Introduction: So, what happened? I guess we can be thankful for a very resourceful Aunt Caitriona and modern medicine. Things certainly could have ended up worse. Once the authorities were straightened out. Everything returned to a semblance of normal. The two families will be joined, just not in the way Giovani and Sean thought they would. Now, to clean up this mess.

The story is not mine. It is based on a very old tale that might have been part of English/Irish lore, it might be French or German. It might even be Persian in origin. I’ll leave it to you to try to figure out what tale it is. The answer is at the end.

Although there are characters from other stories who make brief appearances, this is a stand-alone story.

This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.

Chapter 9 - Epilogue

“Tell me about the potion you put in the wine that made Mike and me fall so helplessly in love.”

“There was nothing added to the wine. It was just an excellent vintage. You know what they say: In wine, there is truth. I knew you loved him two years before. I saw your expression and Mike’s when you saw each other that afternoon, and I knew I had to do something. When you realized you loved Mike and he loved you, I just let both of you think I’d put a love potion in the wine, but as you now know, you didn’t need a love potion.”

“Hold still, I need to fix your hair just a bit. The garland has come loose,” Ashley said working a bit more on Caitriona’s hair.

“But what about the poison?”

“I can’t be carrying around bottles of deadly poison. Who knows what child might come across it and inadvertently drink it? I would never have forgiven myself if that had happened. It was just a mild sedative for children. You just fainted. I told you that I had given you the antidote. They just kept you in bed for observation.”

From the depths of despair she had awakened to a bright room with Caitriona sitting next to her bed.

“Now don’t you start crying again. Mike’s going to be fine. They gave him a lot of blood. Fortunately, it is O-Positive. He has a unit of mine as well as your father’s and his father’s. As soon as you’re ready, we’re all going to fly back to New York in your future father-in-law’s plane. They’re getting Mike ready for the flight.

“Future father-in-law?”

“Sure, I’ll let them tell you. They’ll be here in a few minutes. Giuseppe and Ruggeri came in with them yesterday as did his other boat captain. They’ll be taking the yacht back to New York. I packed everything you’ll need for a while.

“I gave you an antidote for that stuff you drank. That wasn’t very smart.”

“How’s my beautiful daughter?”

Ashley looked up to see her father and Johnny Donatella at the door.

“Ashley, I want to sincerely apologize for my stupidity and selfish attitude. First of all, I had no right to demand from your father what I did. I thought having a beautiful young wife would help me fix my personal problems.”

Ashley looked at Johnny in a bit of a different light. He didn’t look quite so confident. He also didn’t stink of cigarettes.

“My son is the most precious person in my life. Had I known your relationship, I never would have made the selfish request I did. I just wish he’d said something; however, I know why he didn’t.

“I am guiltier than Johnny,” her father said. “I traded my most precious possession for a few dollars. I didn’t care about your personal feelings.”

“Daddy, that’s not true at all. You were there for me from the beginning. When I told you about my little problem, you were the most supportive parent I could ever have hoped for.

“Oh, does …?”

“I know,” Johnny said, “and it wouldn’t have made any difference. I have never seen a more beautiful young woman. The thing I didn’t think about at the time was it didn’t matter if you didn’t love me.

“My son loves you. He told me that a little while ago.”

“I’m a bit confused about all of this. Why are you here in the first place?”

“Carlo called me. I had given strict orders that I was never to be disturbed when I was on vacation unless it was an extreme emergency. To say I was pissed off would be an understatement. My ego was shattered. My son had run off with my bride to be. What could I do? I told Carlo to sit tight, and I had the plane return me to New York. He was out of touch when I got there. His father didn’t know where he was either. Then I got an email. The same one your father received.

“Suddenly, I realized how stupid I was, and that was complicated by the fact that my son was in love with you and you were in love with him.”

“I called your father and told him to meet me at the airport in Boston.

