The next morning...

After the lovely night, the imminent morning approached way too quickly like the wind.

The morning was embraced by the eloquent sound of chirping birds from outside as the sunlight penetrated through the small battered window on the wall, bathing the room in light.

When the nun woke up in the bed as she realized what kind of a night she had, Jude's light-heavy body pinned Timothy's as her blood purified hours after her intoxicity left her body like a roaming spirit. It tidied not only her mind, furthermore her wisdom flashed in her mind again, coming to her senses at last. She sensed something heavier underneath her...utterly stark body as she felt the absorbing warmness that ensured one another's bare bodies, connecting them like tandem.

The first thing that popped up in her mind was to scan promptly the Roman Catholic priest as she looked down at his slumbering face as his eyes were reluctantly shut, protecting them from the sun rays and daylight. His low snores floated in Jude's sufficiently spacious en-suite bedroom where she shared a sweet, sultry night for first time with nobody else but a man company. Especially an ecclesiastical face of the church. Not only Timothy's reputation was endangered and he gave his virtue to a loving woman, further, his kept vows for over two decades were out of the track as they were no longer illuminating his path to find harmony, balance and light, gathered by God. God's judgmental glares were essentially focused on him and his temptation.

Timothy's right hand didn't make an exception too. Jude's reputation was being menaced to go downhill and leave the church if a single clerical face finds out she's been an unholy, evading the oblivious vows, took by her fifteen years ago. At last but not least, she felt severe sexual and spiritual pleasure. Pleasure she hasn't experienced after participating the church where the sex was a forbidden act. It was from licit. Not only the pleasure resurrected her body, bringing it back to life, but also Jude didn't feel like a nun anymore. In fact, her old habits, the demons were particularly looming on the horizon, prevailing her fragile identity. Fragile identity that fought years with plenty and diversity of challenges that her life quested her. Melancholy. Desolation. Growing up with a single mother. Heartbreaks. Absence of fondness and warmness. No family nigh. She wasn't exactly ethereally a nun. She transformed in a mere woman. The same woman she was before nunnery. With her own personal needs. The mere woman who was disguised as a pious face of Roman Catholic church, wearing the dark habit and wimple and concealing her own desires.

The lonely, boozed night she had with Timothy, rendered her to change her own decision this morning as she didn't want to cause trouble without a circumstantial explaination to the events that took its place in Jude's office and in her en-suite bedroom. She didn't want Timothy's providential Rome marvel being ruined, thanks to the nun who she loved, had immense respect for her and supported her even when she wasn't right at all.

Such controversial thoughts span around her interweaved mind. For example, the pleasure enveloped her body and soul, finding peace with her intimacy lastly. Nevertheless, in the same time, she didn't want Timothy to ruin his life and his dreams just because of one woman who engulfed him as he was interested in her and her feelings for him. All she wanted was to pursue his dreams until they are implemented eventually. As an addition, she thought of leaving the church in a matter of hours or perhaps days.

"How is he supposed to forsake his dreams for a whore like me?!" A thin, ambivalent echo groused to her as she emitted a very soft frustrated sigh as she was considerate to not wake up Timothy. Jude knew how much he loved her and vice versa.

She didn't take her eyes off his handsome face as she made sure he wasn't awake yet. Her hands shifted from the pillow to his broad shoulders, gently caressing as a desperate smile spread across her plump lips. Her waterfall mane of long honey wavy hair cascaded down her upper back as her long curly strands coated partly her naked torso.

Suddenly she heard Timothy stirring up as he yawned, feeling his morning breath thumped lightly her face and her scalp as she didn't realize one of his hands was wrapped around her waist, tightening its grasp whilst his another one was between her legs. He was almost unable to motion as he looked over the almost dead weight that snuggled on him. It was his Jude.

Rosy tingle emerged on his cheeks as a radiant, mildly bashful smile distort on his face.

"Morning, Timothy!"

"Morning, Jude!" He admired her beauty when she was set free from her dark Catholic wool robe and veil. His warm, boyish chocolate eyes contemplated her shiny wild golden hair, brightened by the sun as the sun illuminated partly her dazzling face with its enthralling facial features. His voice saturated.

