For the ladies

'Now what can we help you with Doctor?' Sister Julienne smiled.

'Please, call me Patrick. We're going to be seeing a lot more of each other outside of work from now on. I wanted to speak with you as the two people here who are closest to Shelagh, the two people who are like a older sister and a mother to her.'

'Okay?'
'I want to ask for your permission to ask Shelagh to marry me. I know we've been together less than a day but I have loved her so completely for so many months now and so she has I. I adore her Sisters and I want her to be my wife. I want to be there for her when she's sad so i can wipe away the tears, I want to be there when she's happy so i can see her face light up, I want to be there when she's angry at me so I can promise never to hurt her again. I want her to be Tim's mother, I want to have children of our own with her eyes and her hair and her intelligence and stubbornness. I want everything with her. I want to have the honour of being her husband. That whole misunderstanding yesterday made me realise how much I cannot live without her by my side, how I don't want to be anywhere but with her. I love her so much and I know I will continue to fall in love with her every single minute of the rest of our lives as I learn more and more about her. Already today I have learned new things and fallen deeper and deeper. I know how much your blessing would mean to her.'

'Well. That was quite a speech Doctor Turner.' Sister Evangelina sniffed, not even trying to hide the tears that had pooled in her eyes. '24 hours ago that speech would have shocked me speechless.'

'I can imagine.' He smiled nervously. So much rested on the two women before him. He knew he would ask Shelagh with or without their permission but he so hoped they would grant it. If they said o but he asked anyway then it would make him look bad in their eyes and could colour his relationship with Shelagh and hers with them.

'You realise if you ever lay a finger on her in anger, if you make her cry a single tear of anguish or pain I will not hesitate to act.'
'I do. Though I promise I will never intentionally do either of those.' He said earnestly, his eyes begging for them to understand how precious he thought her, how the thought of him causing her harm made him feel physically sick.

'You understand how that girl means more to me than possibly any other corporeal person alive today? That I have known her since she was barely out of her teens, I have watched her grow and change and become the person she is today? That I know exactly what she is capable of becoming and would be sorely disappointed if you were the reason she was unable to reach her potential?' She levelled him with her gaze.

'I do. I would never dream of holding her back. But if she decides after careful considered deliberation that she would rather be a stay at home mother than continue on as a midwife as i believe you are referring to should we be blessed with children of our own, which is just as worthy a choice, then I shall not stop her from doing so.' He scarcely dared hope that they would have children of their own passionate joining. He still scarcely dared hope that he would be able to partake in that joining with her, for months he had battled against the mental image of what that may be like. Every night the image of her towering over her, her hair-only recently discovered as blonde-surrounding him like a curtain, would come unbidden and every morning he would wake with a dreadful sense of guilt hanging over him.

'Then I have nothing to say except I hope she will say yes.'
'I have your permission to ask her?'
'Of course. We may have had our disagreements in the past but I could not imagine a better man for her. You have my blessing.' She smiled warmly at him.
'Thank you. And you Sister Julienne?' He looked across to the other nun who had remained silent thus far. A surge of hope flared up in his belly as he took in the wide grin she bore through the tears that flowed down her cheeks.
'You'll make her happy?'
'If she let's me I'll try to make her the happiest woman in the world every day until the day we pass.'
'Then what can I say that hasn't already been said? Of course you have my blessing and my permission to ask her. Nothing would make me happier or prouder.'
'Thank you. Both of you thank you. This means more than you could ever imagine.' His own eyes were filled with tears of joy as the reality hit him-he was going to marry Shelagh-he had no doubt she'd say yes after the past day. Yes maybe it was too quick but he honestly didn't think she'd mind. He wasn't sure he could wait much longer. After so many months of agonising pain, afterlmths of being desperately in love with a woman he couldn't have, after months of hoping, wishing, praying for a miracle to happen he finally had her. She could be his forever amd he could be hers. He only had to ask. 'Well then. I'd better go shop for a ring. And make sure Tim doesn't object to this.'
'Good luck...Patrick.'

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