“So, what does this do to the deal?” Ashley was beginning to think nothing had really changed.

“The deal is off, null and void,” Sean said. “Since you will be getting married …”

“He hasn’t asked me.”

“Don’t be that way, dear one,” Caitriona said. “You know that he will ask, and you know what your answer will be. You’ve known that for a long time.”

“Your father and I have agreed on forming a full partnership. That means I have assumed his debts, and he has assumed mine. We’re also looking at a different business plan, but that remains to be worked out.”

“What was this email you received and who sent it?”

“Ashley, I’m ashamed of you. I sent it,” Caitriona said. “Your father hired me to look out for you. I’ve taken that job very seriously.

“I just told your father and Mike’s father that you two were deeply in love and that it would do no one any good to try to destroy that relationship. There were many more positive gains to be had by allowing you two to be together.

“I also told them that Carlo would try to kill you.

Mike was extremely lucky in that there was not major organ damage. His recovery was actually faster than it had been from the stabbing.

Boston Children’s Hospital was glad to have her back, even if it would be for an indefinite period of time. They were amazed at the size of the engagement ring she was wearing. Mike had not wasted any time proposing.

For the time being, Mike and Ashley were living in a very nice flat on Cherry St. in Boston. It was a little real estate her father owned but had seemed to forget about. Mike was doing well, but tired easily. The doctors told him that he would be 100% within six months. The two lovers were relaxing after a nice meal and were catching up on the evening news.

“And now for a lighter moment. This has had several million views on Facebook. The stunning American soprano who has taken European opera lovers by storm had the surprise of a lifetime two nights ago. Demeter Esterházy had just finished her first performance of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. It is well known that she and the young Italian bass baritone, Arturo Vocelli have been very close for quite a while. Much to her surprise, Signore Vocelli proposed to her at the final curtain call of Gotterdammerung. Unknown to her, about 40 members of her family had traveled to Vienna to witness the proposal. Among those witnessing the proposal were the ex-Prime Minister of England and his companion, the well-known pianist, Kate O’Donnell ….”

“I know them. Demi lived upstairs from me in Queens. There’s Fanny Essegian and her husband. She’s a famous composer and they own the apartment building. I want to invite them to the wedding.”

“You may invite whomever you want,” Mike replied. “What about your mother? How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”

“Six years. I think we need to go to Brooklyn.”

They lightly knocked on the apartment door. Ashley’s father stood down the hall a bit, waiting in case he was needed. Ashley had sent an email saying that she and a friend would be coming by for a visit. There was nothing in the note that gave away her true gender.

“May I help you?”

“Hi Mom.”

“Oh my God, what have you done?”

“I became me about six years ago. I tried to tell you but you wouldn’t listen. Please don’t be mad.

“I want you to meet my fiancé, Mike Donatella.

“Mike, this is my mother Siobhan Finlayson.

“May we come in?”

“I suppose so.”

“May Daddy come in, too? He might help you understand some things.”

“Hello, Sean, it has been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. Perhaps too long.”

They sat in the small living room. Siobhan offered everyone soft drinks, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off her beautiful daughter.

“I could never understand what you were doing: all the women’s underwear and things. I couldn’t understand it. I’m a little more understanding now. I’ve met someone with a daughter like you. I guess you’ve had all that stuff done.”

“Yes, Mom, I’m as complete a woman as it is possible for me to be. I had it done a little more than two years ago. Daddy paid for everything.”

Siobhan turned to Mike. “You’re not Johnny Donatella’s son are you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Oh my, that does complicate things a bit.”

“Mom, Johnny and Daddy are partners. We are one big family, now.”

“I heard about Benny the Enforcer’s son being killed. Please pass along my condolences to him, Mike. I know he works for your father.”

“Benny retired a while ago. He lives in Florida. I don’t think he and father have anything in common anymore.”

“So, Sean, you did this to our daughter. Are you proud of what you’ve done?”

