slowly started going up the stairs.

    She was holding tight at the dark wood stair banister leaving her sweaty fingerprints behind. She was so excited she felt her breathing becoming irregular. She arrived in front of his door, and stood there for a couple of seconds as sweetly tormenting butterflies were flooding her inside, the tingling sensation of expectation reaching down even to the tips of her fingers. She tried to calm her nerves down, took a deep breath and knocked at Terry’s door.

    ***********************

    Alone in his room, Terry was sitting on the bed, elbows on his knees, holding his head, staring at the floor, his mind and heart completely numb from what he had done a short while ago. The intensity of his action, the desperation in his voice and movements and the uncertainty he was facing right now had drained him completely. A faint knock on thr door pulled him out of his oblivion. He pulled his head up tired. He hoped that wasn’t another hot blooded visit from Archie.

    - Come in...the door is open, he said with an empty voice.

    The door slowly opened. Candy was just standing there looking all shy and nervous. Terry’s eyes widened at her sight in front of him. The whole moment felt completely unreal for both of them.

    They were standing alone after such a long and arduous time in their lives facing each other. Terry was silent, his gaze fixed on Candy, he was looking at her with complete adoration; it was true, he worshipped her. He felt more nervous than even when he was in the church. The anticipation, the expectation, the excitement to see her once more, to find him alone with her, to feel her body lost within his arms, it had been so long....he felt his feet weak. Everything that had happened in the past was melting behind his eyes, leaving only his love for her to shine through like a bright light.

    Candy was staring into Terry’s eyes, two crystal blue whirlpools that were sucking her in, captivating her under their spell. Her eyes were confessing a complete and utter longing for him, wanting to touch him, to feel his skin under her fingertips; her body closed in by his embrace, to be caressed by his hands, to feel his lips on hers, his heart beating.... her soul next to his. Tears were coming down her flushed cheeks.

    - My love, she whispered, her fingers touching softly her trembling lips, you are here....

    - I’m here Candy, Terry said with a hoarse voice, eyes gleaming, and stepped towards her, stopped in front of her, he felt his stare disappearing deep within her wide sparkling green eyes.

    - And this time, I am not going anywhere without you, his velvety voice caressed her ears.

    Candy looked at him for a few seconds searching in his eyes. Terry’s stare on her was waking up her whole body; sweet chills were travelling up her spine.

    Tears had welled up in his eyes as he opened up his arms wide and for Candy it was as if the doors of heaven opened. She dived with all her heart into his embrace and buried her head into his chest crying tears of release. Release from the pain she felt all these months away from him, from the retched memories of their break up, from all the anguish and stress she was feeling when she had realised that she’d never hear from him again.

    Terry was holding his treasured girl next to him, crying tears the same as Candy’s, trying to erase everything bad that had happened all this time in his life without her, his struggle to live through every single day of his life away from Candy, to remember to breathe in and out without hearing her laughter. They were hugging each other, crying together for some time, without saying any other word, scared of letting go.

    Terry picked her chin tenderly, pulling her face up, wanting to look at those wide emerald eyes that had stolen his heart when all he felt was sorrow and rejection as he was standing surrounded by the night’s darkness on the deck of Mauritania. Candy was looking at him, her stare that of complete love and surrender of her heart to him. He caressed with his thumb softly her lips; their eyes lost into each other’s, he leaned slowly and kissed lovingly those pearly tears that were coming down Candy’s cheeks, his lips feeling their teary saltiness, his heart fluttering at the experience, wishing to chase the dark memories that were haunting them. Candy was holding on Terry’s shirt as she was feeling his lips caressing her face; it was real...and her heart was exploding in her chest.

    - I love you my sweet Freckles...she heard him whispering in her ear, his breath a spring breeze on her skin,...I love you like a madman, Terry continued and buried his head in the warmth of her neck, kissing it softly, inhaling the sweet fragrance of jasmines on her hair. He felt lightheaded.

