CHAPTER 17: THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL

Cullan takes Alynna back to the US and marries her again; this time for real. Everything is perfect until Alynna collapses in front of the altar.

Chapter 17: The Greatest Gift of All

 

“I remember bambina, your husband fetched me from Rome to attend your first wedding months ago. He came to Via Ardeatina and asked for our blessings, and then pleaded for me to come with him. He said he knew you will be sad if no one from your family is with you on your special day. He would have taken your uncle and Sister Marian too, but your uncle was sick then and no one will see to his needs.” Sister Theresa said. Sister Marian wept in happiness. Alynna smiled.

“Some of my family members were there.” Alynna said. Sister Theresa snorted.

“It seems then that your husband knew from the start that they are not your real family. If not, he wouldn’t have bothered to invite us.” The nun answered. Sister Marian nodded. Both nuns still have not moved on from what the Halls did to their precious bambina.

“You are very lucky to have such a caring and loving husband, Miss Alynna.” Lyn said, brushing off imaginary dust from the trail of Alynna’s dress. Alynna laughed.

“Lyn, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me ‘miss’?”

After spending weeks with Alynna’s family in Rome, Cullan brought her back to the US. Cullan surprised his wife when Alynna discovered that he employed Lyn as her personal assistant. Lyn cried when she saw Alynna, and the two women hugged each other for long minutes. Alynna could not thank her thoughtful husband enough.

They also prepared for their second wedding. Cullan wanted to marry her again, and it was also what Alynna wanted, for at last, she will marry out of love. Cullan hired the best wedding coordinators and had Givenchy and Ralph Lauren team up to make his wife’s wedding dress. It was so unusual to have two prestigious designers to team up, and it made news all over the world. Alynna became the envy of women; Cullan helped her handle the attention.

Cullan arranged all the necessary documents for Father Fabian, Sister Theresa and Sister Marian’s visit to the US. He had them fetched by his private jet, especially since Father Fabian had only had a few months since he won against cancer. He was still a little frail, so Cullan made sure that his travel is as comfortable as possible.

They invited many executives and few celebrities, though the Hall family, except for Rhys, confirmed that they will not be going. Cullan did not want to have Marcus, Isidore, and Bella at their wedding, but out of courtesy and Alynna’s insistence to at least try to reach out to them, Cullan sent them an invitation. Rhys immediately called Alynna to confirm that he would come, and then told her that the rest of the Halls have ‘something to attend to’.

“God gave you the best man to look after you, dear child.” Sister Marian said, cupping Alynna’s cheeks. Alynna agreed.

“Since I was young, I believed that my only destiny is to be a bride of the church. God brought him to me for me to see that I am not destined to be a nun after all.”

“Yes, because you are destined to be the bride of the hottest man a woman can ask for.” Lyn interjected. The nuns threw her scandalous looks, but they all laughed afterwards.

“Even if I haven’t been a nun, I can still help the needy. Cullan will be opening the Rothschild Foundation after our honeymoon, so I can still fulfill my calling of helping other people. He said that he will leave all the managing to me, so I won’t be bored when he’s at work.” Alynna said with a smile.

The makeup artists came in to retouch her makeup, and after a few minutes, the nuns and Lyn accompanied her to her bridal car. Alynna waved as they drove away. Secretary Wood drove another car, stopped in front of the three women, and brought them to the church.

*

 

Cullan did not expect that he will be this nervous.

On their first wedding, Cullan felt pride for he had a very beautiful bride, but now, he was experiencing a storm of emotions. He was happy, excited, nervous, and proud all at the same time. He stared at the church door, wondering: what if she does not come?

The church choir began to sing and Cullan looked outside to see Alynna getting out of the bridal car. Everyone turned their heads as the bride stood in the aisle, holding a mixed bouquet of Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers and Middlemist Red. Everyone gasped in awe at Alynna’s Lauren-Givenchy wedding dress and her outrageously expensive bouquet. Cullan specifically told the wedding coordinators to get the rarest flowers for his wife’s bouquet, and they all kept it a secret from Alynna that her wedding bouquet costs almost $500,000.

Cullan watched, with pride in his eyes, as his lovely wife walked slowly down the aisle. The soft music from the violinists created a very romantic atmosphere. Cullan’s mother, Sister Theresa, Sister Marian, and all the other women cried, touched by the romance filling the air. Alynna was teary-eyed herself. Looking at the man she loves with all her heart as she walked closer and closer to him is an experience she will never forget.

“You better take good care of my sister, Rothschild.” Rhys whispered as he stood as Best Man. He knew that his sister is in good hands; just the way Cullan looks at her proves that she chose the right man to spend the rest of her life with, though Rhys felt he needed to reiterate that to his brother-in-law.

“Of course.” Cullan replied.

Father Fabian celebrated the Mass and read the vows. He stopped in the middle of plenty of his lines, choking back his tears. He will be entrusting his precious niece, whom he loved like a true daughter, to the man who proved that he will go to ends of the earth to be with her. Father Fabian smiled. Alynna will be very happy with the man.

“Do you, Alynna, take Cullan to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Father Fabian asked his niece.

“Yes, Father. I do.”

“Do you, Cullan, take Alynna to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

“I do.”

