COMPLETED Nellie Lovett (The Virgin Widow of Fleet Street) #Wattys2016 Sweenett

With You I'm Born Again

Chapter XXV

The sound of the grand piano accompanied by the chirping birds that fly freely inside the church still couldn't defeat the hard beats coming from Benjamin's heart as he stared at Elle slowly walking down the aisle.

Dressed in a very elegant lace sleeves white gown, with delicate designs of crystal stones and silver sequence on the chest down to her waist and more on the lower half of its balloon skirt, Elle looked so stunning, her face glistened as sunshine touched her porcelain-white skin. The thin veil couldn't conceal the beauty underneath it. She barely had make up on but he can swear she's the most beautiful woman on Earth. The long curled up lashes on her heavily lidded eyes, her aquiline nose, and classic devil-red lips, made her look so angelic. Her high cheekbones and well-defined jawline made her look like so aristocratic. Then her long and wild red hair was braided in classic french style on the very front of her head with crystal stones on every knot; the rest is neatly bunned at the back with delicate details making it look like a flower from behind;and a few strands left untouched beside her ears made her look so much like a goddess. Elle is the woman every man would ask for and every woman would wish to be. Even her slight baby bump didn't lessen the beauty she has, it even made her more alluring. No one can say she is already past her fourth month pregnancy by almost a week because of how fabulous she carries herself.

Finally, she reached him and smiled as she accepted his hand and together, they walked to the altar where the priest blessing their marriage is waiting and smiling at both of them.

The ceremony didn't take long until their exchange of vows. He held her soft hand with his big ones.

"I, Benjamin Barker, take you, Eleonor Asquith to be my wife. I promise to breath each day for you and love you with all of me in good times and in bad. In sickness and in health, I will stay beside you to give you comfort and warmth. From this day forward, I will be the roof sheltering you, the blanket keeping you safe and the wine giving you quench for thirst. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." Sweeney slipped the gold ring on Elle's ring finger.

"I, Eleonor Asquith, take you, Benjamin Barker to be my husband. I promise to keep you from pain and harm. I will be the light shining on you during the darkest of times we will face, I will be the arms embracing you and keeping you warm. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad. In sickness and in health, I will be beside you, giving you my all... I will honor you and be the best housewife that will give you and our children home, where no one is left behind or forgotten. This vow, I will keep in all the days of my life." Elle slipped the ring on his ring finger.

"You may now seal your vows with the sacred kiss." The priest raised his hands to them and smiled.

"I love you Elle... I love you with all of me." Sweeney said softly as he raised the veil in front of her face and moved his face closer to be covered by its thin see-through fabric. Then he gently touched her cheeks and held her jaws before he sealed her lips with his.

Nellie's tears fell, she's married to him now. Officially, she is now his Mrs. Barker.

Something she has always been praying for since she was a little girl was to find someone like Ben, a responsible and loving Padre de Familia for a husband, and not only had she found someone like him, but actually ended in an almost fairy-tale with him. The kiss was very gentle, he immediately wiped her tears and kissed her forehead when he let go of her lips.

"Are you sure, you won't stay here with us?" Asked Elle as Anthony and Joanna bid them goodbye. They were the last guests to bid them farewell, all of her French and Spanish relatives as well as Mrs. Park, and Mrs. Perez with their families went home already after the feast.
"We really wish we could, err, mum?" Johanna smiled at her.
"But Toby here and I still have a lot of catching up to do." Elle looked at Toby who was more excited to leave their beach house to come with the young couple for a vacation in Paris. She touched his head, she will surely miss her son, as well as Johanna who is now a daughter to her too. She looked at Ben and caught him winking at Anthony before he nodded.