    - I love you with every cell of my body Terry; Candy spoke softly back, as she had buried her fingers into Terry’s hair, caressing the nape of his neck. Terry’s arms closed even more around Candy’s small waist, feeling her petite body glued on his, her warmth penetrating his clothes, the ecstasy of his love for her lifting his soul high up to the skies.

    He lifted his head up to meet with her eyes that were glistening from the emotions that she was feeling at that moment.

    - All these months of loneliness, of sorrow for losing you, for not being able to see you, I want to forget them Terry. Please make me forget my love; she said looking at him with pleading eyes.

    - You and I will forget together Candy, our love will erase everything, he said while gazing deep down into her wide eyes for a few moments wanting to stamp into his mind forever her stare of absolute love.

    He leaned to kiss her lips. Both were transported to their memory of their last kiss next to the lake in Scotland. He took her lips softly at first, almost hesitantly, the countless times he had imagined kissing her could not even compare with reality. He could feel them trembling under his. Candy arms were around Terry’s waist, holding him tightly, bringing him even closer to her, her hands starting to move up, caressing his back.

    He felt her movement and his kiss intensified transforming into a slow burning fire consuming Candy’s heart. Everything around them blurred, she was reunited at last with her true soul mate in her life. She slowly parted her lips inviting him to deepen his kiss. Terry felt her lips slightly opening up under his, he was pushed to the limits of his sanity, feeling his life doing a complete u-turn, returning to where they had left off all this time ago. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, meeting with hers, tasting her sweetness for the first time in his life. The hairs at the back of his neck stood up.

    As he was kissing Candy, Terry undid quickly her loose bun of hair at the back of her head; wild golden curls cascaded to her shoulders. He buried his hand into the mass of her curls, holding her head while he placed his other hand on the small of her back, keeping her body next to his, his thumb caressing her spine. Candy felt her soul escaping through Terry’s kiss, feeling his tongue with hers, moving intimately in her mouth, experiencing at last for the first time without fear his passion for her, letting her senses free, feeling his body heat touching her skin, inhaling the familiar smell of his cologne... strong newfound emotions were flooding her...she felt her mind was going insane. She thought how passionately in love she was with Terry, as he was transporting her to enchanted territories.

    She left a soft sigh, as his lips left hers, both feeling intoxicated and breathless from their kiss; they exchanged a long adoring look while still embraced tightly, each staring into the other’s eyes as they were glowing from the passion they felt for each other. Candy placed her cheek on Terry’s chest hearing his heart beating fast. She realised that this time round, she wouldn’t be able to live without him, always wishing to be by his side. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that their life together at last won’t harbour any more sorrow, even though Candy thought that all that mattered was for them to be together this time to face up whatever fate would dare throw at them. Terry felt her silence and placed his hand lovingly on her hair, pushing them softly away from her face. He lowered his head to look at her face, seeing her with her eyes shut.

    - What is it my little heart?, he said with a low affectionate voice.

    - Terry...I won’t be able to live without you again...I don’t think I’ll be able to survive again not to be with you...she said slowly while keeping her cheek still pressed on his chest, her arms stretching around his waist, holding him ever so tight. Terry’s eyes blurred with tears of love for his sweet girl. He leaned and kissed her hair.

    - I promise to our love Candy, that I won’t let anyone and anything come between us ever again. This time they will have to tear me away from you my Freckles, because I won’t ever leave you whatever happens in our life together. It is me and you and no one else this time Candy, Terry continued while he tried to dispel Candy’s fears. He meant his every word.

    Candy moved her head and turned to face him seeing the tears on his face. She stretched her legs and stood on her tiptoes, managing to kiss lightly his tears on his cheeks, stopping just to stare into his eyes.

    - I believe you with my heart Terry, she said back to him, her voice emotional.

    He held her face with his hands, looking at her silent for a few seconds, lost in thoughts.

