Whiskey LullabyBy Katy
The leaves of the willow tree blown by the wind and rain seemed to be singing a sad lullaby. The mourners, few though they were, gathered around to listen to the priest intone the final prayers over the bronze coffin. Brad Rourke barely heard the words, as he surveyed the people present. Two women standing on the far edge of the mourners drew his attention.
The priest finished with the ceremony came over to Brad and offered his condolences. “Son, I know this is a difficult time for you, but please know he is at peace now. A peace he hasn’t known for years,” he told him in his soft consoling voice.
“Thank you Father, the service was beautiful. I’ll be fine,” Brad replied glumly. He knew he’d be fine; his thoughts were on the two women he’d seen during the service. One, he was more concerned about, than the other. Unfortunately, both had disappeared before he’d had a chance to talk to them. Pulling his coat collar up around his neck he walked back to his car and slowly drove away from his father, his thoughts drifting back over the last 6 years.
and when we buried him beneath the willow tree the angels sang a whiskey lullaby
*******************
“Brad, it’s dinnertime, have you seen Ally anywhere?” she asked the tall young man that had just come in the back door.
“Nope, didn’t see her on the street when I drove down it. You want me to go round her up?” he asked.
Mariah McCaulley Rourke sighed and shook her head before answering, “Please! I just don’t know what to do with that child anymore. She does exactly what she wants and doesn’t listen to a word I say.”
“I’ll find her,” Brad replied grinning. He had a pretty good idea where he’d find her. Allison McCaulley was certainly a handful. At 12 she was turning into quite a beauty and unfortunately had the eye of half the young men in town. Brad was 8 years her senior, and only a stepbrother, but he intended to see that none of those boys got further than looking. Summer was just staring and Brad would be home from college for the next three months. That was hopefully long enough to instill some sense in Ally.
Brad walked down the street toward the local park. If he weren’t mistaken, Ally would be holed up with some of her friends in the old workman’s shed there. She thought it was a deep secret but he’d known about it for the past three years she’d been living with them.
“Brad, why are you so bossy? You’re not my father, remember I don’t have one. So, just butt out,” she tossed back at him as she clambered to her feet.
“You should thank your lucky stars I’m not your father, or I’d tan your hide good. Now let’s go, dinner is ready.”
Ally walked along side him glancing at him nervously. “You really wouldn’t would you?” she asked in a quivering tone.
“Spank you? You bet, and if I ever catch you there alone with a boy again, I’ll have you over my knee so fast your head will spin,” he told her, then grinned at the worried look on her face. “You know Ally, you have got to learn to be more careful and grow up. I think it’s time you and I had a long talk about a few things.”
“You aren’t going to tell mom are you?” she pleaded.
“I should, but with all the problems she’s having with dad right now, I won’t. But remember Ally, I meant what I said, it’s time you grew up and stopped acting like a little brat. Your mom needs your help.”
Ally kicked some stones as they walked along and muttered, “I know, but I hate all the stuff that’s happening. Why do two people who say they love each other hurt each other so much?”
“I don’t know, but maybe it will work out for them.” Brad ruffled her hair and wished he could make things work.
They arrived home at the same time as John Rourke pulled his pickup into the drive. He slammed the door shut and barely greeted them before going into the house. Ally shuddered knowing it was going to be another one of those nights, where they fought all evening long. Brad knew it too and put a hand reassuringly on her shoulder before whispering, “After dinner, I’ll take you down to the lake and we can talk, OK?” Ally could feel tears of frustration and unhappiness prick at her eyes, so she just nodded.
John Rourke greeted his wife and tried to kiss her. Mariah smiled at first and then smelled the telltale beer on his breath. Her smile faded and she pulled away from him. “John, you promised me you wouldn’t stop and drink on the way home. Why do you keep doing it?” she asked.
“So now you won’t even kiss me? Can’t you even pretend you love me anymore? I swear Mari I’ll find out who he is and kill him,” John swayed a bit as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out another beer.
“John, I’ve told you... there is no other man. You’ve got to stop this, you’re killing us,” she sobbed with tears in her eyes.
He glared at her and shook his head and left the kitchen. Brad and Ally had heard the entire exchange and waited until John was gone before entering the kitchen. Ally ran over to her mother and hugged her. “I’m sorry mom, I lost track of the time.”
