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He didn’t set up a big plan to propose; they were in bed and he set the velvet box between them. “You probably know what I want to say with that, but I will say it anyway. Catherine Ford, will you please say yes to become Mrs. McDonald?”
“I’m not the marrying kind, David,” she said in a little voice.
“And why is that,” he asked, trying as hard as he could to not sound hurt.
“People get separated, relationships end. It’s the circle of life, cue Rafiki.” She tried making a joke, but she looked uncomfortable.
“Do you think it’s not worth it?”
“What? Signing a piece of paper? Having a party that half of the people invited you haven’t seen in a lifetime, and most of them will complain about the whole thing later? Why bother? I don’t need a bloody piece of paper to tell me what I feel about you. I don’t. And either way, I never pictured myself in a wedding gown.”
“When we were finishing the Christmas Special, our first piece of work together…”
“Another life ago, you mean.”
“Let me finish… I made a joke how it was every little girl’s dream, the wedding dress. And you said something along the lines of ‘Yeah, given I never got around to using one, ‘or something like that- it was a long time ago you know.” She glared at him and he smiled before continuing. “You sounded sad, like you wanted to use one of those ridiculously girly dresses one day.”
“Then why haven’t I gotten married before? Then why didn’t I marry Twig? I mean, he is the father of my child…”
“You said yourself why… ‘You are not the marrying kind. ‘There is this part of you that doesn’t think you are worthy. Like, like- It’s like you have this idea of how women who get married look like and you don’t fit. Which is the stupidest thing ever, because you are stunning; sometimes I want to get your eyes checked, I’m sure there is something wrong when you look in the mirror, since you don’t notice how bloody beautiful you are. Or, that you don’t deserve a whole day where all the attention goes to you. You believe in astrology, but you hate your birthday, the attention. You don’t think…”
“Yes.”
“Are you agreeing with me? I’m sorry I had to say this but…”
“I’ll marry you, that’s what the ‘Yes’ was for, you big stupid head.” David’s eyes widened, though he had bought the ring, he didn’t believe she would say yes. “You can wear the kilt this time around. I know how much it hurt you when Georgia didn’t let you. I don’t want to disrespect you that way.” Her eyes were low, as if she was still taking in David’s words; tears rolled down her face.
He put one hand under her chin making her look into his eyes. “I was too harsh, I have the emotional range of a spoon and you probably don’t even get that reference. And I love you for being clueless you.” And so they kissed.
They both had crushes on each other that had started years before when they met, but then Catherine was with Twig and David was with Sophia. Soon, Sophia was no longer in the picture and David met Georgia. Each passing day, Catherine and David grew closer until they knew each other like the back of their hands.
They couldn’t stay apart for long, always managing to find projects together, until Much Ado About Nothing. It wasn’t that they had an affair, but how much they’d wanted to. So, for the sake of their friendship, they decided to stay away for a while. One year away would push any unwanted feelings aside, or so they thought.
New Year’s Eve of 2012, when one exact year was completed, neither of them scheduled anything, expecting to meet the other, and they did. They hugged fiercely and realized they couldn’t stay apart. He had lost weight, and fallen into depression; she never talked about how her year was, and all that LA. Two months later, he filled the divorce papers with Georgia and they started dating, taking one day at a time, though they didn’t need to go through the process of getting to know one another.
They were sitting at the table in the kitchen talking about the guest list.
“Since we will only have a dinner and not a party, we need to keep the list short, David.”
“It’s not my fault my family is big.”
“I’m sure that only inviting your siblings will be just fine. Your aunts don’t have to come; you don’t even talk to them anyway.” She wrote some names on the list.
“How many people do we have on the list?”
“Considering spouses and children, about 30.” She grimaced.
“Can we take anyone out of that list?”
“Not really, no. So far, there is my mom, your dad, Erin and Olive-will you invite Tyler? Anyway- and your sister and you brother, and their families. Then we have John, Billie, Freema, Bernard, Jonathan, Alan, Justin. Those are our friends; we can’t take them off. Then Niky, Simon and Mathew from me, and Adam, Richard and Louise from you. And then again, consider their plus ones or more. ” She bit her lip.
