God Gave Me You 30
Shelagh rolled over to glance at her alarm clock for what had to be the twentieth time that evening.
4:37 am.
At least she'd gotten a few hours, she thought to herself as she turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. The blackness of night was starting to wane from the sky, and through the window she could see fragments of dawn coming. Deciding that she wasn't going to get back to sleep, she slowly rose from her bed and grabbed her dressing gown, softly padding over to Angela's cot to make sure she was still asleep.
Her daughter had been so excited to spend the afternoon with Patrick and Timothy at Nonnatus that she'd overtired herself and the Turner men had to excuse themselves early that evening, just so that she could get Angela to settle down enough to fall asleep.
She smiled to herself as she thought about their goodbye, their last before the wedding. A wedding that was happening in less than 8 hours. Timothy and Angela were cleaning up the massive pile of toys they'd been entertaining themselves with while Patrick had taken Shelagh's hand and led her into the hallway, just out of sight.
"This time tomorrow, we won't have to say goodbye."
"No. We won't." She whispered back.
"I don't know how to tell you..." He paused, gazing at her.
"What?" She breathed, her heart pounding in her chest, suddenly nervous.
"How impossibly happy you make me. This feeling...my love for you. It's indescribable."
Shelagh thought for a moment on how to respond, but considering she felt the same way, she chose to act instead. Taking her hand out of his, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him gently down to her level and kissed him as deeply as she knew how. Trying to pour all her love into it, she knew he got the message as he responded to her.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He whispered, pulling away half heartedly.
"I'll be the one in the veil." She winked at him as he kissed her once more before they heard the steps of the children coming down the hall.
Quietly opening the door to her room, she slipped out and down the hall to the chapel where she could hear the sisters at Lauds. She hovered in the doorway, letting the psalms wash over her, filling her with peace. Sister Julienne caught her eye and motioned her inside to join them, smiling at her as she took a spot next to Sister Monica Joan, who reached for her hand immediately and didn't let go until prayers had concluded.
"Child, you should be in bed. Today will be quite the long and strenuous day for you. Not that we don't enjoy your voice raising with ours."
Shelagh smiled at her. "I tried, Sister. Couldn't stay asleep."
Sister Monica Joan smiled at her, placing her hand on Shelagh's cheek affectionately. "Your life truly begins today, my dear. May the Lord our God bless you and your family, always."
Shelagh was overcome with emotion at the sister's words. So often her advice and comments were from another realm, but to hear such lucid and heartfelt thoughts from one of her former sisters who had taught her so much, Shelagh couldn't stop her tears.
"Thank you, Sister Monica Joan." Shelagh covered the hand on her cheek with her own, squeezing it in thanks.
"Now...since the young one is not with you, and the other nurses are surely still asleep, let us make our way into the kitchen for a slice of cake to celebrate."
"Sister Monica Joan, I think you'll find there will be more than enough celebration today...and more than enough cake as well." Sister Julienne chimed in, having made her way over to the pair.
"I don't think I can handle anything more than a cup of tea this morning anyway, Sister." Shelagh responded, lowering her voice so that only Sister Monica Joan could hear. "But you can have my slice, it's in the blue tin above the stove." Shelagh had to stifle a laugh as the elderly nun made her way out of the chapel towards the kitchen with more vigor than her toddler daughter.
"Did you get any sleep at all, my dear?" Sister Julienne asked her as they made their way down the hall to the sitting room.
"A bit. Angela was so hyper the only way I could get her to calm down was by having her lie in bed with me, so we slept for a few hours before I put her into her cot. Little thing hasn't budged since. I pity you and Timothy tonight, she's going to be a right ball of energy."
It had been decided that both Turner children would be staying at Nonnatus while Patrick and Shelagh went on honeymoon. Granny Parker had offered, but after a tense discussion between Patrick and Trixie (who absolutely refused to let her goddaughter leave for a week), both of them relented.
"From now on, you're in charge of child care arrangements." Patrick had told her when he drove her home from clinic that afternoon. "Nurse Franklin is terrifying."
Shelagh had laughed at him then. "You're lucky it wasn't Sister Julienne...you might've been in tears."
"I'm sure we will manage just fine." Sister Julienne said as she handed her a cup of tea, her voice as low as a whisper. "What time do you have to start getting ready?"
"About an hour or so, I think. I'm basically just a puppet this morning, Sister. Trixie and Nurse Mount have drawn up a time schedule, from what I understand."
Nodding, the nun tried to suppress her smile. "That would be Nurse Mount, I gather. At least she's capable of keeping Nurse Frankin from going overboard."
No sooner did the words come out of her mouth than the woman in question appeared in the sitting room doorway.
"Shelagh, what on earth are you doing down here? You're supposed to be asleep, you need the full eight hours or you'll have bags under your eyes!"
After ten minutes of both Shelagh and Sister Julienne trying to appease her, Trixie relented and made her way back upstairs to start getting ready for the wedding preparations.
Four hours, two tantrums (neither of which were from Angela or the Bride) and one missing bouquet later and the bridal party was finally waiting in the vestibule of the church.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart. You go with Auntie Trix and make sure you listen to her and Aunt Cynthia, okay?" Shelagh bent down to her daughter's level as best she could in her wedding dress, straightening the flowers Trixie had placed in Angela's hair.
"Okay!" She started to walk towards them then stopped, running back to her mother. "Mummy?"
"Yes, Angel?"
"You look like a princess." Angela smiled at her mother, then ran off to her aunts and made her way down the aisle.
"Ready, my dear Shelagh?" Sister Julienne asked, coming up to her side with her bouquet and Bible.
Shelagh suddenly heard a burst of noise from the church and glanced down the aisle quickly, watching her daughter run towards her father, crashing into his legs unexpectedly. Patrick's laughter filled the church with everyone else's as he knelt down to give her a hug and kiss before she stood next to Trixie as she'd been told.
"Yes, Sister. I'm ready." She smiled at her, watching as the nun lowered her veil, making sure it hung straight.
"May the Lord bless you always, Shelagh." Sister Julienne whispered as she stepped back. Shelagh, barely able to control her tears, smiled back at her and nodded as Julienne made to walk to her seat.
"Walk with me, Sister?" Shelagh asked in a hurry. "You should be giving me away."
Sister Julienne clasped her hands and smiled down at her young charge.
"You belong to no one but yourself, Shelagh. And you know exactly where you're going."
Shelagh glanced at the altar to see Patrick and Timothy with their backs turned and Angela impatiently standing next to Trixie, picking at the beads on her dress.
"Your family is waiting for you, my dear." She leaned in, pressing her cheek to Shelagh's through her veil and made her way to her seat in the front pew just as the music began to play signaling her walk could begin.