Unspoken

Chapter 16-Epilogue

The first time Brady called Marlena 'Mama', she had wept with happiness. She swept him around in a circle, exclaiming how much she loved her little man. The day she gave birth to her and John's daughter, and they had decided to name the baby Isabella, Marlena had wept with tears of joy, and sadness. Now, as she walked ten-year old Brady up a small knoll in Italy, she wept. Tears of sadness, joy, and gratefulness for her life. Her life with John, and her life with their children. Carrie was married, and living in Seattle. Eric and Sami would be off to college soon. Eric was interested in theology, while Sami wanted to be the boss of the world. Alise was a quiet and studious teen, with a bit of fire in her soul, determined to solve every environmental dilemma that she could. When she was younger, she had managed to earn the nickname 'monster' for all the trouble she managed to get herself into. Brady was as obsessed with baseball as his father was, and as caring in nature as his mother.

John followed behind them slowly, carrying a six year old Belle, with Alise walking at his side. They stood before a headstone overlooking Naples, and on it was engraved 'Isabella Toscano Black'. Brady looked at it, and then up at Marlena, "So, she's right here?"

"She is," Marlena said kneeling down.

Brady was quiet for a moment, and then sat down on the grass, "Hi, Mommy. It's me, Brady. I came to see you, but it's not my first time. Mama and Dad brought me when I was little, and I don't remember that time. I came when I was seven, I do remember that time. Now I'm ten."

He looked up at John, who nodded at him to continue, "I really like baseball. Dad calls me Slugger all the time, but he's not allowed to call me that in front of my friends, 'cause I asked him not too."

Marlena started laughing, and sat down beside him, pulling the boy into her lap, and brushing her hand over his brown curls. "You're mother was an amazing woman, Brady. She loved you with her whole heart."

"And she gave me to you, when she died right? 'Cause she couldn't be here to love me, and she knew you would love me?"

"I do love you. I have always loved you, and everyday, I thank your mother for the gift that is you," Marlena whispered.

Alise sat down, and told Brady, "Remember all the stories Dad told us about your mother?"

"Yeah. I interrupted their wedding!" Brady said with a laugh.

"You were born in the rectory, and your mother insisted that the wedding continue before she would go to the hospital," John said with a smile. "You're mother loved you with every ounce of her being, Brady. That's why we bring you here, and that's why we talk about her. You are lucky enough to be loved by two mothers."

Brady looked at his Dad and then at Marlena, saying softly, "My mama here, and my Mommy in heaven."

John had tears in his eyes, and Marlena reached over brushing one off of his cheek as it streamed down. John looked at Brady, and said, "Yeah."

Marlena looked at the headstone, and then out over the view of Naples, and said softly, "Isabella...I'd like to thank you for this. For a son that lights up my every day. For a husband, who knows no equal. For my life. You knew what was to come, and you weren't angry or bitter. You wanted John to find love, because you loved him. So...thank you."

"My name's Isabella," Belle said with confusion.

"You're named after my angel Mommy, Belle. Did you forget?" Belle started giggling, and pushed Brady over. Brady started laughing, and said, "You did forget, didn't you?"

"Leave your sister alone," John said with a small smile.

Belle went to curl up in John's lap, and whispered in his ear, "I did forget, Daddy."

"That's okay, Tink. Sometimes we forget things." He kissed her head, and sat with his family enjoying the silence.

The wind shifted, and the scent of vanilla swept across them. John looked at Marlena to see if she noticed. She smiled at him, silently acknowledging what seemed to happen every time they came here. Alise picked up her dads hand, and said quietly, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Monster," John said.

"You know, Dad, you're going to have to eventually stop calling me that," Alise said.

"She's right, John. I don't know many environmental scientists who go by the name Monster," Marlena said.

John just laughed, reaching over and ruffling Alise's hair. "Dad, stop!"

Brady was silent for awhile, until he said, "Do you smell cookies?"

John and Marlena both looked at him, and John said, "Your mother always smelled like vanilla, and when we come here, sometimes Marlena or I smell it."

"How come you never told us that story," Alise asked them.

Marlena shrugged, and said, "Maybe we thought it was just something that we noticed. I'm such a logical person. Sometimes things that are unexplainable make me nervous."

"My Mommy smelled like cookies," Brady said softly. "That's nice. Mama you smell like flowers."

"She does, doesn't she?" John said. "The most amazing flowers."

"I 'don smell cookies," Belle said. "But my Mama smells like the most prettiest flowers."

Alise looks at Belle with a smirk, "What a suck up."

"Daddy? What's a suck up," Belle asked.

"Nothing, baby. Alise is being silly," Marlena said, standing up, and brushing off her pants.

Brady stood up beside her, taking Marlena's hand in his, and he said to the headstone, "I'll be back to visit you again. I promise, because Mama and Dad won't let me forget you. They're really good about that."

Marlena started walking down the knoll holding onto Belle's hand, while Brady ran ahead. Alise was walking beside her. Alise looks to her mother, "It doesn't bother you?"

"What?"

"That he still loves her so much?"

"It's possible to have two great loves in your life. Your father was very lucky. I've had one great love, and it was him," Marlena said.

"I wonder what he says to her, when we leave him there, alone," Alise wondered.

"I've never asked him, and he's never told me. It's his time with her, and his time with her was so short...I don't mind," Marlena said.

John continued to sit on the grass before Isabella's headstone. "You know, Izzy B, my time with you, as short as it was...it was so full of love. I felt sometimes, like maybe I cheated you, because my love for Doc...well it never went away. But I've had so many dreams over the years. Dreams where you are at peace, dreams where you tell me how grateful you are for Doc being in our lives. I've forgiven myself for my shortcomings, because I think you've forgiven me for them. I did love you. I do love you, Izzy B." John was again struck by the strong scent of vanilla as a breeze swept over the hill. "I will make sure that Brady knows you, and Brady loves you. Doc will, too. She already has."