“I’m sure you can fit thirty something people in this house, honey.” Josephine had managed to get into the house without them noticing.
“Good morning, mother.”
“Good morning, Josephine.”
“Good morning, now, will up you go, we need to buy you a dress.”
“Mother, I already told you I won’t spend hundreds of pounds on a dress I will only use once in a room only with family and closest friends.”
“In moments like these, I’m completely certain you were swapped in maternity. One day, Catherine, one day for you to dress up. You don’t dress up properly for award shows; let me please use you as a Barbie doll once in your life.” Josephine looked as if she was about to cry, David seemed scared and Catherine was amused.
“I became an actress because you taught me the ways, oh great Drama Queen…”
“Think of Erin.”
“That’s a low blow, Josephine Ford.”
“She will love seeing her mother dressing like a princess.” Josephine smiled, knowing she had won.
“If it wasn’t so wrong, I think I could hate you,” she said, looking to David as if he could save her. He only shrugged.
“Let’s go, we have appointments, Catherine.” Josephine pulled her daughter by the arm making her stand.
“Just so you know, this is the equivalent of torture nowadays,” She said as she was all but dragged to the door.
“No, it’s not,” Josephine said simply closing the door behind them.
The actual date came in so fast she could barely get her head around the fact she was actually getting married.
She didn’t want to spend the night before away; they lived together already, but her mother insisted, so there wasn’t much she could do.
She stood before the mirror wanting to go back home, put on pajamas and watch a movie curled up against David. It still seemed daft to be getting married.
The dress was champagne - because yes, she was obligated to buy a wedding dress, but she had principles which involved no white wedding gowns -; it went down on a gentle mermaid skirt that didn’t flair out too much, only slight really. The fact that it was a lacy dress was completely her mother’s fault, but it wasn’t frilly at all. The v neckline on front only showed the swell of her breasts, but reached down to the middle of her back.
Her hair was wavy but put in a bun; the dress looked like it was vintage, so she decided to go for a vintage hairstyle too. Erin got into the little room.
“Mum…” at the sound of her daughter’s voice, Catherine turned. “You look… You are the prettiest woman ever.” Erin’s eyes were shinning with tears and happiness.
“You only say that because I’m your mother,” she said before pulling Erin in to a bone-crushing hug. When she started feeling her eyes fill with tears she whispered. “Stop getting emotional, Catherine.”
“You are so going to cry at your own wedding,” Erin said giggling into her mother’s neck.
“Shut up!” Was Catherine’s answer.
She knew it was showtime; Erin kissed her cheek before picking up her basket of rose petals. The feeling in her stomach was stage-fright’s big brother; she clutched the bouquet, one that her mother had put together, in her hand and took a deep breath.
She heard the first chords of the song as the doors opened for her, and there was David beaming at her from the altar.
“God, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she whispered before starting the walk down the aisle.
The actual ceremony went by fast and smoothly; much to everyone’s surprise they decided on the traditional vows and chose for the whole service to be as simple as possible.
They left the church hand in hand and got into the car.
David was happy to finally leave the church. He had gotten there nine in the morning, and she got there three hours before the actual ceremony, with her mother and Erin (who kept going back and forth sending messages between them). The guests all got in by the back door. And the entire scheme had been structured by Catherine herself; it wasn’t just a coincidence the public had never seen Erin. Just as predicted, there were no paparazzi outside.
“Are you ok,” he asked her as she stared at him in some kind of shock.
“Yeah… Except that I got sucked into a rom-com movie and married my best friend. That’s horrible!” She looked at him disgusted and he laughed.
“It could be worse. We could’ve hated each other at first…”
“…Or have been friends since childhood! Oh, that would be terrible.” She bit her lip and moved closer to kiss him. Their first kiss as husband and wife had been a small peck on the lips, because they both felt like a small kiss full of love would be enough- and it was, but now she wanted to properly kiss him. “Can we send everyone to their homes and not do the whole dinner-thing?” She asked between kisses.