They just looked at one another's faces for minutes until either of them broke the awkward, sluggish silence. Timothy noted something skeptical behind Jude's facial expression as he wanted to pose the question, although he knew right away she will justify herself as it will bring extra questions, besides she didn't want to bother him with her personal issues. He removed his hand from her legs, shifted it directly to her hair, stroking its softness, his fingertips sensing its smooth motion.

Jude's smile grew instantly as she observed his crackerjack fingers fondling her glossy hair's softness, melting her heart. She relished this touch, appreciating it from the bottom of her heart. They asked one another how they were and how they slept and discussing their experience the night before as it commenced like that:

"Timothy?" She murmured his name softly as he buzzed in low voice, awaited for her response. "I would like to apologize for my inebriated condition the night before. I thought I violated your goodwill and I wanted to fade away the things...this possessed young man told me during the exorcism." Jude stuttered as she spit it out what she needed to say. She didn't mention exactly what was the other motive for that she regretted though he readily recognized something out of its normal boundaries in her utterance as she sounded peculiarly blameworthy.

"It's okay." He pecked a tender kiss on her cheek, opting to comfort her. He accepted every apology of her. "I knew how hurt you were when Jed exposed your past. But do you know what?" He furthered assuredly. "It doesn't matter your past to me and no matter what and wherever you go, I am always with you." He declared jubilantly as she sensed her heart warming after hearing his stimulating speech.

"But T-Timothy..." She was severed by him as she didn't have the opportunity to finish her sentence.

"There's no "but", Jude." He replied boldly as she got from him as she allowed him to got from the bed. His chocolate eyes fixed on her. "I accept and love you for who you are." He kept on as he expressed his genuine love for her as they sat next to one another on the edge of the bed as they commenced gathering up from the floor their garments and lingerie.

She just nodded her head as she didn't want heated debates with contempt that would last for hours. Her face all flushed after hearing his loving words. They knew right away they should get back on work as soon as possible or otherwise the repercussions would tug them in the vacuum, trapping them with remorses and guilty conscience. They dressed up swiftly in hush until they separated together as they exchanged harmless kisses on the cheeks. When Timothy fled from Jude's office, she was alone as she began with the morning prayers in the wee hours of the morning.

In a little while after her morning prayers, she left her office like nothing has happened the last night that affected her, changing her life doubtlessly on 360 degrees.

***

An hour after Jude had a breakfast, paying a visit to the common room as she supervised the patients and she took control over some insurgent inmates by caning them bloodily for disobeying the rules in the madhouse, she determined to attend the church, to pray and ask for forgiveness by the Father Lord for her sins. She was being encompassed by almost no one as there were only a couple of nuns, praying in front of the altar.

In a matter of minutes, the church emptied as the former promiscuous nightclub singer was alone, grasping the rosary beads up as she tightly closed her eyes, praying and praying.

"O Lord, Jesus Christ, Redeemer and Saviour, forgive my sins, just as You forgave Peter's denial and those who crucified You. Count not my transgressions, but, rather, my tears of repentance. Remember not my iniquities, but, more especially, my sorrow for the offenses I have committed against You. I long to be true..." She prayed her heart as the dull tranquility residented in the deadly hushing church. Until somebody prominent interrupted her prayer, pushing the grand church doors as she opened timorously her eyes, hearing stumping footsteps clicking slowly towards her petite figure. It was actually Timothy who entered.

When the Monsignor approached her as she turned to face him as their eyes met, she offered him a coy smile, formed on her lips.

"I haven't been expecting you, Timothy." She exclaimed through a little laughter that escaped her throat as their eyes already met, developing an acute eye contact. "I was just praying for my..." She advanced her with her exclaimation as a grin flashed on her face, despite Timothy intercept her as he tried to not be disrespectful and indulgent.

"No need to justify yourself, Jude." He walked up towards dark lacquered wooden pews as he seated, maneuvering Jude to join him.