Mariah hugged her daughter and smiled weakly at Brad. “Wash up both of you, dinner’s almost ready.”
Fortunately dinner passed with no arguments and as soon as the dishes were done, Brad kept his promise and took Ally to the lake. He used the time to talk to Ally and explain all about boys and dating. He intended to make sure that by the time he went back to school, she’d be a lot wiser and more prepared for her future.
The next few weeks found the home situation intensifying. John Rourke would have days where he wouldn’t drink, but couldn’t convince himself that his beautiful wife wasn’t having an affair. When his thoughts became out of control, then he’d start drinking.
No matter what Mariah said or did, he couldn’t get past it. He’d heard her on the phone one day…heard her planning on meeting him. When he’d confronted her with it, she’d been furious. “John Rourke, how could you think such a thing? That was an old friend, who happens to be an art agent wanting to look at my paintings…it’s a business meeting, nothing more,” she’d shouted at him.
He tried to believe her, but when he followed her to the meeting and saw the man hug her and kiss her cheek, he’d seen red. The confrontation hadn’t been pleasant, and Mariah didn’t speak to him for days. Now, he just couldn’t believe that she hadn’t been secretly meeting him all the time while he worked.
The summer was over and Brad had to leave for school. He took Ally to the lake for one last time, the night before he left.
“Promise me you’ll write?” he asked her.
“Ok, but I’m going to miss you. It won’t be the same without you here. I don’t think mom can take much more,” Ally sighed and wished she were older so she could be Brad’s girlfriend and not just a little stepsister.
Brad winced at the sadness in her voice. “I know Ally, but you’ll be fine. No matter what, I’ll make sure of it, okay?” he told her and hugged her to him.
A month after he returned to school, the phone call came from his father. “Mariah left me. I came home and she was gone. Just up and left like she never was here. I don’t know how I can live without her, I’ll never forget her, I loved her so much.”
she put him out like the burnin’ end of a midnight cigarette…
Brad tried to help his father, but it was hopeless. John Rourke just isolated himself from everyone. He tried to find Mariah, but it was like she’d vanished without a trace. His heart was breaking and no one could do a thing about it. The only time he seemed to be at ease was when he was so drunk he couldn’t remember who he was. It took ten years but one day Brad received a phone call he’d dreaded for years.
“Brad Rourke? This is Chief Perkins from the Gatesville police department. I hate to give you bad news over the phone, but we found your father dead this morning. Your number was on his bedside table,” he paused, “also a letter. It appears he committed suicide…drank himself to death. I’m sorry,” he said.
he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind. Until the night … he put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger, and finally drank away her memory…
Brad had graduated from college with a degree in architecture and had his own successful business. Making last minute arrangements to be gone for how ever long it took to settle his father’s estate was no problem. His secretary offered her condolences and promised to see to everything. Brad thanked her and hung up.
On the drive to Gatesville he thought again about Mariah and Ally. He’d tried to find them for years himself, not for his dad’s sake, but to make sure Ally was all right. Her memory plagued him. Never could he forget her. As he drove along, he once again wondered how she’d been the last six years. She would be 18 now, and most likely had forgotten all about him. That thought bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
Chief Perkins met him at the house and handed him the letter that his dad had left. Brad hadn’t cried in years, but the note brought tears to his eyes.
I’m sorry, and pray God will forgive me, but I can’t go on any longer. I swore I’d love her till I died, and I did.
Now it was over and Brad was left to settle things. It didn’t take Brad long at all to realize that there was really nothing much to settle. His father had been living off a meager savings account and whatever funds he could make on the odd jobs he managed to hold. It was a sad ending to a life that once held so much promise. The house was cleaned out and the few mementoes Brad wanted were packed and shipped to him. The house was on the market and the local realtor would handle the details. Finally Brad realized that there was no point in staying any longer. It was time to go home and get on with his life. Once again he tried to find Mariah and Ally, but had no more luck than he did the other times.
Brad returned home and resumed his normal routine, but the sight of Ally standing there with Mariah came to him in his dreams from time to time. Thoughts of her haunted his mind.
*************************** Ally started back to school that fall missing Brad more than she ever thought possible. At least when he was home, there was someone to talk to, someone she felt understood how she felt. Now he was gone and letters weren’t the same. Her mom and John were fighting more and more everyday, Ally just didn’t know what was going to happen.
