The Weddings

"Sorry, I was in the loo and heard voices. I didn't mean to interrupt."

I smiled at her, "No need to apologise, we're just chatting. When we grew up, it was normal for us to sit and talk at bedtime; we often just shared the bed."

Lydia looked a bit surprised. "You all slept together?"

"No, not all the time. I'd guess that I slept with Chloe or Connie once a week and then maybe we occasionally all shared a bed." She looked stunned.

"It started when we were kids, we were together often and then after Mum passed, we ... well it helped."

We talked for a while and then I noticed that Lydia looked really sad. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm okay but I've never known such closeness, my family were... I guess I'd say uptight. There was never any huge display of affection, not many cuddles and I don't have any brothers or sisters. I was never close to anyone."

"Why was that?" Chloe asked.

"I never belonged. Some kids were cruel because I was different." She started to cry.

I pulled the duvet up, "Come on, you're not going to be alone tonight. Stay here with us." She tried to pull away but Chloe and I held her gently. She stopped resisting and the three of us settled down and I was soon asleep spooning against her with Chloe on the other side.

****

I helped Lydia move her clothes and once they were unloaded from the car I disappeared, telling her I'd be back in an hour.

I rapped on the door with an elbow and waited for Lydia to open it. "What the hell is that?" She demanded.

"A bottle of bubbly to christen the place." I grinned knowing full well that wasn't what she was referring to.

"No, that."

"Housewarming gift. I know that you mentioned getting a new television, I had no idea what to get you so Chloe and I chipped in." I pulled the box along the hall.

She was frowning, "That looks more like a bloody cinema screen."

"No point in getting a tiddler, this is only fifty-two inches." I grinned.

She gave me a squeeze. "That's really generous of you." She started to cry.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Your whole family have been so wonderful, you let me stay with you, you helped me and now this. It's just a bit overwhelming, I've never had this before."

I left the box against the wall and gave her a better squeeze. Then we opened the bubbly and ten minutes later Nicole and Connie arrived with more champagne. Nicole and I set up the TV whilst Connie and Lydia ordered dinner.

I missed Lydia being around after she'd moved out, but we saw each other now and again over the next few weeks.

Film projects & failed relationships - Chloe

I had a meeting with Green Nature Films. My Mum had worked with them on a documentary when I was about fifteen. They'd filmed in South Africa and I'd gone along with her to see wildlife, there had never been any intention for me to be involved on screen, but it had happened. One day we'd spotted a dung beetle and as it appeared to be safe, we'd all got down to view the critter and film it. During a lull, or at least what Mum and I had thought was a lull we'd been talking about the beetle's behaviour and habits. It was later that we learned the film crew had recorded our conversation and it made it on screen and turned out to be a hit.

It was that trip that made me want to study the natural world which led to me spending time in South Africa working on animal behaviour and where I'd fallen in love with hyenas and wild dogs. They were both top-level predators and, in some ways, very similar, but they didn't get along. One hyena and one wild dog was not a fair fight, not one the dog would ever win. But wild dogs lived, moved and hunted as a pack and the packs were often bigger than hyena packs. Despite their comparative lack of strength, a pack of dogs were fearless hunters and not something hyenas would relish taking on.

My interest in these animals resulted in me writing an academic paper that had in turn interested Green Nature Films. We'd done some filming and I now had to do some voice dubs. I also hoped to discuss future projects. The idea of more work in this area excited me.

Sadly, my love life was not something to get excited about, it sucked. When I'd been at university, I'd had boyfriends and girlfriends. I'd had sex with several, but somehow it always seemed to fall short of being amazing and I'd kind of ignored that side of my life. Whilst I'd been in Africa there hadn't been much chance for relationships, we'd been out in the bush, miles from civilisation for months at a time, so love and sex had been something that I rarely thought about. Now, I was back home with my parents, Mum and Olivia. Mum and Hayley had been very much in love, as had Olivia and Karen, then when that terrible accident ripped our family apart it had brought the rest of us close. Mum and Olivia got even closer and fell in love, it's obvious that they love each other very much. Seeing the two of them and how happy they were and now seeing my sister and Nicole together was wonderful. You'd need to be blind not see how they felt about one another and whilst I was delighted for them it made me realise that I needed my 'special person'.

