Part 3

Four hours earlier:

A woman stepped out of a cab outside the small, stone fronted Catholic church in the town she'd not seen in more than ten years. A devout Roman Catholic herself, and somewhat old fashioned in her practice, she covered her hair with a scarf, and pulled her coat collar up against the sharp, late autumn breeze. Then she nodded to the tall, fair haired young man getting out of the cab's other passenger door, and walked into St. Marks.

It seemed so much changed, inside and yet the feeling of quiet devotion was the same as ever. Clearly the church had been rebuilt from the inside out, and revamped to make it even more welcoming than she remembered. To the left of the foyer was a new, windowed door, and the visitor smiled. She remembered very clearly the times she'd spent in the bride's room.

Turning to her companion, she whispered. "I suppose you've heard a thousand times, Caro mio. How your arrival interrupted another wedding day, so long ago. But today you will not interrupt the proceedings, and neither will I. You promised me that, and I promised myself. We left your grandfather to his own devices on Cyprus, to come and share a celebration, and give a warning if one's needed. But from what we saw at the airport, and on the way here, I think they already know. They should, I sent word nearly two months ago, but anonymously."

"But you must know everyone, and especially Dad will be delighted to see you again. Delighted and amazed, just like I was." the young man with her said.

"My darling, I'm sure of that. Your father needs us both now, more than ever. But I don't want to upstage the bride and groom. The young man, aside from what you tell me, I know not at all. But the bride, well, she was very nearly my stepdaughter, once long ago. Yes, before you were so much as a twinkle in your father's eye! And that Sami has come to such a happy day, warms my heart."

"You know, I'm still not sure I understand. If you were unable to reach us, unable to let us know what really happened for so long ... how did you get away, how did you reach grandfather? Who found you?"

"The Contessa. Your grandmother, your father's mother, She was not content to believe the sad story of my demise. And it seems as though she has had the resources to keep track of you and your father for a long time now. She knew Ernesto was even more of a madman than Stefano. She knew he hated my mother for her affair with Victor, and he hated me for being the result. She followed up every possible lead, until her operatives were able to find and release me from my sanitarium, on Crete.  And when she learned that I had been poisoned, drugged to show symptoms of a cancer I never had, she brought the best doctors from all around the Mediterranean, to help me recover from my confinement. So, I am now, 'in the pink'." Isabella Kiriakis Black laughed quietly, And now I am going to find a quiet corner on the bride's side of the aisle, while you let John know you've come home for the wedding. Go on, Caro, what are you waiting for?"

Brady shook his head and admitted, "He'll know I'm holding something back. He always does. Can't I bring Dad back with me? Not even if I swear him to secrecy? Mom, I know you don't want to cause him pain, but if he spots you during the wedding, ..."

"Caro, why do you look so worried? Is your father ill?"

"No. Not according to him, at least the last time I phoned. But the virus didn't go easy on him. He covers well, but he's not at his best again, not yet."

"And this you kept from me all the way back to Salem?" Isabella demanded, her native temper flaring.

"He thinks nobody has noticed it. But I haven't talked to Mike Horton or whomever else Dad might be seeing. So I honestly don't know what shape he's in. So I honestly think a shock like this in the middle of everything else that's going on, might not be so good. So, I think I should bring Dad back now, and let him have a little while to catch his breath."

"No, Brady! You shouldn't do anything that might upset him!" a pair of clear, young voices called out angrily.

Brady and Isabella turned to find Belle and Cassie staring and frowning at them.

"He's been fine lately. Just fine and the last thing your Dad needs is another nasty surprise." Cassie went on.

Belle had fallen silent, still staring and wondering why the slight woman standing next to Brady looked familiar. She was not much taller than Belle and what could be seen of her hair was tawny red and curly, and her eyes were an amazing shade of blue-violet-grey. Then Belle gasped and worked her mouth open and shut a couple times before she could ask a single worded question.

"Isabella?"

"Si, Isabella. I am she." the older woman smiled at her namesake. "Do you truly think I would be a bad surprise for your stepfather, Cassandra?"

"Its just Cassie." the redheaded girl answered. "And ... I don't know. I just ... John has almost always been the one who understood me best, after Rex, and ... How do you know my name?"

"My darling mother in law brought me ... up to date. I'm glad to know my Caro mio hasn't been so very lonely, with the company of two such lovely young women. Such lovely suits you have ... your own designs, no?"

"Umm yeah ...See it was going to be a small, quiet wedding and then half the world began to rsvp and we talked for a week about fancier outfits for Billie and for us, but ...There was no time left." Belle explained.

"You look great, sis. You both look great." Brady amended. "I'm supposed to let you know that Chloe's schedule got bollixed up and she didn't think she could get here, today. Also, she hates flying. I think if she could get on a cruise ship and come into Salem harbor, she'd be much happier."

