Here we are, chapter 8, the final installment - I hope you enjoy it!

She stood there on the bridge, her belly resting against the cool stone edge of the wall. He was right, the bridge was beautiful especially in the dawn, when the tourists and the traders hadn't yet arrived. She exhaled deeply, she was a little out of breath – she was still not quite back on fighting form after her accident, the scar along her hip where the man had stuck the knife in still ached. She should have taken her time but she was anxious to be there for 6 in the morning.

When she had come round in the hospital and seen Gwen there she had felt woozy, as though she had been asleep for the past week. Although it had only been three days, the doctors told her that she had lost almost 4 pints of blood, emergency blood transfusions, emergency arterial surgery and a few moments when everyone thought that she was a goner. She had no memory of the incident, or the intervening 3 days – but Gwen had told her about John, sitting beside her bed from the moment she had come out of the operating theatre, never letting going of her hand even while he slept.

"He's gone home, he left about 2 hours ago, he was dead to the world – barely able to keep his eyes open."

Over the next two weeks in hospital Anna hadn't seen John, everyday she asked and everyday she was told he had called to check up on her – be he never came. And it broke her heart. But then, arriving back at her flat she saw all he had done, her flat had been cleaned to within an inch of it's life, her bed changed with new crisp white cotton bed-linen. A bunch of bright yellow gerberas in a vase on the table, and resting against the vase was an envelope addressed to Anna Smith in soft blue inked copperplate handwriting.

Dear Anna,

I'm sorry, I truly truly am, for everything I have put you through for the past 9 months. That day we met was the greatest in all my life, I met you and ever since you have occupied my every thought. You have changed me beyond recognition, when I met you I was a shadow of who I had been once before. But you changed me, and being away from you, back with Vera I saw the truth, that you had changed me into a good happy man.
You are a truly wonderful woman Anna Smith, I've never met a better woman in all my life. I know that I can hardly be considered good enough to be yours, but I wish I were. I wish I could think that I wouldn't be doing you a disservice by going to you, and asking for a second chance. But I am asking for a second chance, another chance with you, another chance to show you that I could be the right man for you. If you still want me of course, I realise that there is little chance of that, but I do want you, I love you, more than you can possibly imagine. Watching you laying in that hospital bed, looking so small and pale and quiet, I knew that I couldn't carry on with life thinking I had given up the chance to be with you, given up my chance of being with you for the rest of my life.
I've spent the last couple of weeks with my lawyer, he thinks I have an excellent case to divorce Vera, I can't do it without her consent obviously but I can prove without a doubt that our marriage is irrevocably destroyed. Soon I'll be rid of her and her hold over me. I left you without ever really getting the chance to tell you my motives. Vera has had a hold over me for a long time, more of a hold than you know. The power to destroy me and take away everything because she knows more about me than I would have you know. But you should know – you should be fully aware of the facts before I ask you to take me back. In 2004 I was sent to prison, I was imprisoned for Grievous Bodily Harm towards a officer of the Garda Siochana . In 2004 I was still drinking, I was deeply unhappy, I was not the man I am today. That is no excuse, and I have never forgiven myself. I was tanked up on Whisky and I was fuming, Vera and I had had a blazing row, a plate throwing screaming the walls down row, and she called the Garda, told them I had attacked them, I hadn't – you have to know that, I never raised a hand to her. But the Garda came to find me at the pub, and when they did I was fuming, angry and I lashed out I punched and kicked this Garda lad. I'm sorry – but you had to know. I have never forgiven myself, and Vera made sure of that. Anytime I left her, she would telephone my employer and tell them everything, some of it true, some of it fiction – she would say I was abusive – still drinking … the works.
In this envelope, is a flight to Prague, meet me on the Charles bridge, on the 3rd of June, 6 in the morning – but only if you want to. Meet me there, if you want to make us work – and I will be yours for as long as you'll have me. But, if you choose not to come, having heard all this about me then I shall understand – and never darken your door way again.