It was a beautiful October day when she came home to find her mother waiting for her with all their clothes packed and loaded in the car. Everything she owned was in a box.
“We’re leaving Ally. I can’t stand anymore, and there is more to life than living like this,” her mother told her in a sad voice.
“But mom, what will we do? What about Brad and his dad?” Ally asked panic in her voice.
Mariah hugged her daughter close. “Brad will be fine, and John will be however he wants to be. The important thing is you and I will have a better life,” her mom had assured her.
They’d driven off and never returned. The first thing Mariah did when they finally settled in a nearby city was to take back her maiden name. Ally kept McCaulley, but Mariah was now Burke. She didn’t want to be found and she doubted that John would remember her maiden name, since she’d been a widow and using McCaulley when he met her.
Ally wanted to write Brad and let him know she was okay, but her mom refused. She’d tried to sneak a letter out, but Mariah found it and destroyed it.
“Ally, you can’t contact him. I know you were close, but he would know where we were and might tell his dad. I can’t take that chance. We are starting over,” she explained patiently.
So over the last six years Ally had not made any attempt to contact Brad, but he never left her thoughts. High school brought dances and dates, but no one that she ever felt more than a passing friendship for. She fondly remembered Brad’s long lake talks and wondered where he was now. The thought that he was out of school and probably married hurt her too much to dwell on it.
Her mother’s art had supported them nicely over the last six years. Her old friend the art agent had helped her get showings at galleries, and she was now a popular local artist. Though she never mentioned it, Ally didn’t think that she’d ever filed for divorce, and certainly never dated anyone.
Ally graduated at the top of her class, and had a full scholarship to the State University. She was so happy and spent the summer getting her clothes and things ready. Her mom assured her, she’d be fine without her, and that she could afford a nice allowance since her tuition and room and board were paid. She’d been at school for one month when the phone call came.
“Ally, I just heard that John Rourke died. I guess he committed suicide, I really think I should go to the funeral… we never divorced, so I’m really still his wife. Would you come with me?” Mariah asked her choking back tears.
“Of course, I’ll come!” Ally quickly responded, thoughts of seeing Brad again uppermost in her mind. She hung up and made the necessary arrangements to be gone for a few days.
When she arrived home she was shocked to find that her mother had been drinking.
“Mom, what’s wrong? I’ve never seen you drink like this?” Ally asked.
“It’s my fault!” she said and handed Ally the obituary from the Gatesville paper. Ally read it and shook her head sadly.
John Rourke, a lifetime resident of Gatesville, passed away yesterday at the age of 55. Sources close to the family say he left a letter saying he could no longer live with the memories. It is said he died of a broken heart.
Services will be on Saturday at St. John’s with interment immediately following in Gatesville Memorial Cemetery.
“Mom, this doesn’t make it your fault. You always said he made the choice he did. Now let’s get you to bed for a rest,” Ally said and helped her mother to bed.
That was the start. By the time they’d gotten to the cemetery, she was in no condition to talk to anyone. Ally saw Brad and thought for a moment that he’d seen her, but she couldn’t wait to talk to him. Her mother was in need of her, and she quickly got her into the car and drove back home.
The drinking never stopped, though Mariah tried hard to hide it from Ally and all her friends. Apparently the guilt was eating away at her; something Ally just couldn’t understand. Her art was left unfinished most of the time, and the galleries finally gave up on her, and stopped scheduling showings. Ally got a job to support herself through the rest of college.
When she graduated with her degree in accounting, she quickly found a job close to home, so she could care for her mother as best as she could. Most days Mariah sat in a chair staring at a picture of her and John on their wedding day.
The rumors flew but nobody knew, how much she blamed herself. For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath…
Ally tried everything she could think of to help her, but nothing seemed to penetrate her pain. It seemed the only time that she wasn’t hurting was when she was drunk. Sadly Ally gave up and went on with her life.
She finally drank her pain away a little at a time, but she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind…
Ally was quickly rising in the firm and had been assigned to a new account. It was a shock when she saw the name of the firm, located right in the same city they lived in.