    - My love, he started saying with a hoarse emotional voice, I came running to you, with my heart in my throat from the fear that I wouldn’t be on time, that I would lose you forever before being able to say what I’ve said inside the church...so everything was unexpected and unprepared...I came here unprepared..., Terry continued as his stare was fixed on Candy’s eyes before he paused to take a deep nervous breath.

    - Will you marry me my sweet love?, Terry said with a nervous voice, giving life to the words he wanted to say to her when he had send to her the one-way ticket to New York together with his dreams for a life together.

    Candy’s green eyes widened sparkling from tears of joy as she heard him asking her to be his wife. She gave him a wide and adoring smile.

    - I will with all my heart my love, she replied to Terry, and his whole face lightened up.

    He squeezed her tight onto him and lifted her from the floor as he took her lips once more with his. There was nothing in this world to stop the complete happiness and exhilaration Terry was feeling right now. He was in love with Candy so deeply, he thought that he could move the mountains for her, he wanted to love her and protect her forever, seeing her face and her smile lighting up his every day for the rest of their lives. He brought her slowly down, stopping when her face was on the same level as his. He left a happy chuckle.

    - Did I tell you that your freckles look amazing my sweet love?, he said while his eyes were smiling.

    - Teeeryyy!!!, Candy exclaimed with a fake protesting tone in her voice.

    She had painfully missed his teasing. She felt that she could kiss him once more just for that. She planted her lips on his, kissing him softly, as he was holding her, her feet still not reaching the ground.

    - I think you are jealous...you don’t have any..., she said while her lips were touching his, and gave him a cute chuckle.

    - I could kiss each one of them, my Freckles, Terry replied as he was looking at her face at breath’s distance, loving her long eyelashes, her eyes lighting up, the freckles spreading across her cute nose, the creases at the corners of her eyes as she smiled at him. He brought her down and her feet touched the ground.

    - I will have to go my darling, Candy said to Terry. I need to see Jon once more and speak to his family, I owe him that much...he was the one that send me to you..., said Candy and lowered her eyes, feeling still guilty for what happened.

    - I won’t say no my little heart...that’s one of the reasons I fell for you so completely..., keeping everyone to your heart, Terry said and kissed the tip of her nose tenderly. I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow morning at the train station, he continued. The train leaves at half eleven in the morning, he finished and looked at her affectionately.

    - I’ll be there, Candy said back to him, smiling widely, thinking amazed once more how fate turned their lives completely, for the better this time, reuniting them again after treating them so unfairly in the past.

    Terry couldn’t resist and kissed Candy’s lips softly again, before she finally left him alone in the room. He fell on the bed and stayed there for some time, his eyes stuck dreamily looking at the ceiling, feeling utterly happy as he thought of his life together with Candy at last.

    ***********************

    It was the end of September, Candy was staring out of her window, at the sea of golden and red tree tops that were moving softly back and forth in the park by the fresh autumn breeze that was blowing over the city of New York. She heard a knock at the door.

    - Come in, she said and turned to face the door. Albert came in, wearing his tuxedo.

    - Are you ready sweetheart? We must be leaving for the church soon. Terry will be pacing up and down from his anticipation; Albert said and left a chuckle at just imaging his friend, pacing the church, feeling all excited and nervous on his wedding day.

    - Just give me a couple more minutes my dear Albert, I’ll be coming soon, Candy said and smiled at him. I don’t want to keep my Terry waiting any longer, she continued as she felt nervous and excited herself, to embark with Terry on her side on their life together.

    - OK little one, I’ll be waiting for you downstairs, Albert said smiling as he left her room.

    She turned and looked at her reflection on the long standing mirror. She had been dressed as a bride twice this month. But this time in her heart it was completely different. It felt right...and great...she couldn’t wait to start her life next to her love, her husband to be. Her friends were all there. Archie had also apologised to Terry and they were in good terms. Miss Pony, Sister Maria and the elder children from Pony’s home were there also...they wouldn’t miss this wedding for the world.