Good Bye – I love you always

John

"You came? Thank Christ – I was afraid you wouldn't."

"John, hello, you look awful." Anna took a step towards him, she wanted to keep back to show him how hurt she was, but instead she threw her arms around him, holding him close to her and smelling him, the warm smell of his body that reminded her of all those months ago back in Dublin. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly in. He traced his fingers along her shoulder and spine – making her sigh remembering those nights they spent together in Dublin.

"I'm exhausted. I barely slept last night – I was worried you wouldn't come."

"Why didn't you visit me at the hospital? I needed to see you John, I wanted to see you."

"I'm sorry, I wanted to but I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me, after I treaded you like such a … utter bastard." Anna looked at him, pushing herself out of his hug to look into his eyes, she loved his eyes, they were dark and deep and made her feel safe.

"You weren't that bad – you did what you thought was right, and I can't blame you for that. But I will blame you for not telling me the truth before " She reached up to kiss him, wincing as her stomach stretched against the month old scar. "I love you John Bates – for everything you have done for me, you've even given me up because you thought it was the right thing for me, and you brought me here, to see this – to share your favourite city with you."

"I love you Anna, and there is no-one I would rather share this with than you. Would you … would you like to come back to my room, it's beautiful – I can get you breakfast – if you'd like …"

"I would – I would like that I great deal."

Anna lay on the bed as John lay beside her, propped up on his elbow looking at her. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the sides, she could hear his breathing, feel his warm breath on her neck as he leant in to kiss her, moving his arm to rest on her belly. She stretched out her arm, running her fingers through his hair finding his lips with her own, he slid his hand down to the waist band of her jeans easing his fingers under her tee-shirt to the warm skin of her belly. She dropped a hand to his wrist holding it back, breaking away from his mouth she averted her gaze, staring down his body.

"Please, let me see."
"It's really ugly, like a big … tear."
"Anna … if it's part of you – it really can't be that ugly." Anna nodded slightly, barely moving her head, and John pushed up the hem of her tee-shirt until he could see the 3 inch long scar, pink and shiny along her hip. He ran a ringer along its length bending in slowly to kiss it.

"I've seen a lot worse … and so have you, in your line of work you know how bad this could be. You're beautiful Anna, beautiful with or without your scar, and even if you weren't still the most beautiful woman in the world, you're alive – and for me, that's a gift!" Reaching down, Anna placed a hand behind his head, guiding his head back up to face her.
"Thank you. For everything John, for coming back to me, and for telling me the truth." She kissed him gently on the lips, getting into their rhythm the kisses became firmer as he began to work his way down her neck and collarbone. He paused when he reached the collar of the tee-shirt, checking her face before he carried on, running his hand down the edge of her body, stopping at the swell of her hip he eased off her top. Anna carefully unbuttoned his shirt, running her fingers over his chest, feeling the strong body beneath his skin.

This, Anna decided, was one of the moments in her life that should stay with her for ever, a man, who she loved to distraction had brought her to this beautiful city, taken her to this fantastic hotel with it's dark crimson curtains and the window that opened out onto the old town square, with the fresh cool morning air pouring in with the smell of bread and noise of quiet bustle creeping up in the breeze.

"Will you marry me?"

"Well I'm a bit tired right now …"

"Is it your scar?"

"No it's you John Bates, you've worn me out! Do you mean it?"

" Of course – of course I do, I would never joke about that."

"Even with your track record you'd want to?"

"You're no Vera – not even close Anna. You're so much greater, and so … I'm proposing. Is that silly?"

"Yes, but not a stupid as I would be to send you away … so yes I will marry you, but not now – not just yet. I'm too careful to be heady. If you'll wait, wait until we're both at a level footing then I'll be your bride, your wife and mother to your children – for ever and a day."

"I can accept that, I would accept anything to be with you."

The end - I've really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it just as much!

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Thank you!