“I did what every parent should do for his or her child. I listened, I read and studied. I sought help when I didn’t understand things. I discovered that there was only one way to make Ashley complete.

“So, what do you think?”

“I think she is very beautiful.

“I think the more important question is are you happy, Ashley?”

“Happier than I’ve ever been in my life.

“Mom, would you please come to our wedding? We can’t have it in the Catholic Church, but other churches are a bit more liberal.”

“I would have to think about it.”

Sean spoke up. “May I say something, Siobhan? A few minutes ago you said something. I’m not sure you realize what you said. You asked if I was proud of what I had done to our daughter. Did you mean to say that?”

“I did say that, didn’t I. Strange.”

“How did you do all this, Ashley? You couldn’t have done it on your own. You are too perfect. I wish now that I’d been there to help you. I just wasn’t ready.”

“Aunt Caitriona has been with me for six years. I couldn’t have done it without her help. I also have a friend in Queens who was a tremendous help for me. She guided me down the path that she’d followed a few years before. She let me know what to expect and how to deal with it. She helped me be beautiful.”

“You are your mother’s daughter. If you want to see where you got your beauty from; you need only look at your mother,” Sean said.

Mike and Ashley were married six months later in a small non-denominational church in Boston. Demi and Arturo Vocelli sang a lovely love song. Fanny played the music. She insisted. She was 75. They honeymooned on one of those fabulous, all inclusive cruise ships, and they visited many Caribbean ports; however, when they stopped at Port au Prince, they knew this was the place. There was so much poverty, so much need, and so much potential.

Sean and Siobhan started seeing more and more of each other. They realized early on that many of her problems had been his as well. Sean agreed to stop drinking, it had never been a problem, but he decided to do it for her. They married six months after Mike and Ashley’s wedding.

“Mommy, mommy, everyone is here, and Father Muldoon said to hurry up before Grandpa Johnny loses courage.”

Ashley looked up to see her twins, Mike, Jr. and Katrina, two of the many joys in her life, dressed to the nines as the ring bearer and flower girl. They were six and had brown curly hair that went with their permanently dark complexions. Their blue eyes hinted at an interesting heritage. She and Mike had adopted them their first summer in Port au Prince. They were only four months old when she went to work as the head nurse at the orphanage. Three more children had followed. There would be more.

Mike had moved the family yacht and several smaller pleasure craft to the harbor. He was running a yacht rental and pleasure cruise business. He also had a small fleet of sports fishing boats. His wages were on the upper end of the scale, but more importantly, they were attracting dollars, Euros, and Pounds to the impoverished nation. They had constructed an earthquake resistant home overlooking the harbor.

Giuseppe and Ruggeri gladly accepted the second part of their bonuses. They and their families helped run the boating business.

Giovani and Sean were essentially retired. They had found that the legitimate enterprises were profitable enough, and they closed the less than above board businesses. They basically gave them away.

Giovani mellowed considerably in his retirement, and Caitriona found him to be an interesting, rather attractive man. Once the stresses of business were gone, his drinking dropped off considerably. He also found that he hadn’t needed a cigarette since the Bermuda incident. Life was beginning to look more interesting than it had for quite a while.

He had asked Caitriona out for dinner one night. He’d been splitting his time between Boston and New York quite a bit of late. He and Caitriona had gone to a nice club, and he asked her to dance. It happened rather quickly. For the first time in many years he found himself physically aroused. They spent a very enjoyable night in her bed.

So, now they were getting married in a small Catholic Church in Brooklyn. They weren’t planning on taking much of a honeymoon as they had tickets for a Met performance of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde that weekend. Demi Esterházy and Arturo Vocelli had starring roles. Caitriona was pregnant.

I’d first thought about writing this tale several years ago. When I researched it, I discovered it might really work. I think it worked far beyond my expectations. I thank the wonderful readers out there for their comments and support. Yes, the ancient tale was Tristan and Isolde.