BRADLEY J. ROURKE & ASSOCIATES, ARCHITECTS
For one minute she considered asking to be reassigned, but then bravely picked up the phone and called to make an appointment for a pre-audit meeting. She told the secretary why she was calling and an appointment was set for the next day. Ally barely slept that night, wondering how the meeting would go. Would he still be friendly after all these years, and after what her mom did? Finally she gave up on sleep and got up and dressed for work.
************************
Brad’s heart almost stopped then beat wildly when his secretary gave him the list of appointments for the next day. He’d hired a new accounting firm and was expecting an appointment with the accountant appointed for him, but it was the name that shocked him…Allison McCaulley.
“Angela,” he called to his secretary, “Are you sure you got the right name, for this appointment tomorrow?”
“Yes, quite sure, she spelled it for me. Why is there a problem?” she inquired.
“No, just a blast from the past. It may be just a coincidence,” he replied and sat thinking. Finally he picked up the phone and called the senior partner at the firm whom he made the arrangements with.
“Hi George, Brad Rourke here. I’m fine, but out of curiosity, would you tell me something about this Allison McCaulley who I’m seeing tomorrow?” he asked and waited while George Mason filled him in.
He thanked him and hung up with a smile. It had to be Ally. She was a recent college grad, so the age would be right. She lived alone with her mother and was one of their best new recruits. They had great plans for her. Ally must know that they’d be meeting tomorrow. Brad left for the day smiling. Tomorrow was going to be great.
********************
Ally was humming as she walked into the living room, only to swallow her breath at the sight that greeted her.
Mariah was laying on the couch… an empty bourbon bottle on the floor where it’d fallen. The old picture firmly grasped in her other hand. Ally instantly knew she was dead.
…she put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger and finally drank away his memory...
The paramedics confirmed what Ally already knew. The police came and took their reports, but there was nothing to be done. In shock, Ally called work and reported what happened. George Mason assured her he would handle her schedule. She would have whatever time she needed
Brad couldn’t believe it when George called him. “George, I know this is highly irregular, but I need her home address. It’s a long story, but her mother and my father were married. I haven’t talked to her for 10 years, but I’ve got to see her,” Brad pleaded.
Reluctantly George gave him the information. Brad told Angela to cancel all appointments and left. He couldn’t believe all these years she’d lived across town from him.
Ally was in shock and didn’t quite know what to do. Neighbors had come when they saw the emergency vehicles and offered help and support. She’d thanked them, but finally sent them all away. Now she was left with the task of trying to make arrangements, but she didn’t have a clue how to. The phone book lay open in front of her, tears dripping on the listings for funeral homes, when the doorbell rang.
Muttering to herself, she got up and without looking pulled open the door. Her eyes flew open in disbelief.
“Brad…Brad Rourke? Is that you?” she asked in shock.
“Oh Ally, George called me. I’m so sorry,” Brad told her as he pulled her into his arms.
Ally collapsed against him, finally able to cry the tears she’d been holding in all morning. When she was calm and they were seated at the table, she told him what had been going on the last four years.
“I just didn’t know what to do anymore. I guess it was only a matter of time, until it came to this, but now I don’t know what to do, where to start,” she sobbed.
“I’ll help you. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it.” Brad fixed her a cup of tea and together they talked about the missing years.
It was decided that it would only be fitting to bury them next to each other. Though in life they hadn’t found it possible to be together… it seemed they belonged together after all.
The leaves of the willow tree blown by the wind and rain seemed to be singing a sad lullaby. Brad drew Ally closer to him and barely listened to the service. There were even fewer mourners this time than four years ago. The priest said his condolences and they were left alone. This time Brad wasn’t going to let her get away.
We laid her next to him beneath the willow, while the angels sang a whiskey lullaby.
***************
The week after the funeral Brad helped Ally settle her mother’s estate. They were as close again as they had been ten years ago, with the difference that she was no longer a child, they were both mature adults. The attraction between them grew the more time they spent together.
The last box had just been picked up and they were sitting enjoying a glass of iced tea. Ally had grown very quiet and Brad could see the sadness haunting her in her eyes.
“Tonight, we’re going out for a nice dinner. I’m going home to change, but I’ll pick you up at 7:00. Now, I think you need to take a nap so you wont be tired,” Brad told her and stood to leave.
“Oh Brad, I don’t know. I just don’t feel in the mood to go somewhere. Can’t we just fix something here?” she asked.