Without rejecting his suggestion, nor arguing blandly with him, she just moved up to him as she sat alongside him as their proximity was millimeters away.

Initially, the nun didn't have any clue what Timothy was doing in the church and profusion of questions swam in her mind as she wondered why the juvenile priest entered in the same place where they met not exactly occasionally. Nor unintentionally due to spontaneous pretext. She was feeling much better as she was accompanied by him, besides they were serenely lonely in the church as other nuns and priests didn't encompass them, fortunately. Their closeness was enchantingly evident. Timothy seriously insisted to speak to Jude in person especially when they were all alone, either in the church or in her office in Briarcliff rather than somewhere else where they weren't the sole people in the same location.

All of a sudden, the eldest clerical face of the Catholic church sighed grudgingly as she broke the silence at last. Her inquisitiveness was out of her depth.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him with colossal curiosity that oozed from her. She didn't want to be unabashed though her question sounded grave. In the interim, Timothy's hands held his knees through his cotton trousers' fabric.

"I just wanted to speak to you and I knew right away you would hop up in the church as you feel peccant for the happened between us the night before." She listened attentively his words as she was tremendously eager to know from where he knows precisely where is Jude as she feared she would lose him forever after hearing his first sentence. "I am so sorry if I interrupted your prayers." One of his hands shifted from his knee to her shoulder, dangling his strong arm around her upper back as he pulled her closer to him. Moreover, he apologized cordially.

"It's alright, Tim." She forgave him as she didn't know what to say else but then the question that she yearned to pose it loomed in her mind ultimately. "From where do you know I am here?"

"My instincts told me, rare bird!" He responded as he gestured her to sit on his lap as she shifted from the pew to his lap as she turned to face him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. She knew how intelligent and sly Timothy was since the beginning. She loved these personality traits of his and veritably appreciated them. He smelled from kilometers something that urged her to attend the church, pray and ask for forgiveness for her sins from the Father Lord though she was already predestined her goose is cooked after the act. "What bothers you?" He asked her concerned as his chocolate eyes scrutinized hers, indicating the ounce of her shoulders she should weight off her shoulders after sharing the bind that fatigued her.

She inhaled profoundly as she started:

"Timothy, I know how dedicated you are to your golden dream and become a Pope. I know how much you have desired to become a revered Cardinal, then Pope." She commenced as she uttered this almost in indistinct voice, chilling tears building its rudiments to tumble down her face of desperation as her heart ached when her monologue conveyed. Timothy didn't dare even to peel a single word as his utter attention was focalized on her speech rather than anything else. He felt heartbroken as she progressed, inhaling deeply from the top of her lungs. "But...but I doubt I would be part of your duty. I mean..." Her tears started rolling down her face, staining it in crystal tears as she sniffled as her heart sorely creaked like a hammer bashing it. In the meantime, Timothy removed his other hand from his knee as he lifted up his mammoth hand, his thumb wiping her tears. Meanwhile she pursed her lips, shortly before to carry on. "Look, I don't want to ruin your dream. I am not worth to be part of your Rome mission as I am just a whore, disguised in nun's habit and wimple, trying to hide my darkness. I am just destroying your miracles, Timothy. Can't you see it?" She bit her bottom lip uneasily as she expected from him the worst or worse circumstances with which she would not only lose Timothy's respect and love, moreover she won't be longer a sister of Roman Catholic church.

"No, no, no... rara avis!" He wiped her tears from her tear stained face, stuttering as he struggled to speak as he was incapable to speak after hearing her heartrending words that engrossed him even more upset. He hated to hear contemptible words, coming from her trembling lips with which she described herself. Just like how Jed portrayed her during the exorcism two days ago. "Please, don't cry! You aren't a whore. You are a loving and wonderful woman. The woman in sacerdotal attires that aided me very much not only to be nigh to achieve my Rome dream, but also cooking for me scrumptious dishes every Friday evening." Meanwhile Jude grasped the embrace as Timothy's arms clasped around her shoulder. After they broke off the hug, they looked up in one another's faces as Jude sniffled softly as her tears began drying on her still tear stained face, her puffy and rufescent eyes slightly moistened the crook of his neck's smooth skin. She stopped to cry as his words encouraged her. They admired one another's enchanting facial features. A sheepish, humble smile shaped in the corner of her lips. She was allured by his eloquent voice and speeches as she craved for the continuation.

