Chapter Thirty Seven

Eighteen Months Later....

With the spotlight resting on Rhys who stands in the middle of the otherwise dark stage, he looks like a vision of divinity inside of the circular bright light. An excited hush quickly falls on the small audience as they wait for him to say something after just coming to the end of one of his well-loved songs. With a gracious smile, Rhys sweetly bows to his intimate following, thanking them for their enthusiastic applause and their joyous cheers of appreciation. The cameras keep rolling in the television studio and the studio feels almost static with its electrified live atmosphere. Rhys is nearing the end of this one-off special for TunesTV and is now wanting to address his enthralled audience. "Ladies...and just a few gents." He roguishly smirks, trying to look out at the receptive crowd but is being blinded by the spotlight. "I can't actually see you guys, but being surrounded by all of these ladies...I can totally smell your testosterone." This causes the room to momentarily erupt into laughter and cheeky little wolf whistles. "I just want to thank each and every one of you for making this live show be something really special for me to be a part of." His delighted audience zealously claps and cheers, only quietening down when Rhys's expression becomes much more serious. "Tonight is also special because my gorgeous wife is in the audience with both of our wonderful moms." More enthusiastic cheers and claps. Holding his mic between his hands, Rhys looks ready to open up to his now still and very quiet audience. "For anyone here who has lost someone they love, they will know how hard things have been for me after losing my sister Maci. But each and every day gets better because of each and every one of you." He points out at the crowd before wanting to carry on. "Because of you and all of my fans everywhere else, every day has got better. The incredible support you guys have all shown me, has given me so much strength. So this is me personally thanking you all, for everything." The room roars with thundering applause and respectful hoots of jubilation. Rhys broadly grins, politely bowing his head. He stands gorgeously tall and I honestly couldn't be prouder as he waits to address the crowd once again. As soon as it is quiet enough, he continues with what he wants to say. "I also need to thank mine and my wife's mom, my entire team for their unfailing love and support before I move onto thanking the one person who deserves the biggest thank you of all...where is my beautiful wife?" He's wincing, trying to see me through the spotlight and the darkened space of the studio. "Can someone please bring her to the stage for me?"

Absolutely mortified, I freeze in my front row seat, turning to both my mum and Carol to pleeeeeeease help me out of this cringeworthy situation. They don't. They merely giggle and try to make me stand. Before I even have time to protest, live on air may I add, I am being helped from out of my seat and ushered towards the stage. Beyond feeling embarrassed and terrified, I am soon handed to Rhys who waits on the stage with his almighty big grin and his almighty big spotlight now shining on the both of us. Holding out his hand, he helps me navigate the few and dimly lit stage steps. Very much aware that we are indeed live and terrifyingly on air, I hide my look of you-are-so-in-trouble with a painted on smile and an expression of I-can't-believe-this-is-happening. Rhys clasps my fingers and knowingly grins. "Uh-oh, I'm getting 'the look'...I think my beautiful wife might be filing for divorce after this show." That actually makes me laugh, it actually makes the whole room laugh. "Everyone, this is my very gorgeous wife, Clara." He proudly introduces me to his audience who all start welcoming me with wild clapping and even wilder whistling. Stroking my nervous hand with his loving thumb, Rhys glances sideways at me with pride adorning his utterly perfect face. "Don't you worry, guys! I applaud myself every single day for falling in love with my girl." Then he kisses the same nervous hand of mine before letting it go to stand close behind me with one of his palms protectively cuddling my stomach. "As you can see, Clara is soon going to make me a daddy." His mic-less and loving hand then slowly caresses my rounded belly so adoringly light and gently. "And Clara is soon going to be a momma." Sweetly and without inhibition, Rhys softly kisses the skin on my exposed neck. "I know you feel a little shy, baby...but I want the world to see the person who I owe the biggest thank you to." Bringing himself back to the side of me, he drapes his free arm around my shoulder. "I owe everything to you, Clara." His words carry so much devotion, I am swept away by them and no longer feel like I am terrifyingly live on a stage and in front of a television audience. I have been wonderfully swept away somewhere, somewhere that only Rhys and I happily now are. "Which is why I have written my next song for you." My inner surprise pulls me back from where I had been wonderfully just swept. Smiling at me first, before turning to face his attentive audience, Rhys smiles out at them all. "This is a very personal song, written for my very special and very gorgeous wife, Clara. But this song is also for anyone who is going through a hard time. For anyone who thinks that they'll never be happy. This song is called There's No Never In Happily Ever After. As a beautiful string intro is being loudly played behind us, Rhys guides me back to where the stage steps are. Before safely handing me over to the guy who helped me earlier, he leans in breathtakingly close. "I love you." His emotive whisper delicately fans my face.