Brad frowned at her. “No. It’s time to get on with our lives Ally. We’ve finished here and tonight we’re going out. Then we can discuss the future. Be ready.” Brad hugged her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Nap now,” he said as he left.
Ally sat at the table for a minute then sighed and walked into her bedroom. She really hadn’t slept well since the morning she found her mother. Maybe an evening out would help lift some of the gloom.
She stripped her clothes off and pulled back the covers and got in bed. Her mind was still on the past few weeks. Brad was certainly a godsend, and she found she depended on him more and more. The old feelings from 10 years ago hadn’t dimmed, if anything they had grown into something far bigger than a crush, now that they were both adults. Thoughts of Brad were the last thing she remembered until the ringing of the phone woke her.
Disoriented she sat up and grabbed the phone. Quickly looking at the clock she was surprised to see it was already 6:00 and she’d been asleep for three hours. It was a wrong number, but fortunately it had woken her or she might have still been asleep when Brad got there.
Hurriedly she got up and took a shower and dressed in the one nice black evening dress she owned. There were very few times she had an occasion to dress up, but when she got her job, she’d splurged.
Ally wasn’t quite ready when the doorbell rang at 7:00 p.m. sharp. She’d forgotten Brad’s penchant for promptness.
“Hi, I’m not quite ready, come on in, I’ll only be a minute. Don’t get your shorts in a wad,” Ally told him and headed back to the bathroom to finish her hair. “I thought I said be ready at 7:00 young lady,” Brad said and grabbed her wrist pulling her close to him.
“Oh, I’m almost ready,” Ally laughed and pulled out of his arms and ran to the bathroom.
Brad laughed and called to her, “Next time, you may just find yourself over my knee for that attitude.”
Ally was nervous as they left the house. This felt so much like a date. She hadn’t been on a real date in a year, and to be with Brad was heavenly. After all the turmoil, she really was ready to relax a bit.
They had a wonderful time and talked about good times, stories from college days and friends. By the time dessert was served, Brad knew he was in love. The realization hit like a ton of bricks. All those years he’d thought about her, but never realized it was an attraction that began years ago.
Ally was sipping her cappuccino, and talking about some memory from college, when Brad reached across the table and took her hand. Mid sentence she stopped talking. The instant he squeezed her hand she felt like she’d put her hand in a socket. Words failed her; she couldn’t speak.
“Ally, I want to start seeing you…dating,” Brad told her in a soft voice.
“I’d like that,” Ally managed to stutter. Her heart was beating out of control. This was what she’d dreamed of all those years ago.
When they got back to Ally’s house, Brad pulled her close to him. Gently he placed his lips on her and kissed her. Ally couldn’t believe the feelings coursing through her. She leaned into him and he deepened the kiss. By the time the kiss ended her knees were weak.
“It’s late and I better go. Tomorrow I’ll come by early and we can decide how we want to spend the day,” Brad whispered into her ear before he kissed her once more, then left.
********************
The next month found them spending all of their free time together. Brad was deeply in love for the first time in his life. He felt Ally was too, but they hadn’t really discussed it. They had reservations for dinner that night and he intended to bring up the subject of a future together. On his part he didn’t think he could live without her in his life.
Ally smiled broadly
and flung her arms around him when he picked her up that night. Brad
kissed her passionately and then held her at arm's length. “If you keep that up, we won’t be going out at all!” he said his voice husky with passion.
Ally blushed and kissed him once more before pulling out of his arms. “I’m hungry, so we better go.”
The restaurant was small and dark. Candles were lit on each table and soft music played in the background. It was the most romantic setting Brad could think of to talk about their future. They were seated next to each other in a secluded leather booth and Brad had his arm around Ally’s shoulders.
Ally relaxed into his embrace. “You said you had something you wanted to talk about,” she said.
“Ally, I know we only have really been dating for a little over a month, but I’m in love with you. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?” he asked her.
The breath left her lungs and it was a moment before she could reply. She knew she loved him, probably always had, but this took her by surprise. The thought of marriage hadn’t crossed her mind.
“Brad, I love you too, but this is a surprise,” she stammered.
“I know I’ve probably shocked you, but I mean it Ally. I want you to be my wife.”