    Eleonor was on Terry’s side in the church and Terry had asked Mr. Adam, the theatre’s producer to be his best man. He did remember his advice on his dark times, to go find his love, and as it had turned out, Terry had done just that.

    Everything was just starting to fall into place. After Terry meeting with Susanna at the mental hospital, to finalise their divorce, he met with her doctor and learned about their plans to get married at some point during the next year, after Susanna would be completely cured.

    He had faced a completely different Susanna, full of life and hope. She had asked for his forgiveness, which Terry had given her with his heart. From a strange twist of fate, Susanna was the one to set him free, just as suddenly as she had chained him next to her. During his visit, Susanna had also told him of her second meeting with Margot Taylor, where she had confessed everything to her, trying to put right all the mistakes of her past.

    So the newspaper had printed the article where they were clearing Terry’s name, apologising in public for the gross misinformation they had printed a while ago. With those news on hand, Terry wished Susanna and Dr. Weber all the best on their life together and had left to visit the theatre and Mr. Adam in particular, who was anticipating for Terry to show up. He was very happy to see him and promptly hired him again as one of the leading actors of the theatre’s troupe.

    Candy after their first meeting at Terry’s hotel room had gone back to her house. She spoke for a while with Rose and Sue, apologising with teary eyes wholeheartedly for stopping the wedding and hurting her son and brother in the process. Rose, even though feeling utterly sad about what had happened to Jon, his dreams crashed in such an abrupt way, she understood also Candy’s situation, as Terry’s heartbroken pleas in front of everyone, had touched their hearts as well.
    They had realised how deeply this young man was in love with Candy and that something awful must have had happened to separate them. After Candy had told them and Jon the whole story, the two women, mother and daughter were wiping their eyes with their handkerchiefs, looking amazed at that incredible drama that took life through Candy’s voice, a story they thought it only existed in novels.

    The next day, early in the morning, Candy had also visited the Clinic of Hope, saying goodbye to her colleagues and friends that had loved and cared for them from the start. She had wanted to stay for a couple days more to settle everything with her post, but under the circumstances, it would have been difficult for Jon to work side by side with Candy, even for a couple of days, so she left the hospital, without forgetting to say farewell to her patients also, and the atmosphere was tainted with a slight melancholy while Candy was leaving the place she had grown to consider her home for the past few months.

    And there she stood now, a couple of weeks later, looking at her image on the mirror, all dressed in white ready to get married to her soul mate, the man she yearned to be next to since laying her eyes on him, to feel his love for her, to care and stand on his side for the rest of their life together, her Terry always.

    She looked at herself beaming with happiness, feeling very pretty all for him. She had let her hair loose this time, her curls cascading just below her shoulders. Annie had given her a pair of silver hairpins adorned with small pearls just to keep her hair from falling in her face. Her wedding dress, a pearly white satin, a tight bodice was pushing her breasts up, slightly swelling at the beginning of her décolletage, while coming down accentuating her tiny waist, before opening up into a full skirt decorated with tiny white roses hand stitched on the fabric, falling elegantly all the way down to her feet. The dress was finishing with short sheer sleeves sitting on her shoulders. Eleonor had given her a beautiful small white gold cross to wear around her neck that she had since she was a teenager. Candy picked up her bouquet of white roses and blue delphiniums and walked outside her room to meet with Albert. It was time to leave for the church and she felt having difficulty keeping her feet to the ground.

    ***********************

    Terry was looking utterly dashing in his wedding black tuxedo, his hair loosely tied back with a blue silk ribbon, as he paced up and down, feeling like a bag on nerves, waiting for Candy to arrive. She was slightly late, but he knew that she would be and smiled as he imagined his sweetheart getting prepared for their wedding.

    Since he had gone to find her in Tijuana, his life had turned for the better. He had seen Susanna for the last time, feeling relieved that everything had finished between them, and he had also got his acting job back at the theatre. He was itching to get back on the stage, as he thought now that he was capable to give his everything in his performances, having his Freckles by his side.

