Taking her by the hand, Bo led Carly to the upper
deck. After the ceremony, they had to pose for several photos, share their
first dance as a married couple, cut the cake and listened to speeches from
Roman, Shawn Douglas, Melanie and then Caroline. After more dancing, Bo wanted
to be alone with his bride.
Drawing Carly into his arms, they moved in time to the
music, eyes on each other. ‘Have I told you how much I love you?’ Bo asked
softly.
Carly smiled at him. ‘Not nearly enough, no.’
‘My mistake. I love you, Mrs. Brady. Very much.’
‘Mrs. Brady,
how wonderful that sounds.’ Her fingers linked behind his neck, looking up at
him intently. ‘And you’re the most wonderful man in the world, you’ve always
been.’
Bo’s arms tightened round her waist, touched by the
heartfelt words and the love in her eyes. ‘And?’
‘And kind, caring, utterly selfless and you’re the
love of my life.’
‘And?’
Carly saw the teasing glint in his eyes and laughed.
‘I’m not going to give you a swell head, Bo Brady!’
Chuckling Bo kissed her again, possessively and Carly returned
it, clinging to him. ‘I love you,’ she whispered after it ended. ‘And I’m so happy.
Finally marrying you, finally going to share my life with you in the truest
sense. Definitely not what I imagined when I came back.’
‘Things turned out differently and in a good way.’ Bo
replied. ‘The night I was at The Java
feeling sorry for myself, there you were. Even then I thought about how you
happened to be there, at that time.’
‘Just like the time you happened to be at the café in
Alamainia, and saving me from Lawrence even though I was a complete stranger.
And then seeing you again in Salem, in the middle of your grief.’
‘Yeah,’ Bo’s
expression was rueful as he vividly remembered the encounter on his pier. ‘I went
away angry but you were already on my mind. And I was scared of falling in love
with you and almost threw away happiness. That day you flat lined and Dr.
Horton pronounced you dead, I rode off to Green Oakes. I was so angry and
heartbroken… and felt so cheated, thinking about the fight we had before you
got called to the hospital.’
‘It was my fault,’ Carly said tearfully. ‘I had no
right to accuse you of resenting Nicky.’
‘No… no… it wasn’t your fault; don’t say that.’ Bo
placated her. ‘It wasn’t. You just wanted make up for the lost years, you
couldn’t know Lawrence was egging Nicky on like that, using him against us. If
there’s anyone to blame, it’s Lawrence. And he’s dead; he can’t hurt you or
come between us ever again.’
‘I know.’ Carly nodded again.
‘Fate’s a whole lot kinder to us this time. We’re
together, for good. Don’t you ever
believe otherwise.’
‘I won’t, ever again.’ Carly promised. ‘Bo, can you do
something for me?’
‘Of course, princess. What is it?’
‘Say the Mayan prayer to me, please. The second part.’
Stroking Carly’s cheek, Bo recited softly:
‘‘I know now that the voice of man can reach to the
sky
I know now that the gods have heard as I prayed
I know now that the gifts I asked for have all been
granted
I know now that the word of old we truly have heard
I know now that our future days will have no number
I know that only good will come, my love, to us.’’
The last word faded off as his lips met hers again.
As soon as The
Blue Pearl docked, they exchanged heartfelt hugs with their family and
friends, thanking them all for celebrating such a special day with them. Marcus
was the last to hug Carly, once again congratulating her.
Before they
walked down the gangplank, Carly tossed the bouquet and they hurried down hand
in hand to the waiting limousine in a hail of rice and rose petals, everyone
waving at them frantically.
In the car, Carly brought something out of her white
purse; Bo’s jade ring from their symbolic Mayan wedding. After staring at it,
unable to speak, Bo gave it to Carly and held out his right hand. Carly slid it
onto his third finger.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The bedroom was dark except for the flickering flames
of the candles. After their impassioned lovemaking, Bo and Carly lay against
each other under the sheets; swimming in blissful afterglow.
‘Are you asleep, princess?’ Bo whispered after several
minutes of silence.
‘No… just resting my eyes.’ Carly murmured, rubbing
his chest.
Bo kissed the top of her head, his hand moving down
her naked back. ‘It’s like we’re back at the hut.’
‘Our hut,’ Carly smiled in the dark, eyes still
closed. ‘I always remember our hut and that night; the happy feeling it was
just the two of us in our own special world. Corazon Del Cielo.’