After a moment’s hesitation she replied, “Yes Brad, I’ll marry you!” Tears of joy were falling on her cheeks.
Brad kissed her more passionately than he ever had and slipped the ring he’d already purchased on her finger.
*********************
Plans were made to sell Ally’s house. She would move in with Brad as soon as they were married. As hard as it was for Brad, he respected her wish not to sleep together until they were married.
Everything was set for the wedding to take place in their old town. The priest who had buried both parents would officiate. Since they neither one had family, it would only be close friends at the ceremony.
There were still some things of her mothers in a box in the attic, which Ally had carted down to the kitchen table. One was an old diary that Mariah had kept when she was first dating John Rourke.
Tongue in cheek, Ally opened it and began to read. Suddenly she paled and began to shake. It had never occurred to her that her mother had been so in love with him, just as Ally was now with his son.
She closed the book and sat staring into space trembling. Her thoughts were wild and scaring her.
What if the same thing that happened to them, happens to Brad and I? If they were so in love, and it ended so badly, it could happen to us.
Ally knew she couldn’t stand that. In a panic she took off the ring and left it on the table. Quickly she penned a note to Brad and grabbed her keys and ran out the door. She had no idea where she was going, just knew she had to get away for a while.
******************
Brad let himself into the house and called, “Ally, where are you?”
When there was no answer he went into the kitchen looking for her. He saw the ring and the note and his heart dropped. Snatching up the note he read:
Brad,
I read my mother’s diary and I can’t take the chance that what happened to her and John could happen to us. I love you too much to have that happen. I’m sorry.
Love
Ally
The color drained from Brad’s face only to be replaced by anger. He had to find her, and when he did, this nonsense was going to stop. After a few moments of thought, he felt he knew where she might be.
Saying a prayer, he started out looking for her. Just as he thought, he found her at the cemetery by their parents’ graves. He observed her quietly for a moment then strode over and pulled her around to face him.
Ally gasped and started to say something, but his lips on hers stifled all words. When he finally released her, he said nothing but pulled her to his car. Ally had never seen him like this before.
Once in the car she started to speak, but he leveled her with a glare and said, “Not a word Allison McCaulley. I plan on doing the talking first,” he growled.
Brad drove to the nearest motel and got out of the car. “Don’t move!” he called back at her.
When he returned with the key, he drove to the room, and pulled her out of the car.
“Brad, please….” Ally stammered.
“I told you no talking!” Brad said and pulled her into the room behind him. When he’d shut and locked the door he glared at her.
“I don’t know what got into you, but you young lady, are going to learn to talk first before acting irrationally.”
Brad sat on the bed and pulled her to stand between his legs. Before Ally could protest he had her jeans unbuttoned and around her ankles, quickly followed by her panties. She didn’t have time to protest before she was over his knee.
“Now, I’m talking and you best listen to me,” Brad said sternly and raised his hand and brought it down on her bared bottom.
“Ouch, Brad…STOP,” Ally screeched, but his hand kept falling all over her bottom and tops of her thighs.
There was no talking only the sound of his hand falling and her cries and pleas to get him to stop. Finally when she was sobbing and not protesting, he stopped and pulled her up and held her.
He rubbed her back and whispered, “Shush, it’s over now… shush.” He placed soft kisses on her head and wiped away the tears. Finally she quieted and he lifted her chin.
“Are you ready to listen to me?” he said.
“Why did you spank me?” she cried.
“Because you ran away from me. You aren’t ever to do that again Ally, never,” he replied. “If you pull another stunt like this, you’ll find yourself right back over my knee.”
“I was scared. What if the same thing happens to us?” she whimpered.
Brad hugged her tight and rocked her. “I promise you Ally, it won’t. We aren’t our parents, we are different. I’ll never let that happen, and neither will you,” Brad promised and slipped her ring back on her finger.
**********************
The sun shone brightly and the leaves of the willow swaying gently in the soft breeze, seemed to be singing a lullaby. The small crowd was smiling as the priest pronounced Bradley Rourke and Allison McCaulley husband and wife. He was surprised that the couple had requested the old version of the wedding vows, but was pleased.
Brad kissed Ally and they turned smiling to the crowd. They both shone with love. It would be a long happy marriage.
…and when he married them beneath the willow, the angels sang a loving lullaby.
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