Forever Starts Tomorrow (23 page)

Then he saw her, and his brain exploded, every nerve ending tingling with a sensation he had forgotten he could experience at all.

He had no explanation for that sudden reaction, none whatsoever. Sure, she was cute in her simple poppy-red dress that complemented her pale, blond beauty. Yet, the room was full of beautiful women. Heck, he had dated plenty of gorgeous women. Why was he suddenly feeling as if he had seen the sun for the first time? There was only one way to find out, and he had never believed in procrastinating.

‘Scott, if you take any longer, your bride will think you’ve changed your mind.’ His uncle’s amused voice woke him up from his daydreaming, and he looked up, an apologetic smile on his lips.

His uncle looked handsome in his grey suit, his hair combed back in an old-fashioned way, the thick waves white and too rebellious to be perfectly tamed. Tom Masden was bursting with pride, even though he did a pretty decent job of hiding it from everyone. Everyone but him, Scott thought, swallowing the sudden lump that was forming in his throat. Both his uncle and his aunt adored Melanie, and ever since the wedding date had been announced, they'd been on cloud nine. Even the fact that Scott and Melanie had decided to forgo a traditional ceremony and replace it with a garden wedding didn’t change their joy. His aunt and Marnie had thrown themselves into the preparations, barely letting him see what was going on. Melanie was allowed to have a say, of course, and she filled him in on all the details. He could hardly tell her he was so happy that he wouldn’t have cared if they'd moved the wedding to a parking lot.

‘Ready,’ he answered quickly, trying very hard not to get emotional. It would be downright embarrassing if he choked up in front of all those people. ‘Am I looking all right?’

‘Perfect.’ His uncle cleared his throat, his hand coming to wipe an invisible speck of dust from the pristine white suit Scott had chosen for his wedding. He'd had to endure Marnie’s teasing about how he and Melanie would look like a commercial for laundry detergent. He hadn’t seen Melanie’s dress yet, but knew it was white as well.

‘Scott, I wanted to give you something.’ His uncle hesitated briefly before reaching into his pocket and producing a watch, its small oval face silver and white. ‘I don’t really have any family heirlooms to give you; you know I’ve never been one to collect stuff. This one here belonged to my grandfather, and I can’t think of anyone else who should have it.’ Uncle Tom let his fingers gently stroke the leather straps. ‘I just thought it would be a good moment to pass it on to you, son.’

Scott took it gingerly, the watch easily fitting into the palm of his hand. It rested there lightly, the cool metal soothing against his skin.

‘Thank you,’ he said, knowing that words weren’t really necessary. They both knew what they meant to each other, the years together forging a bond that went beyond anything that could be expressed by the most eloquent words.

‘I want you to know that we are so incredibly proud of you,’ his uncle added, his voice shaking ever so slightly. ‘Since the day you came into our lives, Gina and I have been blessed. I just thought you should hear it today, when you’re starting your own family.’

He hugged Scott, his arms encompassing him in an easy embrace. He’d gotten thinner and shorter, Scott noticed as he hugged him back, the shift in their relative sizes hitting him full force. The man who had been his rock and saving grace had grown old and frail, the solid strength that had kept Scott safe and sound for most of his life giving way to weakness and age. It had happened just as everything else in his uncle’s life—silently and unobtrusively.

Scott thought about the new life Melanie and he had created. The pregnancy was still their secret. He was glad to think that his uncle would be there to welcome their son or daughter, teaching him or her about life and things that mattered.

‘All right, now we really need to get out there, unless you want to get dumped for your tardiness.’ His uncle laughed, blinking away his tears and pushed Scott toward the door. He’d tell him later tonight, at the reception, Scott promised himself.

The moment they walked out into the sun-drenched yard, Scott's thoughts stopped altogether. He could barely recognize any of the faces that turned his way as he walked to the small podium erected in the midst of the flower garden. Heck, he probably wouldn’t remember their names if they asked him. All he could see was the white platform decorated with masses of roses and lilies blazing in a riot of red, yellow, orange, and magenta. He walked up to the spot. José’s huge grin reminded him what a great idea it was to make him their ring bearer. Spiffy in his white suit, the little guy looked as if he would burst with pride at any second.

After a long and deliberate discussion, Raoul had finally agreed to accept Scott's help and move to another house. José would visit Scott's place any time he wished to do so. With time, he might stay longer, if he wanted to attend the middle school in Scott’s neighborhood, which had the best ratings of any school in the county. It would take a bit more convincing and cajoling, but both he and Melanie were up for the challenge.

The music started playing. ‘Come Together,’ by The Beatles, was not what people expected, judging by their expressions of surprise. Melanie had chosen it as a reminder of the first song they'd danced to together.

He looked toward the other door, where Melanie was supposed to appear. She’d been hidden there for quite some time, together with Marnie and Sam. Then the door opened, and the world stopped existing. The garden, the guests, the priest, and the cries of the seagulls overhead all faded until he heard nothing and saw nothing, save for the woman who walked toward him, as beautiful as an angel.

Her white dress was modest, the only decoration a white rose pinned into her long hair, which tumbled freely down her slender back. She held a small bouquet of similar white roses. The simplicity of her outfit brought out the beauty of her features. Scott could only stare, his heart beating laboriously like the blades of a chopper taking off. She was his, he thought exuberantly—finally and irrevocably. The long road leading them to that point had brought her to him, for the rest of their lives. Melanie reached him and took her place, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked up into his face.

‘Hi, can I join you?’ Her lovely face glowed with joy.

‘Sure, save me from being alone.’ He remembered those words, etched forever in his memory. He had prepared short vows that he planned on saying as they became husband and wife—nothing too long or too dramatic. But as he looked at her standing there, he knew that whatever he wanted to say was redundant. All that needed to be said was in those two short sentences; nothing else was necessary. As he leaned forward to kiss her, unwilling to wait for the official kiss, he knew she felt the same. He saw it in her eyes, which were wide open and trusting.

The first day of forever had officially started. He could barely wait for tomorrow.