This is my response to the Valentine picture challenge at the DQ forum. Ok…So, I was rather lost for a while how to fit Michaela dancing with William, her having flowers with Sully and Valentine's Day all together. Then I asked myself what reason would she have been dancing with William again? And for some reason this is the answer that came to mind almost fully formed right from that moment:
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Valentine Wedding
Music and laughter filled the church. Michaela's whole face was alight with joy.
When asked to recommend a new doctor for the Chateau she took time considering options and sending out inquiries to those doctors. And in the end her first choice was the one to get the job.
Dr. William Burke had been quite eager to come out, though at first he had worried whether or not his fiancé would be willing to move out to Colorado. Lydia Winston, a Boston socialite, however, surprised William and the rest of them by agreeing immediately. Once she got to Colorado Springs she jumped right into town life, becoming involved in the quilting circle, writing a few letters to the newspaper and other activities. The people had been leery at first but seeing how excited Lydia and William both were to be part of their town and learn their ways they had come to embrace them both.
Now it was Valentine's Day; Lydia had insisted on that being their wedding day, and nearly the whole town was there to celebrate with them. Once the ceremony had ended the benches had been moved out of the way for the reception. Tables lined one wall, laden with a wide variety of food; Brian, Sarah and Grace took turns playing the piano; people mingled throughout the single room building, eating and dancing.
Michaela let out a sigh of joy and relief. Just a few years ago having a second doctor, more particularly a male doctor, would have made her feel threatened and worried about her practice, but now she just welcomed the extra help and having someone to talk out cases with. And she was so very happy that her friend had found love.
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, silently thanking God for the blessings He had given over the last year; Colleen getting married and going to medical school, and now William coming and for his wedding.
"May I have this dance?"
She opened her eyes, and smiled at the man making the request. "I would be quite honored, Dr. Burke."
Her once suitor lead her out on the floor; Lydia grinned at them from where she was dancing with Loren and Sully nodded to them while he spun Dorothy.
"I have been wanting to thank you for recommending me for the position, Mike."
Michaela smiled at him. "I actually wasn't sure you would come. I knew you were happy at your practice in Boston."
"Well," he tilted his head to the side, "I was but Jonathan and Olivia Sullivan had taken so well to working on that side of town and the patients liked them so well that I was not quite so necessary really."
She had to grin at his mention of his former partners. Jonathan had sought out William as requested to work at his practice just a few months after Michaela had left Boston. Two years later Jonathan was introduced to Olivia, a med school student at the time, by a few of his friends from school. They married a year later. Olivia joined them at their practice after her graduation four months later. Jonathan had introduced William to Lydia, who was his cousin, a year and a half ago. William proposed ten months ago and now here they all were at the couple's wedding.
"Your offer actually seemed to confirm that it was time for me to move on; they were happy to take over. I was also interested in a new adventure, and…" his eyes twinkled, "I was rather eager to be able to work alongside a friend and doctor I respected very highly and whose opinions I had missed having."
Michaela laughed. "Well, I am glad that you have come." She nodded around the room. "Most everyone is." Her expression became slightly teasing. "And we all are coming to love Lydia."
There was no mistaking the deep love and abiding joy in William's eyes at the mere mention of his new bride. "Yes, I was very happily surprised when she said she would move out here, and even more so with her adjusting to and coming to love this town so quickly and well." He lowered his head slightly. "I would not have been able to come here without her or if she had been unhappy about it."
Michaela nodded. "I am so happy for you, William." She raised an eyebrow. "And aren't you now glad that I said no?"
He chuckled. "Yes. I am very glad for that!"
She laughed.
His eyes shone with mirth and contentment. "I do not think Sully would appreciate another man making advances on his wife."
Michaela grinned. "And I do believe that Lydia would claw out the eyes of any woman who tried to take you."
They laughed in shared mirth.
William sobered slightly, though he was still smiling joyfully. "I am very happy for you, Mike. You are so very obviously happy; I would not have made you so."
"Nor I you, William," she agreed.
The song came to an end and they bowed and curtsied respectively.
"Now, Mike, if you do not mind, I am going to go claim my bride for the next dance before someone else tries to sweep her off."
She nodded her head, grinning as she watched him speak quietly to Lydia and Loren, the latter laughing at some comment William made, before the groom drew his bride off into the next dance.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind; she smiled.
"I think William looks ready to burst from bein' so happy."
Michaela turned her head to look at her husband. "Yes. Lydia too. He and I were both just saying how happy we were that I said no to his marriage proposal."
"That makes three – no four of us." Sully allowed his nose to burry in her hair, breathing her scent deeply; pressing a kiss there. "I love ya, Michaela."
She held his arms tighter to her. "I love you too, Sully. So much."
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The party continued for hours, long after they new man and wife had left to catch the train for their honeymoon in San Francisco. Even once the party had broken up at the church some carried it on over to the Gold Nugget.
Michaela and Sully granted Brian permission to stay out later with his friends, with a promise to be home by 9:00 pm at the latest.
Sully helped her up onto the wagon seat; then handed Katie, who had been the flower girl, up to his wife, before finally swinging up himself. They began heading home, calling out and responding to greetings from friends.
Katie jabbered the whole trip, talking and asking questions about everything and anything, much to the amusement of her parents: "Poppy, why's da sky bu?" "Mommy, where're da baby birs?"
Thankfully the toddler's eyes were finally drooping by they time the wagon pulled up to the house. She wrapped her arm around her Poppy's neck, laying her head on his shoulder, and allowed him to take her up to her room for a nap without protest.
Michaela watched them with a loving smile, enjoying the sight of the two of them. Moments like this she could hardly breath from the overflowing love in her heart. Sully was the more wonderful a husband and father than she could have ever dreamed of.
Once they had disappeared into Katie's bedroom Michaela finally turned to go into her and Sully's.
She gasped. Flower petals covered their bed with a trail of them leading from the door to the bed; in the middle of the double wedding ring quilt lay a bouquet. A smile alighted her face and she walked to the bed; picking up the bouquet. She buried her face in the blossoms inhaling deeply. She heard her husband's firm footsteps behind her. "You always seem to be surprising me."
"You didn't think I'd forget Valentine's Day, did ya?" he teased. "Do ya like it?"
She turned around smiling at him. "It's lovely, thank you."
He moved over to her; she gently pulled him down for a kiss.
He pulled away slightly between kisses. "Happy Valentine's Day, Michaela."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Sully."
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So I hope that that was ok! Shortly before I came up with this I watched A New Beginning from season six, so I'm pretty sure that's how William came to arrive in Colorado Springs. That was a fun whirlwind trip seeing as I sat down to write this about two hours ago… Anyway. I hope y'all enjoyed it!
EDIT: I have been asked for the web address of the DQ forum, I have put it up on my profile page. Please join us! :D