*****

The meeting had been very productive. The film project was expected to be a success and if it received positive reviews from the public, the Producer wanted to make a documentary wildlife series with me as one of the presenters. This was what I'd always wanted and now I just had to wait and see how things developed.

I was on my way back home but had an hour to kill before my train so I stopped for a coffee. I was sipping a flat white and enjoying a doughnut when something or someone made me look up. There was a young woman staring at me from a few yards away. She looked familiar but I couldn't place her immediately until, she spoke, "Chloe, it is you." Instantly I got it.

"Grace, it's been a while how are you? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same, but I'm great."

"Long story and I'm heading home, just killing time before the train."

"Three fifteen?" I nodded. "In that case, I'll get my coffee and we can catch up unless you ..."

It would be good to catch up and make the hour-long journey pass much more pleasantly. "Great," I replied.

Grace had been at school with us, my sisters and me although she'd been closer to Connie than Charlie and I. She'd been in our home many times and played the piano with us. Come to think of it she'd been one of 'The Silhouettes' when we'd played with Faith Shadow.

She grinned at me when she sat down. Grace was smaller than the three of us but very attractive and great fun. She was a wonderful pianist and had gone on to study drama.

"I haven't seen you for a few years now. What have you been up to?" She asked.

"I've been in Africa, wildlife research and some filming. I'm back to discuss another project, a film project, that's where I've been today."

"Is this like the one you did with your mum?"

"Just like that, but this time I'm the one who gets paid." I laughed and so did she. "And of course, there's the wedding."

"What wedding?"

"Connie and Nicole. Surely you know about that."

"Connie? I've not spoken to her for at least six months, sadly. She's getting married?"

I gave her a very brief update on the latest news, before asking. "You and she were close, what's happened, why don't you know this?"

"I've been on tour and we haven't had much contact for a while. No idea why, one of those things I guess."

"On tour?"

She grinned at me, "You really have been out of the loop for a while. Doesn't anyone fill you in on current events?"

"Obviously not. Who have you been on tour with? And doing what?"

"I played with Faith a few times, in her new studio and she introduced me to Paul Fleming."

"I didn't get much in the way of current music whilst I was in SA, who is he?"

"Paul Fleming is a big new thing, contemporary pop and his backing band are 'The Pinks' and I'm a 'Pink', on keyboards." She smiled and I stared at her with my mouth open. "Close that, you'll catch flies."

"Long story short, Paul was recording some stuff that Faith had written and he needed a keyboard player. I jumped at the chance. Why not?"

"Wow," I couldn't say anymore, I was stunned.

"I get to play every day, I get paid, I travel and have you got any idea how many guys want to make it with a musician?"

I recovered enough to ask, "No, how many?"

"Dozens, but I discovered that my interest lies elsewhere, something your family knows all about." We both smiled, and I understood. "The bassist, Zara, and I are a thing, a very serious thing. The trouble is her folks don't think a music career is a good idea for their only daughter and the fact she's gay will be an issue. So, tell me more about Connie?"

I told her about Connie, Nicole and the wedding.

"I'm happy for her. I confess that if I'd known that I liked girls, Connie would have been of interest."

I laughed and added, "I'm still looking."

"Sadly, I'm taken."

We talked all the way home and I promised to get Connie to call her.

*****

Mum was delighted with the prospect of me moving into documentaries and hoped that I would spend more time at home. I loved being in the wild and working with the animals but I missed my family and if this project came off, I'd get to do both.

I called Connie and told her about meeting Grace.

Wedding preparations - Constance

Nicole and I didn't have a fortune to spend on a wedding and when I'd really thought about what I wanted, I realised that I simply wanted to marry Nicole, wear a proper wedding dress, but nothing outrageous and I wanted to have a bit of a party for friends and family. Simple was good for me and Nicole agreed, so simple it was to be.

I felt guilty about losing contact with Grace and when Chloe told me they'd met I called her and arranged to meet. Nicole suggested that I go on my own and catch up and then we could all have dinner together on another occasion.