Smiling with the purest of elation and the stunning intro starting to get louder and louder all around us, I silently mouth back to him. "I love you." Leaving him on the stage with only the tender touch from the very grateful tips of my fingers upon his left cheek.

As soon as I am being guided away from the stage, Rhys starts to flawlessly sing his new song behind me.

"I never knew beauty

Until there was her.

I never knew beauty

Could cause such a stir.

The pain and the miles

Tried to keep, keep us apart.

But the pain and the miles

They didn't know, know our strong hearts.

I found my lips saying some words

Words that needed saying.

My love for her...

My love for her was staying.

So I said to my girl

There's no never in happily ever after

No love if it ain't there.

There's no never in happily ever after

No pain if we care.

I seemed to have it all

But nothing without her.

I seemed to have it all

But nothing until her stir.

The pain and the miles

Tried to keep, keep us apart.

But the pain and the miles

They didn't know, know our strong hearts.

So I found myself saying, to my beautiful, crazy girl

There's no never in happily ever after

No love if it ain't there.

There's no never in happily ever after

No pain if we care.

Oh woah woah woah woah woah oh....that's what I told her!

There's no never in happily ever after

No love if it ain't there.

Oh woah woah woah woah woah oh...no pain if we care.

I said it again.

There's no never in happily ever after, my beautiful, crazy girl

No love if it ain't there.

No never in happily ever after

If you didn't...

If you didn't love and care."

With the beautiful string music quietly fading away on Rhys's exquisitely sung long and last note, the stage suddenly plunges into dramatic darkness. I have never had a song written and sung to me. Such a meaningful and poignant song, so beautifully sung in the most emotive of ways. Tears of silent joy sit in my overwhelmed eyes and happiness nestles into my heart as the audience completely goes wild around me and Carol and my just as overwhelmed mum. The stage and studio are soon lit up and the audience are met with Rhys handsomely waving and blowing them all thankful kisses before finally leaving the stage. It's the end of the televised show, but just another beginning for us. Our precious baby kicks and jumps to the loud applause and the celebratory cheers and chants that echo around the buzzing studio—the ones that are all for its very talented and very wonderful daddy. Cradling my very pregnant belly, I smile down at it as my hands glide over the perfectly formed bump. "Are you feeling okay?" Carol sweetly asks, concern wrinkling up her forehead.

Smiling, I happily nod. "The baby is joining in with the applause for its clever daddy, I think." I reply with a small and carefree chuckle.

Carol places her palm firmly down on my stomach. "My boy done good, didn't he?" Pride swells in her light green eyes when she talks about Rhys's breathtaking performance. "Oh my! Little one sure has enjoyed the show." She laughs at the baby kicking hard against her flat hand.

Now my mum has to excitedly get in on the baby kicking action. "Oooooo....let me feel!" Her hand lies still beside Carol's. "The baby always stops as soon as I touch Clara's bump." Which is actually true. I think my mum has only felt our little one twice since flying out to be with us for the birth in LA. "Oh! I felt that, I definitely felt that." Mum is simply elated to have also felt the baby kick out against her eager, Grandmotherly hand.

Laughing, I interrupt the baby bump touchy-feely session. "Shall we go and find Rhys?" Carol and mum both stand tall, nodding with fixed and eager smiles. The audience have now nearly all but gone, quickly shepherded out by the television crew. Just as we are all about to start making our way backstage, Rhys strides towards us wearing the biggest and loveliest of smiles.