“Yes, we could.” He answered with his lips close to hers. “But your mother would kill us.”
“Why do you have to be so reasonable sometimes?”
“It’s only sometimes, though.” He shrugged and moved closer to kiss her once more.
“Shit!” She said.
“What?”
“We shouldn’t have gone for the traditional vows.”
“And why is that?”
“I have so much I could’ve said.”
“Really?” he smiled knowing she would make him laugh with whatever was to come.
“Yes. Ok, give me your hands, I can do it properly.” He did so and she looked him in the eyes. “I promise to be with you in every moment, even when your back fails us and I have to carry the groceries; I promise to be by your side even when they have yet another Doctor Who anniversary special and don’t call you, and I promise to still love you when you start crying because you will never have your own ‘Four Doctors’ or whatever and you won’t work with the Doctor long-scarf. And most of all, to not hate you, even though we are fated to spend our lives eating weird sandwiches because I can’t cook and that’s all you can do.” He let out a belted laugh as she keeps a serious face. “Why are you laughing? That’s the ultimate declaration of true love. ” And then she started singing. “What the World needs now… It’s love… sweet love…”
And he kissed her, making her stop singing, as the car parked in front of their house.
Everyone sat around the table, passing plates and making jokes. They didn’t want to contract a photographer, so David had an idea: there were several cameras on the table, and each person could take their own pictures. Adam was really good at it, so he took several at the ceremony. Now everyone could show their own point of view of the dinner.
Justin was into a deep conversation about innuendos with Billie and Freema, while Alan was sharing recipes with an amused Josephine. Somewhere around dessert John stood clicking a fork in his wine glass.
“John, you are not the best man.” David said.
“Yes, I am.” John said smiling.
“Yes, you are, but that doesn’t mean you have to make a speech.” David said making a scared face.
“Boo-hoo… actually, I have a gift for the two of you,” he started.
“I don’t care what it is unless is the new silverware… A woman has needs,” Catherine said, cutting him off and making everyone laugh.
“Even if said woman can’t cook to save her life,” Alan completed after everyone had stopped laughing. Catherine threw a napkin at him.
“Catherine!” Josephine said, the only one not laughing. “What the boy is saying is true!”
“Can I finish?” John asked trying to sound angry, but failing at holding in his smile.
“Oh do, please, do.” Billie said in a fake posh voice.
“Just keep it light, eh. Though it’s hard…” Bernard said. “Though, it’s better if it’s not hard. Just…”
“It’s impossible!” John huffed and sat back down.
It took half an hour until he sat by the piano in the living room.
“It was actually taking a long time for him to make us feel obligated to hear him sing,” Freema said.
“It’s just… Catherine, David.” He started saying already playing some notes. “You guys are my best friends and, I’m not really into naked women and that’s why I never proposed a threesome…”
“You do realize you are not Jack Harkness, right?” David asked between laughs.
“Just barely,” Billie answered for him.
“So…” John cleared his throat. “Instead of doing a boring speech, I will play a song so you guys can have your first dance.”
David looked at Catherine and beamed, standing up. “Let’s do it!”
She stood and held his hand. They walked to the middle of the room. In a slight cliché move, John started playing “Can’t take my eyes off you”.
David twirled Catherine, and they laughed as they danced.
"Am I actually married to you now?" she asked in his ear.
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"Why? Are you apologizing because now I am Catherine Car- Brand- Fast- Food Chain?"
"No. Well... That too. But mostly because you are stuck with me forever."
"David, I’m not saying this because I want to break your heart, but this is your second marriage."
"The only reason why it's my second marriage it's because the first one wasn't with you."
She smiled before slapping his arm. "That was so cheesy! Don't say that ever again or I might have to divorce you."
"Damn! You found out my plan."
They beamed at each other and she rested her head against his chest as they kept swaying.
Erin got one of the cameras and snapped a picture of the moment. They occasionally made everyone dance with them as they sang the ‘pa ran pa rans’, but that one frame defined all the years to come.
The happier years of their lives summed up in one frame.