By the time I got home after our meeting, I was worn out and my sides ached from the laughing we'd done. Catching up had been wonderful but I wanted Grace to meet Nicole and I wanted to meet her new partner, Zara.

A few days later the four of us managed to have a very nice dinner. I was bursting with pride as I showed off Nicole and she hit it off with Grace right away. Zara was a bit more reserved initially but a couple of drinks loosened her up. The two of them told us some hilarious stories about the things that they'd seen and experienced whilst on tour and Zara spoke about her parents and what she feared their reaction would be to her same-sex relationship.

Sadly, they would be on tour in Belgium and playing a gig on the day of our wedding. That disappointed me but there was nothing we could do about it.

Accidents sometimes happen - Charlotte

I was just getting dry after a shower when my phone rang. I saw that it was Nicole and it scared me, but I didn't know why. "Hi Nicole, is something wrong?"

"Yes, I wasn't sure who to call ..."

I interrupted, "Is it Connie, is she okay?"

"Connie is fine, but the police were here. They asked if I knew Lydia's next of kin. She's been in an accident and is in hospital. It sounds serious."

I went into panic mode, "Is she okay? What happened? What hospital?"

"Okay, calm down, getting all worked up won't help. I don't know the answer to most of those questions. She's in the Queens and it sounds serious. I can go, I just wanted to let you know."

My mind raced, Lydia was my friend and she needed a friend right now. "I'll go, I'll leave as soon as I get some clothes on."

"Calm down, get dressed, I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes. We'll both go."

I hung up and pulled on some casual clothes. I grabbed a bag and filled it with nightclothes, some toiletries, snacks, bottles of water and my book. Nicole was waiting outside when I opened the door. Aside from a greeting, there was little conversation on the way to the hospital.

We tracked Lydia down to the emergency department and they wouldn't let us see her because we weren't relatives. That made me angry but Nicole calmed me down and we sat with coffee. Eventually, a nurse came to tell us that Lydia was being transferred to a ward. The nurse was pleasant enough, but wouldn't tell us what was wrong until Nicole said, "I know we're not relatives but they're all in Jamaica and my sister is her girlfriend."

I turned to stare at Nicole wondering what she was talking about, but that worked and the nurse opened up with some details, "Okay, she was hit by a car and knocked from her bike. She has a minor concussion, some bruises, a sprained wrist and a badly broken ankle. She'll be okay but will need to stay overnight for the concussion and tomorrow they'll fix her leg."

"Okay. When you say fix her leg ..." I asked.

"She may need surgery, a plate to repair a break. But that's not confirmed. She'll be going to D27. I suggest you get more coffee and then you'll be able to see her in about half an hour."

I sagged back into the seat as the nurse left and Nicole sat beside me, "See she'll be okay."

I looked at her and laughed. "Sister, girlfriend, what was that about?"

Nicole smiled and again I was reminded of just how beautiful she was. "Well, I'm almost your sister and you are Lydia's friend and a girl." She laughed.

"That's not how that nurse understood that."

"But now we know how she is and what's happening." I felt a huge sense of relief to hear that she was going to be okay, if a little worse for wear.

*****

Lydia had sustained a fracture to her ankle and they had to insert a screw to help knit the two pieces together. It was a small scar but she would have to take things very easy for a while and she wouldn't be able to put any weight on the ankle for about a week.

I solved her worry about being able to take care of herself by taking her home with me and setting her up in the room she'd used when she first came back from Africa. I ran after her, I helped her go to the loo, helped her take a bath, and brought her food and drinks. When I wasn't able to be there Sarah helped out. It took almost a week before she became more mobile and by then she wanted to be back in her own home.

I took her and helped her up the stairs. It was clear that she was going to be stuck and unable to go out on her own so I suggested using the spare room. She agreed after a bit of a protest.

I stayed for a week and she didn't need me all the time by then, so I popped in three or four times a week for shopping and whatever else she needed.

When Chloe came home and heard what had happened, she asked me about it. "She needed help, I helped. She's a friend of this family and we help our friends." I was slightly offended.