"If we need to be honest, you have done everything for me which I genuinely value and appreciate it, besides love it. It's not occasional I have chosen you namely for my right hand." He proceeded with his utterance as his hands held her waist.

"How to not thank and appreciate your words!" She expressed her gratitude as she was beyond elated by his brilliant spoken words though she swallowed hard afterwards as she needed to add something that she had missed to tell him in face-to-face. Timothy's buoyant, broad smile re-surfaced on his face as he nodded his head like a schoolboy in love. "But it's not only for that." She stated anxiously.

"W-what do you mean with this, Jude?" He asked her rattled deeply in his heart as her vulnerable side was spotted by him. His face turned pale.

"I am planning to leave the church as I don't feel I belong here anymore since my vows are already broken." Jude thought it would be the wisest, best decision ever in her life if she scoots out of the Catholic church and having a fresh start in her life out of the religious icons, out of the church, out of the nuns and priests' world, out of the obsolete dark attires of religion. Neither she's funking by her final decision, nor feeling guilty and any remorses.

A subsiding silence blossomed in the church as the nun and the priest darted eyes to each other. Little did Timothy knew how determined was the ex-licentious nightclub jazz singer to quit the church sooner or later. It was actually the least predictable thing he had ever heard from her. The young priest attempted to sort his mind as his foreword was almost ready to be emitted though he required from himself a couple of seconds before sprinkling something much different, out of the context he wanted to say.

He comprehended very well her though he has already imagined what's to be sinful and ask for forgiveness of your sins from the Almighty God as he put himself in Jude's shoes, imagining the entire pressure on himself. Regardless if she's sister of the church or she flees and she's the same woman Judy Martin again, he would have always remembered her even the traces she left after herself. In addition to, he respected her decision.

"Do you remember what I said during our coq-au-vin dinner, right?" He questioned smartly as he gave her some spare time to think about his words that imprinted in her mind no longer than days ago.

She was pensive as Timothy's velvety voice echoes jingled in her head, reminding her of the flashbacks during her coq-au-vin special Friday dinner night.

"Wherever I go, you go. You're my right hand."

"You remember it?" He asked rather a rhetorical question that snapped her thoughts as she came to her senses eventually, pulling her out of reverie of her absent-minded mind.

"Oh, yes I do." She responded vigorously.

"Wherever I go, you go." He said through a broad, cheerful smile, flashed on his youthful face. "Guess what I am going to do!?" He posed a rhetorical question again as he awaited for her rationality to gleam in her rejoinder.

"To leave the church with...me?" She asked timidly.

"Exactly!" He shifted up his hand from her waist to grip her smaller, elegant hand as he drew it to his face as it was inches away from him, consequently planting a feather and affectionate kiss on her fist.

Thereafter they got from the wooden pew as he held her hand nobly as they determined themselves to leave behind the church for eternity as they move on in the life as regular people, who were still devotional though they can afford more freedom that the religion, God and the church restricted their lives. Although everything, they walked exaltedly through the scarlet red aisle as they headed towards the church's front door.

"What made you to come to this conclusion, Timothy?"

"Well...I cannot imagine my life without you." He clarified candidly. "I realized you, the love and the family are more important than being a childless and unloved though revered Cardinal." He furthered as they ambled as they relished the final moments before becoming ordinary citizens with no titles and no honor, holding hands though they weren't a married couple yet. They haven't even dated one another yet. Or they were enigmatically a couple during all this time?

"What a wise choice!" She praised him as she chuckled lightly as he joined her. "But I didn't want your dreams to be abandoned by you as you pursued them."

