ISSABELLE

Catherine was looking very beautiful in her white bridal gown, and white veil. She looked ethereal. Her father Ryan escorted her up the aisle on his right arm. She saw her Mom Issabelle standing near the altar to greet her. Her Mom had tears in her eyes, Cathy noted. But those were tears of happiness. Her father then gave her hand to her groom, Steven. Ryan then joined his wife Issabelle in the first pew. Steven cast a secret look at his bride Catherine standing next to him. He thought to himself that he was so lucky, to have found Cathy and her love.

The priest looked at the beautiful couple standing in front of him, calmly and solemnly he said, "Steven Johnson, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep thee unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

"I will" Steven answered assured and firm.

"Catherine Dickson, wilt thou have this Man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony?" Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

Hardly had the priest finished when Catherine nodded "I will." She was so excited that her voice trembled and a few guests giggled with joy for her.

"Just look at Mom and Dad," Catherine protested affectionately to her husband Steven. They had just got married, and they were being photographed outside the church. Cathy then said, "Anyone would think they were the ones who have just got married and not us.

"Well they have only been married for six weeks," Steven pointed out to her. They both turned around to see Ryan and Issabelle, as they shared a lingering kiss.

"Mmm.... that was a very nice kiss." Ryan murmured appreciatively while nuzzling on the creamy warmth of Issabelle's throat. He then laughed as she gently pushed him away, reminding him, "This is our daughter's wedding day, do I need to remind you?"

"But officially we have not had our own honeymoon," Ryan reminded her in return. They had decided to wait until Catherine was married, and then they had planned a two months tour of Australia.

Ryan wanted Issabelle to see the land that had been his home in the last twenty years that they had been apart. Ryan also had certain ends to tie up, before he took up the post as Senior Chair at the university in England.

Issabelle would have been quite happy for them to be married after Cathy's wedding, as they had after all been living together ever since the day, that they had declared their love for one another. But Ryan had firmly insisted that he wanted the security of knowing that they were married. So they had very quietly, but very lovingly, been remarried in a small ceremony to which they had invited only close family and friends.

Catherine's wedding was altogether a different affair.

Issabelle was amazed when she discovered how much the hotel where Ryan had brought her for their first night together, twenty years back, had altered so much. She remembered it as a very romantic location. Ryan had booked the same hotel for Catherine's reception, as well as also had booked the same suite that they had first spent their night together in, for Cathy and Steven's first night. They had come over to make arrangements. The hotel was much larger now, with conference and leisure facilities, and was indeed an ideal venue for a wedding reception.

As Ryan took hold of her hand, and they went to rejoin the other guests, at the wedding reception, she smiled lovingly up to him. So much had changed since he had brought her here as a nervously excited virgin, and yet so little. Their love, the love which she had thought was probably destroyed forever, had proved so much strong. As she looked across at Catherine, so radiantly happy besides Steven. Issabelle made a small prayer to God, that may Cathy and Steven's, love prove equally strong. She then whispered Amen.

"We feel so afraid for them, isn't it? So afraid and yet at the time so humbled. It makes us remember our day" Annie ( Steven's mother ) whispered those words to Issabelle. "Yes, it does" Issabelle had replied. They had now become friendlier, after Issabelle had met Annie personally before Cathy's marriage, as per Ryan's advice, and had talked things over with her. The resulting conversation had cleared many things between them. It was very true what Ryan had suggested, that Annie was indeed envious and overawed by Issabelle before, because of her achievements, as a single mother. Annie and Issabelle now knew each other much better.

Issabelle smiled to herself. She knew that tonight when they lay in each other's arms in the privacy of their bedroom, she would tell Ryan again how much she loved him, how much she valued this second chance given to them, to share their love. She knew he would also tell her the same thing, both with and without words.

Their daughter Catherine, if she had only known of the intense physical passion that existed between her parents, would definitely be very surprised, but would also be shocked. Issabelle smiled a secret little smile to herself. There were still so many things, that Catherine despite her maturity, was still very young to know. Some things, some pleasures she would, if life was as generous as it had been to her mother, she would be allowed to discover for herself.