"Mom...Jane." He kisses both his and my mother on their cheeks before pulling them in for a big and hearty hug. "Did you like the show?" He asks, oozing so much casual confidence and charm.

Mum is keen to answer first, hugging him tightly as she does. "You were fantastic, Rhys...absolutely fantastic."

Carol leans her head against his shoulder, prouder than proud with her reply. "As always, you were amazing. Everyone has had a wonderful time." She takes the deepest pleasure from praising her son, the deepest pleasure from praising each and every one of his achievements.

"I'm glad you both enjoyed it." His attention quickly turns to me. "And is my gorgeous wife still talking to me?" He's grinning, wryly so as his hands protectively come around my waist. "Has the divorce already been put in motion?" His brows humorously rise high, as do his cheekbones with his wide and goofy grin. "You know I love you, right?"

Kissing him to be quiet, I smirk against his lips. "Yes I do know." With our pregnant bump sandwiched between us, I smirk just a little bit more. "And I love you, we both love you." I admiringly say, looking down at our beautifully created bump. "The baby has been having its very own party in there." I joke, stroking both sides of my achey stomach.

"Dinner and bed for you." Rhys bossily states with a loving smile attached to the end of it. I just love how protective and attentive he is with me and our growing bump. Our beautiful baby is due in just three weeks time and we are both more than ready for its precious arrival. The nursery is done. Pram, crib, clothes, nappies—all bought. We have literally everything ready and waiting. We just now need our much longed for baby. We don't know what we are having. We both wanted the joyous surprise of not knowing. Whether it's a boy or a girl, this baby is going to be loved and so very cherished. Putting his hands just over mine, Rhys has the deepest of sentiment veiling his bright sage spheres. "You look a little tired, baby...let's go and eat, then go home." His darling fingers stroke my swollen stomach as he kisses my soft lips and then the tip of my nose. "I can't have my girl getting all tired and puffy." He goofily grins again.

Tutting with an overdramatic eye roll, I shake my head with the happiest of smiles spreading all across my face. That is Rhys all over—gorgeously goofy one minute, then sweetly protective the next. Mr Mega Famous one minute, then my Rhys the next—I love each and every side to him.

I will continue to love each and every side to him. Choosing to leave London was honestly the best decision I have ever made. Choosing to be with Rhys makes me the happiest woman alive. We are about to become our very own little family. We have so much to be happy and thankful for. Rhys is finally able to think about his sister in a positive way. He realises now that she was sick and her sickness couldn't be cured. Of course he still misses her, that missing never truly goes away. But he has thrown all of his energy into us and into a new album.

Me? I'm in a good place. A wonderful place.

I have been forging myself a new career in photography. Things have slowed a little on account of me being on the cusp of motherhood, but for the past fourteen months, I have been busily taking photographs of derelict buildings and showcasing them in different galleries. I have absolutely loved going from State to State, finding the most exquisite of decaying places and immortalising them in a photograph. It has always been my dream to do exactly what I am now doing. My new little venture is going from strength to strength, with many more new and exciting things in the pipeline, but for now, I am focusing on welcoming our baby into our very happy little world. Rhys is always telling me that I have changed his life for the better, but I believe he is the one who has changed mine for the better. I am deeply in love and deeply loved back. I am soon to have a baby and shall embrace being a mother. I have a new and successful business of my own. Life honestly couldn't be any better.

Rhys Ryan has changed me, changed everything.

Before him, I didn't believe in happy endings.

I didn't believe in happily ever afters.

But they do exist and they do happen.

We are absolute proof of that.

Ours is a love story that has many females, wondering whether there is a Rhys Ryan out there for them.

There is, they just have to find him.

So if you're ever wondering whether our kind of love is worth the wait, just remember Rhys's words:

"There's no never in happily ever after"

The End

💋 K B Mallion Interlude 💋

If you lovelies enjoyed this story and are left needing more, then do check out All Areas Accessed....told from Rhys's POV. His and Clara's love, told from a different angle, in a different way and with different scenes.