Seasons In The Sun

Chapter 4: Mark

So you should know this love we share was never made to die.

Preparing for Nicky's third anniversary bash, I could still remember every detail of the wedding, the way that Nicola looked in that stunning red dress, the look in her eyes as we danced and the easy way she moved through a crowd. Maybe Shane wasn't ready for settling down, but I sure as hell was. I checked myself in the mirror once more before slipping Nicola's valentines present into my pocket.

Nicola met me as I was going out the door. Nicky was having an intimate house party this year, he was going out to dinner with his and Georgina's parents before holding a party for the band, plus management and partners. Nicola was wearing a long red skirt with a daring split in it, a tight red vest top, and the flashing devils horns I'd bought her at Halloween. I don't think she was wearing any make up but the bright red lipstick. I stared at her horns and raised my eyebrows. I'd bought them as a joke, but she loved them. She giggled and fixed my collar. She kissed me quickly then grabbed my hand and hurried us out the door. When we arrived at Nicky's, she went in ahead of me. I think she made some small motion with her hand, then everyone looked at me, smiled, and looked away again. I looked down at myself making sure I hadn't buttoned my shirt wrong or something, but I looked fine. The party continued. Jack Keating kept looking at me and laughing, but he was hyperactive that night, running around screaming in glee. When Shane and Gemma arrived ten minutes later, Nicola transferred herself to my knee, to give them room to sit down. Shane looked at me with raised eyebrows, his expression bordering on laughter, I thought he was silently asking about her present, I just shook my head. An hour later, everyone was suitably giddy with the alcohol enough to be singing away. Shane started singing ‘Swear it Again', and deciding on the spur of the moment, I grabbed the karioke mike off him and started singing it myself, "Just look around, at all of the people that we used to know, they're just giving up they wanna let it go, but we're still trying," I took her present out of my pocket. It wasn't wrapped. I got down on my knees in front of her, "But so you should know this love we share was never made to die, I"m glad we're on this one way street, just you and I," she took the box from me, knowing fine well what was inside. She slipped the ring onto her finger, and it was a perfect fit. She had described to Georgina the perfect engagement ring, and she had told me about it. Me, I was still singing away, swept up by the fact that she'd silently agreed to be my wife, "I'm never gonna say goodbye, cause I never wanna see you cry," all the other lads were joining in, except Kian who was sulking in the corner. "I swore to you my love would remain, and I'll swear it all over again and I, I'm never gonna treat you bad, cause I never wanna see you sad, I swore to you my love would remain, and I'll swear it all over again" I picked my bride to be up in my arms, still singing, though only to her and carried her into the kitchen, past Bryan, who was filming the whole party on his camcorder. "In your eyes, I see a love that burns eternally, and if you see how beautiful you are to me, you'll know I'm not lying. Sure they'll be times we'll wanna say goodbye, but even if we tried, there are some things in this life won't be denied."

Nicola dissolved into giggles. I was hurt, I thought she was laughing at my sincere pledge of love. But she held up her hand to my hurt expression and calmed down enough to put her finger to my lips and show it to me. It was stained red. "You've been sitting there for two hours with your mouth covered in my lipstick. Your proposal is on video, and, my, red is your colour!" "You little.." I caught her in my arms again and ran outside with her. She screamed knowing exactly where she was going. She screamed even louder when she found herself waist deep in rain water, in the middle of Nicky's still-under-construction swimming pool.

She came over all damsel-in-distress, begging me with a distraught voice to help her out. I got down on my haunches and held out my hand. The crafty little madam dragged me in with her. I started soaking her with huge waves of water and her cries brought the others, who stumbled upon the pair of us soaked from head to foot. Nicola gave as good as she got. Shane and Bryan laughed devilishly and kicked more water around us. Nicola and I looked at each other in mutual understanding, reached out with both arms, and grabbed the pair of them round the ankles, bringing both in head first. Next thing I knew, Nicky landed between us, having been thrown by Georgina and Gemma. Then Kian pushed them in, thinking as long as he was the only one on dry land he'd be safe. Georgina wasn't letting him off that easily, she got out and chased him til she caught him and threw him in. The guests who had any amount of sense (Ronan, Yvonne, Jack, Anto and Louie) stood on the patio and just watched. The eight of us splashed in there a good half hour before we were exhausted with laughing and throwing water.

As I stood in waist deep water, with Nicola's damp arms around my neck. I prayed silently. Let it always be this way.

Chapter 5

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