‘“The heart of heaven.”” Bo translated, also smiling
at the memory. ‘It sure felt like it, after everything we went through because
of Victor. I could finally call you mine and make you mine.’
‘That’s where we are right now; in the heart of
heaven.’ Carly replied, still rubbing his chest.
‘And it’s always going to stay like this, princess;
for the rest of our lives.’
Nicholas had surprised Bo and Carly with first class
tickets to Cancun and said he booked a bungalow at a marvelous hotel there-
all-expense paid- insisting it was his wedding gift to them. Knowing how much
his stepson wanted to atone for the past, Bo had joined Carly in thanking him
sincerely. They were going to set off for Cancun in the morning. Carly especially,
couldn’t wait to see their beloved Chichén Itza again after so many years.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Two years
later
‘Caitlin Alice Melissa Horton, I baptize you in the
name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.’
Bo and Carly watched as Father Matt made the sign of
the cross over the forehead of their granddaughter before handing her over to
her godmothers, Maggie and Chelsea; Caitlin’s godfathers were Max and Brady.
Carly held her granddaughter at the end of the ceremony,
smiling down at the rosy cheeked, green eyed baby. ‘She’s so beautiful, just
like her mummy.’ She said.
Melanie grinned. ‘I got that from you, Mum.’
‘Maybe the next
one will look like me,’ Nathan suggested.
Melanie gave him a playful swat on the arm while Bo
watched Carly as she held their first grandchild; smiling at the happy expression
on her face. Two years of marriage and they were still as close as two people
deeply in love could be and more than happy. Fate was definitely been kinder to
them this time around, the shadows of the past firmly behind them.
‘Here, let me hold her,’ Caroline said and Carly placed
the baby into her arms. ‘Oh… aren’t you a precious little thing!’ she murmured,
everyone exclaiming over the child. Justin was present with Adrienne, having
long made up with her and finally got Bo and Carly to forgive him. Victor was another
story however. He was yet to warm towards Carly and Melanie, Melanie especially;
still unable to forget his son had a romantic relationship with a girl who
turned out later to be his granddaughter. Melanie and her parents could care less
about him or his opinions hence didn’t bother inviting him to Caitlin’s
baptism. Besides, there was another reason to celebrate that day and his
presence would only ruin things for everybody.
At Bo and Carly’s house, the guests sang “Happy
Birthday” to Carly; Melanie setting down a large cake with lit candles in front
of her.
‘Make a wish, make a wish!’ Ciara urged, clapping her
hands.
‘Yeah, go on Carly!’ Shawn Douglas added.
Smiling, Carly blew the candles amidst a round of applause.
Later that night, when they were alone, Carly told Bo what she wished for. ‘Many
more years with you and our family.’
‘I certainly second that, princess. Which reminds me,’
he took out a small box from the nightstand and gave it to Carly. ‘Happy
birthday, with all my love.’
‘Oh Bo…’ Carly’s eyes filled with tears as she pulled
out the white-gold chain. Dangling from it was a star shaped diamond pendant,
as beautiful as the first one he gave her so long ago. ‘The North Star, which
guides the weary traveller home.’ she sniffled, hugging Bo. ‘I love it and I
love you.’
‘I love you too, princess.’ Bo’s kiss was that of heartfelt
tenderness. Taking it from her, he clasped it round her neck, the pendant
glittering in the light.
‘You aren’t still sad we never had another child, are
you?’ he asked, as they lay on the bed; arms round each other. Nursing a faint
hope she might be able to conceive again, Carly had consulted one of the
doctors at the hospital. But after going through some tests, she was gently
told it just wasn’t possible.
‘No. I feel a bit down sometimes when I think about it
but then I remember what I already have; our Melanie and Shawn D, Ciara and
even Chelsea. And now we have a granddaughter. So no… I’m not sad at all. I’m
happy with what I have. Especially you, sailor.’
‘I’m really glad to hear that, I don’t ever want to
see you unhappy.’
‘I’m more
than happy,’ she whispered, staring at the hazel eyes looking back at her.
‘Remember what I told you on the first day of our
honeymoon?’
‘I remember,’ she stroked his cheek. ‘“Once Fallen, Now Blessed.”’’
‘So we are princess; now and forever.’
THE END