"I know but they aren't as important as my future beautiful bride." After they fled the church, their imminent destination was Briarcliff to pack their things and do some important tasks as they resign from the church in a handful of hours. After Jude heard Timothy's last words, she blushed as her cheeks acquired ruddy hue, pinching warmly her flushed face. She was beyond flattered by his words. "With whom we are going to create a wonderful family and have beautiful children." He continued.

"Timothy?" She hissed sarcastically through clutched teeth when he mentioned the ill topic for her. The children. Every time whenever somebody raises the topic about children, it upsetted even more the former nun who wanted forlornly to have her own little angels that resemble her and her love interest, although her fertility was ceased. "You forgot I am unable to have our children."

"Oh, I am so sorry! We can adopt any child any time or you know what?"

She abided quiet as she preferred Timothy to go ahead in his declaration.

"We will find ways to have children." As they desolated with every step from the church, the more they approached the mental facility where they will accomplish their eventual plans.

***

Hours later after the both clerical faces of the church signed off, packing their belongings as they were on their way to quit Briarcliff, they got in Timothy's car as he spent hours in driving to their new home, located in a small neighbourhood in Boston. They had already arranged their private wedding ceremony in the upcoming days as they were doubtlessly impatient to marry one another, experience their first wedding night together and have a romantic honeymoon for a straight month.

Little children's laughs and screams floated in the small Boston neighbourhood where Jude and Timothy dwelled to live for the rest of their days. The late autumn's sun bathed below everything in still sun light as it brightened Jude's mane of water falling, slightly untamed golden hair that coated Timothy's lap as her head laid leisurely on his lap, her haloing hair framed ideally her youthful yet face for almost middle aged woman. Timothy combed gently Jude's soft curly strands between his fingers as he relished the autumn and romantic atmosphere as he sat on the house porch chair. His other hand was dangled around her shoulder, keeping her balance.

All of a sudden, she stirred as she blinked, studying with blurry vision her surroundings as she catnapped for a while as she felt much safer, loved and warmer with Timothy especially in his arms. He looked down at her beauteous face, admiring each unique feature of hers. They smiled genuinely, euphorically together.

"You have fallen asleep again." Timothy teased her amiably.

"No, no, dear! I was just enjoying the children's voices and the autumn vibes." She justified with a light guttural cackle, blooming from her lips.

"Don't lie!" He joined her as they guffawed along. "It's much better than Briarcliff." Timothy kept on optimistically.

"I know. Because we are far away from mentally sick patients and out of troubles."

"Indeed! Do you know what?"

"What, sweetie?" She looked daringly into his eyes as she darted her hazel to his chocolate like arrows, paying utterly attention to him.

"I have never desired to have children until I met you. You were the woman of my dreams. I am so lucky for not only knowing you personally, but also being capable of sharing mutual love together. You are the woman who made many things for me and cared about me. Mother Claudia was absolutely right when we had chosen you as my right hand."

Jude listened attentively his monologue as his velvety voice rang like melodious tunes in her ears. Smirk distorted in the corner of her plump, naturally rosy-coloured lips.

"No matter what kind of a past you had. I know even you aren't a virgin anymore but that's not my business. Remember, I am going always to love you and accept you for who you are, regardless what the others say about you." The former priest carried on courageously as he adored to touch his future wife's soft, stunning hair.

"I love you, Timothy!"

"I love you too, my rare bird!"

Then he leant his head as their lips were almost no inches away from one another's mellow lips, pressing his lips against hers as she encircled his neck with her hands, her fingers caressing his nape of his neck's delicate skin. As the kiss progressed, it deepened as their tongues commenced dueling against each other until they French kissed as they broke off the kiss, withdrawing their faces as they spent a couple of seconds admiring their beautiful features with mesmerized eyes, locked into one another's gazes.

Then Jude whispered in Timothy's ear:

"Do you know what?"

"What?"

"Bedroom time."

The end...

Brief Author's note: I hope you really liked and enjoyed this book!

Likewise don't forget to express your opinion on the book as well. I would truly appreciate. :))

A fact: If I need to be frank, I really had so much fun writing this. :))