"Or, I could take the train." a clear, laughing contralto voice suggested. "But not the bus, I hate riding busses!"

"Chloe!" Brady yelped, and ran over to embrace his fiancée. "You, I ... we only talked the other night. You ... You're here!"

"Pretty much. Umm, did you want to introduce me to your traveling companion, or should I just guess by looking at your eyes that she's your mother?"

"Cara, I'm glad to say I am this gorgeous fellow's mother. And I'm very glad to meet you, at last. You look in splendid health, what does your doctor say?"

"My doctor's my dad, so he says I'm not resting enough and should have thought twice about coming out here for the weekend." Chloe laughed again, shaking hands with Isabella. "And my mom's even worse when she isn't chasing Joy around their brownstone. Joy's my two-year-old sister. I guess you know what that means."

"Si, this fine, tall son of mine ran me ragged at that age. Now, what have we decided, my young friends? Shall we ease my Giovanni into our news, or ... what is it ... spring it upon him?"

"I'd prefer not to have anymore surprises today. Will forgetting which pocket he put the rings in was plenty." John Black answered, walking towards them from the sacristy. The foyer was shadowy, with only stained glass slits for windows. All he could see at first were Cassie, Chloe and Belle standing and talking with Brady. And half hidden among them was a diminutive older woman, Only when she turned her wide, violet-grey eyes on John and smiled tremblingly, did the impossible become real to him.

He froze to the spot, unable to move an inch. And his heart seemed to tighten in his chest for an instant. And his breathing threatened to choke off in his throat. He couldn't be seeing who he was seeing. He couldn't be reaching out to her.  He couldn't be hearing the lightly accented voice he was hearing. But just as John was about to assert all those things; something clicked in his memory, something opened in his thoughts, and something hard and cold melted away like rain in his heart. Noone else ever had that smile, noone else ever tilted her head and nodded to him like that, and noone else ever called him Giovanni. Like his daughter a few moments before, there was only one word John could get out of his mouth.

"IzzyB?"

For an answer Isabella shook off her scarf, dropped the umbrella she'd sheltered under earlier and ran into John's arms. Murmuring and kissing, burying her face in his chest and then lifting it to his gaze, she smiled so brightly it lit the foyer like daylight. No words were needed between them. Time passed became meaningless and grief powerless over them.

"Si, Caro mio." Isabella finally whispered. "I've come home. Now, let's go see our young bride. But, maybe someone should warn her, first? After all, we can't have our Sami collapsing on her wedding day, not the one that truly matters."

Belle, Chloe and Cassie rushed ahead and for the first time that day, asked the bride's multiple helpers to give her a free moment. The women filed out, heading for the community room off the chantry. If any of them took a curious glance in John's direction, he simply smiled and nodded to indicate all was well. A moment later, John and Isabella walked into the brides' room to find Sami carefully standing against a costumer's board, to avoid mussing her gown. She was sipping from a cup of water, which fell to the carpeted floor when she saw the woman walking next to her stepfather. But like John, Sami felt unable to take a step towards this unbelievable wedding guest.

"I dreamed this." Sami finally whispered. "Or, am I dreaming this?"

"No, Cara, I'm home again, and just in time, I think." Isabella smiled. "Because I think you're wearing too much eye makeup, senorina Sami."

"Carrie put it on me." Sami laughed, falling into a long ago discussion. "We were playing Cinderella and she let me be the fairy godmother. She said it was just as good as being Cinderella, but I think its better. Fairy godmothers are prettier than just ... princesses."

"Nevertheless, you can't possibly be old enough for all that." Isabella chided, laughing in return. "And there is simply not the possibility of your being old enough to marry!"

"Well, you'd better be the one to tell Lucas, cos he's probably looking for a way out, just about now." Sami hugged her beloved friend. "Isabella, I thought nothing could make me happier today, but ... I'm so glad I was wrong."

"And I brought you a tiny gift, cara." Isabella pulled a cream colored satin box out of her coat pocket and handed it to Sami "I'm standing in for your darling mother, today. And I know she would have made sure you had something old. "

Sami opened the box finally, her hands shaking, and sighed happily. Inside was a crystal and pearl beaded rosary, with sterling links and crucifix. She knew she'd seen Isabella praying with it dozens of times long ago. And she knew it was special.

"My mother came to be part of the World's Fair in upstate New York years ago. She was given this rosary as a keepsake," Isabella explained. " They were part of the items found in the Italian Pavilion. She gave it to me before I came to America the first time. It always seemed to bring me her wish that I be happy and safe. And now it brings my wish for the same to you. Be happy and keep safe, cara mia. Don't let anything keep you from your loves. Promise me that?"

"I promise." Sami answered, her eyes bright with tears.

"Then I'll let you get ready, and I'll have a little time with our Giovanni." Isabella said, hugging Sami and turning back to John. "I can't wait to see you walk down the aisle on his arm, and back up on Lucas'."

"Me too."