The nuns sobbed.

“You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in His goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with His blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen.”

“You may now kiss the bride.”

Cullan turned Alynna’s veil up and kissed her tenderly, holding her close to him. Alynna responded to his kiss until everyone clapped and cheered. Sisters Theresa and Marian clapped their hands while crying, while Father Fabian took out his handkerchief to wipe his teary eyes. Rhys cheered, proud of his wonderful sister.

Cullan and Alynna ended their long kiss, and then faced all the witnesses to their marriage. The official photographers were snapping pictures, and everything was going well until…

“Alynna!” Cullan said in a loud voice as he supported Alynna. Alynna fell unconscious, with him catching her fast. Cullan shook his wife’s shoulders, trying to wake her up, but she did not. The people burst into panic, wanting to know what had just happened.

“Oh my God!”

“What happened to her?”

“She fainted!”

“Get a car ready outside, quick!” Rhys screamed. Secretary Wood ran outside to fetch Cullan’s car.

Father Fabian, Sisters Theresa and Marian, Lyn, and Rhys followed Cullan as he lifted Alynna in his arms and carried her out of the church. Cullan’s mother calmed their visitors and led them to the reception, assuring them that everything will be alright. They all watched as Cullan carefully laid Alynna inside the car, and then drove to the hospital with Secretary Wood. Rhys got his car and brought Alynna’s family and Lyn to the hospital.

“Goddamn it, what just happened to her?!” Cullan swore, looking at Alynna’s face. Secretary Wood remained calm and assured his boss that they will know what is wrong when they reached the hospital.

“Damn!” Cullan said angrily as they sped down the highway.

*

 

Alynna slowly opened her eyes and saw Cullan in his wedding suit, sitting in a stool beside her bed.

“Sweetheart, how do you feel?” Cullan asked in a low voice. Alynna held her head.

“I am fine, Cullan. I am just…a little dizzy. What happened?”

“You fainted just after the wedding ceremony, but everything’s fine, you are okay. You just have to rest for a while.” Cullan said, touching her face. Alynna’s expression turned to worry.

“How about our guests? They must be-”

“Mom took care of everything, sweetheart. Calm down. They proceeded to the reception and as soon as we heard from your doctor, Mom told them the good news.”

“Good news? What good news?” Alynna asked, a frown in her face. Cullan sat on the side of her bed and kissed her lightly.

“Would you like a baby boy, or a baby girl? I honestly wish it’s a boy.” Cullan whispered happily. Alynna was having difficulty catching up until she realized what her husband meant.

“I’m…I’m pregnant?!”

“Yes sweetheart. You’re a month pregnant. It seems that we made an angel when I came for you in Palermo.”

Alynna was speechless. She is carrying a life in her womb, and in eight months, she will be a mother to her child.

Alynna cried in happiness. Her love is one thing she could give to Cullan, but a child will be her greatest gift. She smiled while tears kept flowing down from her eyes.

“I want to see her soon.” Alynna said, laughter in her voice. Cullan kissed her forehead lovingly.

“Who’s ‘her’?”

“Our baby, Cullan.”

“Now sweetheart, our baby will be a boy.”

“A girl.”

“A boy.”

“Opt for twins then.” A voice from the door said. Cullan and Alynna looked up to see Rhys taking a seat on a sofa.

“Congratulations, sister. Honeymoon went before the wedding, huh?” Rhys said jokingly. Alynna blushed while Cullan laughed.

“We’re married before the honeymoon, Rhys.” Cullan answered. Rhys pretended to be surprised by his mistake.

“Oh darn, I forgot. My bad.”

Father Fabian, Sister Theresa, Sister Marian and Lyn went inside and the cold hospital room was filled with warmth from love and family devotion. The nuns prayed for Alynna’s safe pregnancy, while Cullan and Rhys sat on the sofa, watching Alynna share her happiness to her family. She received many blessings from them, and her smile tells everyone how happy and contented she is in her life. Cullan knew that his wife still wishes to make amends with the Hall family, especially to her father, and although Cullan never wanted to see their faces again, his kind wife with a pure heart prays to God every night that someday, everything between them will be all right. It may take a long time, but Alynna never loses hope.

“I don’t know what might have happened if you didn’t help her.” Cullan said in a whisper, looking at his wife. Rhys heard him.

“I should be the one saying that.”

“Still, I thank you for taking care of Alynna against your parents.”

“No prob. She’s my sister after all.”

Cullan and Rhys fell silent, both consumed in their own thoughts. They might have had a rough start, but they care for the same woman and maybe, they are just too prideful to admit, but they are becoming more like brothers as time passes by.

“Would you mind if I give my nephew a ride when he’s old enough? I mean, a few years old.” Rhys said, looking at Cullan. Alynna’s laughter filled the air.

“Your sister said it will be a niece.”

“Oh. I wish for a nephew.” Rhys answered. Cullan smiled.

“We’ll see to that, though I want a son too.”

The two men laughed at their newborn unity.

Author's Note

Thank you for reviewing Marrying A Wannabe Nun! All reviews, feedback, and suggestions are welcome, although I am requesting that your review be published after finishing my book. Marrying A Wannabe Nun is on Goodreads too, if you want to drop by and post your review.