The wedding had been perfect, just a simple affair with everybody who was important to them attending. Shelagh looked amazing in her dress Patrick thought, as he sat in the chair in the living room, loosening his tie and smoking a cigarette, but then she always did look amazing he thought to himself. It was those eyes that did it, eyes that mesmerised him, even when she was still Sister Bernadette he'd always thought her eyes were beautiful. He'd often found himself getting lost in them in the surgery as she would hand him something, they were almost angelic.
Speaking of his bride, well his wife as she now was, she seemed to be taking an age upstairs. Shelagh had excused herself to go and freshen up when they returned from the wedding alone, for Timothy had gone to stay the night at Jack's house, they were going to have a sleep over. When asked why he couldn't return home with his parents, Chummy, better known as Akela to the boys had told them it would be good practice for their Cubs Camper Badge. Timothy soon stopped asking awkward questions then, he was far too excited to spend time with his best friend.
As much as he loved his son Patrick was so glad to finally have Shelagh alone, there always seemed to be someone or something interrupting them. Tonight there would be no interruptions though; neither of them was on call and with Timothy at Jack's house they had the place to themselves.
He smiled to himself, remembering just how far they'd come together. From Shelagh being diagnosed with tuberculosis, then renouncing her vows and leaving the order to be with him and Timothy as a family. Their first wedding day had been a bit of a disaster, what with the discovery of the unexploded bomb just two days before their special day. Then poor Timothy, his brave, brave boy; contracting polio just before the wedding. Patrick was a broken man; he didn't know how he would have survived without Shelagh's love and continued support. He thanked his lucky stars every day that his Timothy and Shelagh were still with him, as he put his cigarette out he made his way into the hall couldn't help but notice his reflection in the mirror as he passed. Taking his appearance in, Patrick wondered what on earth Shelagh saw in him. A man trudging ever nearer to middle age, a widower with a young son to care for yet somehow Shelagh saw something worth loving in him. She'd saved him in a way, like an angel.
Shelagh once told him how she may have left the order, but she hadn't lost her faith. That God had given her a different purpose in life, they were her purpose. He took one last glance in the mirror and couldn't help but smile, he'd been doing a lot of that lately, mainly down to her, turning the lights off Patrick went to make his way upstairs. He heard the door of the bedroom opening and the gentle sounds of his wife talking to herself, muttering words of encouragement. As he climbed the bottom two steps his wife turned on the landing to face him, he stood frozen, taking the beautiful sight in front of him in. Shelagh had let her hair down so that it fell in soft curls to her shoulders and she wore a simple light blue, satin nightgown, that had straps exposing her bare shoulders, with a Chantilly lace bodice and reached just below her knees. She was perfect.
How long he stood staring at his wife Patrick couldn't tell you, he was suddenly awoken from his trance by Shelagh clearing her throat. "Patrick, is something wrong?" She asked blushing and trying to shield her body with her arms, Shelagh knew this was a bad idea. Trixie and the other nurses had helped her pick something special out for tonight, something elegant and sedate yet something that Patrick would love. "You…. You look…" Patrick stuttered.
"It's too much isn't it? I knew this was…" She was silenced by her husband joining her on the landing, making light work of the rest of the stairs in between them. "You look amazing, love." He took her hand in his and pulled it to his lips, Shelagh blushed at her husband's words and actions. Patrick pulled her closely to his chest and she nestled her head in the crook of his neck, they stayed that way for a few moments until Shelagh pulled away slightly to look up at her new husband, wanting to tell him exactly how she was feeling. "I love you Patrick so much and I trust you entirely, it's just that I'm a little nervous." Patrick looked down at her, running his thumb along her jaw, "Oh sweetheart, I love you too. More than I ever thought possible, but you know we don't have to do anything if you don't want to. I want you to feel comfortable; this is your home now after all." Shelagh stopped her husband by placing her finger softly to his lips,
"I want to be with you Patrick, I want to show you just how I feel about you, I need this." They smiled together and taking Shelagh's face gently in his hands he pulled her towards him and placed a soft yet firm kiss fully on her lips. Entwining their hands together Patrick turned Shelagh around and they made their way to his bedroom, well their bedroom now to start the rest of their lives together.