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| WHEN BOY MEETS GIRL...an exercise | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| When Max met Amy, everything just fell into place. She fit into his life like the final piece of a jigsaw. She completed him. He was amazed at how fast and hard he fell when he first looked into her hazel eyes. He was helpless to resist and he drowned then and there. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| When Amy met Max, he made her laugh. She loved that in a man, a sense of humour. She thought he was the gentlest man she had ever met and she loved him with a passion beyond her wildest dreams. Theirs was a match made in heaven. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| After just eight months, Max proposed and Amy accepted, giggling as he struggled to get up from his position on the floor of the restaurant. Getting down on one knee had seemed like a good idea at the time. They decided on a spring wedding and plans began in earnest. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The eve of the wedding came round so quickly it made their heads spin. There had been so much to organise in such a short space of time, but they had done it and tonight was to be the family supper, when all their close relatives would meet before the big day. The supper was planned for eight that evening. Max's parents had been killed in a car crash when he was twenty, but his brother Sam was flying in from Canada and Amy's parents and sisters were arriving that afternoon from Barbados where they had been on holiday. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| With all the last minute preparations checked and double checked, all that was left was for Amy and Max to get themselves ready. Max was nervous. He knew that Sam would love Amy, how could he not love her? She was beautiful. He wished he was quite as sure of his acceptance into her family. He knew enough of life to realise there were no cast iron guarantees...but she'd promised him that they would love him, just as she did. She smiled and said it with such conviction he just had to believe her. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| As she showered, Amy sang to herself with the confidence of a woman in love, knowing she was loved by the man of her dreams...Together they were invincible, nothing could hurt them. As she styled her hair and applied her make-up in front of the mirror, she found herself unable to stop grinning. She had never been so sure of anything in her whole life and the wedding was going to be the icing on her cake of happiness. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| At a quarter to eight Max and Amy stood side by side, nervously waiting for their families to arrive. Max squeezed her hand and she smiled up at him as she returned the gesture. He bent to kiss her and she moved slightly, a look of joy on her face as his lips grazed the tip of her nose. She broke away from him and skipped towards the door to greet her parents and sisters who were all hugging and talking at once. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Max stood watching for a moment and then, very hesitantly, he began to move towards the excited group. Amy looked up and saw him, looking like a little lost boy despite his height and her heart warmed as she held out her hands to him, a sign that he should join her. Max drew alongside her and Amy took his hand in hers. Smiling she said | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Everyone, I'd like you to meet Max, my future husband' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The silence that greeted her words was as cold as a bucket of ice water. Amy was still smiling, but her parents' faces were stony. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Is this some kind of joke?' her father asked, his voice low and tremulous | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Daddy?' Amy looked puzzled. Max felt sick. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Berna?' Amy's father looked at his wife 'Did you know this?' he demanded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Berna Adams shook her head, her eyes unable to meet those of her daughter who was on the verge of tears. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'How could you do this Amy?' he asked his daughter and, without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heels and left. Berna looked at Max and shrugged before following her retreating husband, their other daughters following behind at a slow trot; the shock clear on their faces. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amy stood in the hotel lobby, blinking back the tears that were threatening to cascade down her pale cheeks, as she watched her family walk through the door and into a waiting taxi. She turned slowly towards Max and, looking up into the face she loved so much, she whispered 'Sorry' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Max took her into his arms and held her close. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'You didn't tell them did you?' he asked gently, already knowing the answer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amy shook her head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Why?' Max asked 'We talked about this. I thought we'd agreed?' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'I didn't think it would matter' she sobbed 'I thought they would be happy for me, would love you like I do.' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Max held her closer to his heart as he said 'You should have warned them.' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Why?' she said 'Fifty isn't old. He should know that. After all, Daddy's only fifty two | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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