    He looked around him, everyone was looking terribly happy for the couple. He had chatted for a while with Miss Pony and Sister Maria, his biggest fans as they kept saying to him smilingly, telling them all about Mexico, listening to their surprised gasps as he was describing to them the whole story, while little children were standing close around him, listening to his words admiringly.

    They really liked this guy that was going to take their “chief” as his wife. They shyly chuckled every now and then as they were hearing Terry repeating those loving words he had said to Candy inside the church in Tijuana, sometimes widening their eyes in amazement for the guts Terry had to stand up in front of everyone uttering those words. After they were quite satisfied of Terry’s deep love for their beloved Candy, their attention was drawn elsewhere, until they heard Sister’s Maria’s voice not to run away and keep quiet.

    Annie and Patty and even Archie couldn’t contain their excitement for their friends wedding as they were whispering and chuckling between them.

    Terry paced impatiently back to his mother that was standing next to Mr. Adam.

    - She is late, he said to them with an anxious voice, his eyes looking desperately in love as he waited for his beloved to show up.

    Eleonor was feeling very happy to see him like that, joyful and full of hope for the future next to his wife to be. She smiled back at him supportingly.

    - She’ll be here Terry, I don’t think Candy will be any later now, she said to her son that looked nervous. Mr. Adam agreed as he nodded his head smiling encouragingly to Terry.

    A child run back down the corridor and shouted that Candy was here! Eleonor gave her son a kiss on his cheek before taking his place in front of the altar, his eyes fixed at the entrance.

    A few moments later, Albert having Candy on his arm, entered the church under the sweet melodic sounds of a harp. Terry felt his breath leaving his chest as he lay eyes to his Candy walking down the aisle, her eyes gazing adoringly to his, smiling to him widely, just the same as she was smiling at him a long time ago on the few instances they were all alone sitting side by side, staring at London from the “pretend Pony’s hill”.

    His soul was travelling to heaven as Candy kissed Albert and took her place next to Terry, her eyes sparkling with emotions. It all felt like a dream to them. The priest began the wedding ceremony with his deep voice. Everyone was feeling very sentimental and as the time drawn to Candy’s and Terry’s vows, there wasn’t a dry eye in the church.

    Terry took Candy’s hands into his own and his blue eyes dived into the green of hers.

    -     To be anymore than all I am would be a lie, Terry started saying slowly his vow of love for Candy. I'm so full of love I could burst apart and start to cry...Today and forever everything you want, I swear it all will come true...Today I realize how much I'm in love with you... With you standing here I could tell the world what it means to love... To go on from here I can't use words, they don't say enough.... It's taken so long to come true... And it's all for you..., Terry finished his words and cleared his throat, as his eyes were welling up from the emotions he felt and had tried to put into words.

    Candy looked at him, feeling that she could follow him to the end of the earth, just to be with him.

    -     Today I feel like pleasing you more than ever before, Candy started saying with a soft voice her vow of love for Terry. Today I know what I want to do and I know what for... To be living for you is all I want to do... To be loving you it will all be there while my dreams come true... Today you'll make me say that I somehow have changed... Today you'll look into my eyes, I'm just not the same... To go on from here I can't use words, they don't say enough... It's taken so long to come true... And it's all for you..., Candy finished her words as tears of love were falling down her cheeks.

    It was the ultimate moment in their lives, celebrating and confessing their eternal love in front of all their dear and loved ones. Terry squeezed Candy’s hands into his and smiled widely to her, as the priest had declared them husband and wife. He would get to kiss the bride. He leaned closely, whispering "    I love you" before touching her lips softly yet determined, he thought of Candy being his wife, it felt deliciously exhilarating, and brought her closer to him before staying on her lips for just a few more moments. He pulled his head up to look at Candy, everyone clapped widely as Terry could only see Candy’s lips whispering "I love you" back to him.

    The End