"Did you forget that Connie and Nicole live downstairs and could also have helped out?"

I ignored her.

The night before - Charlotte

Connie and I were sitting on my bed when Chloe arrived with a bottle of bubbly and three glasses. "I thought we should have a glass, this might be the last time we get a chance to do this, just the three of us."

"We've been close for years, shared everything and now you and Nicole are a couple. It's obvious that we're growing up and things are changing. One day Chloe and I might find our special someone." Chloe snorted. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She looked at me quizzically, "When are you going to do something about Lydia?"

"What do you mean?"

"Charlie come on. I've seen the way you look at her, you spend lots of time together don't tell me you don't have feelings for her. She's wonderful, gorgeous and ..."

Connie interrupted Chloe's hesitation. "Charlie, have you never seen how she looks at you, she's head over heels and you just seem oblivious. I suspect she's never made a move because you act all distant."

I was stunned. "Look, I like her she's lovely and she's very attractive, but ..."

"When you heard about her accident you set off to the hospital as if you had a rocket up your .... Well, you know where. You visited her every day; you brought her back here to take care of her. When she went home you were there every day doing stuff for her."

I grinned that was all true.

"She doesn't know how you feel. Put her out of her misery, one way or another."

Later, when I was alone, I fell back against the pillows. Were they right? I liked Lydia and she was stunning but something had always made me hold back, was it because I wasn't sure how she felt? I wasn't aware of the signals it seemed she'd been giving and that my sisters had noticed. I needed to talk to her, they had a point; I couldn't imagine not having her in my life and didn't want to. I realised that my sisters were right, I did have some strong feelings for her. As soon as the wedding is passed, I'll speak to her.

Wedding Day - Constance

I knew that it was early when my eyes opened. I was still in the middle of the bed and there were arms and legs all around me. Charlotte was on my left lying on her stomach with an arm on my waist and her leg on top of mine. Chloe was on my right, on her side facing me with an arm over me and holding Charlotte's wrist. We'd woken like this many times over the whole of our lives and it had always comforted me, made me feel safe and loved. I'd give up a great deal for these two if ever they needed me, but as I lay there, I realised that this may well be the last time we'd do this. I remained still and savoured the feeling.

Eventually, I had to move and slipped out of bed to head to the bathroom. Chloe and Charlie were awake when I returned. The three of us pulled on robes and met up again in the kitchen for coffee. Mum and Sarah joined us soon after and we chatted about the day to come.

"Are you nervous?" asked Sarah.

"No, not really. I hope things go well but I have a real belief that marrying Nicole is the right thing to do, that it's meant to be."

Charlotte took my hand, "I've seen you; I know you. If you're not sure of something you can't hide it and I'm sure you know what you're doing. Nicole is rather nice and I hope that you have a wonderful life together. I love you."

Charlotte did know me and her words meant a great deal. The five of us chatted away about all sorts of things and I allowed my mind to wander. My life was going to change dramatically in a few hours and I hoped that my relationship with them would still be close but Nicole would be my priority and I felt as if I might be deserting them a little.

A friend of Sarah's, Jess, who owned a salon arrived mid-morning along with one of her staff to fix our hair and do our make-up. Chloe complained about having to sit still for so long and admitted to not having worn much make-up for a while, "The hyenas' never complained about the state of my hair!" We laughed at her and she pulled a face. "I admit it looks good but I'm going to spend hours in those damn heels and it'll kill me. The dress is long enough, so why can't I wear my walking shoes? No one will know." I simply glowered at her and she muttered, "Okay."

The two of them wore long cream dresses with some lace panels and a few sparkles. The dresses were simple but the effect was stunning and they looked fabulous. My dress was a similar colour and cut to reveal much more bust but it had a lace insert that made it modest and the panel continued into three-quarter sleeves. The skirt section was fuller. The only embellishments were some crystals at the waist. I didn't have a veil or headpiece just some very tall heels and of course some very expensive and beautiful underwear.

Mum and Sarah also looked wonderful. They both wore smart dresses and as the five of us stood together in front of a large mirror it made me wonder if I'd ever seen such a good-looking group.