Ciara’s eyes shine with tears, and I catch the slight tremble of her hands as I hold them tightly in my own.
This moment isn’t just about renewing our vows. It’s about acknowledging all the broken pieces we’ve picked up and glued back together. It’s about promises we made and kept. And promises yet to come.
I take a deep breath and pull the folded note from my jacket pocket. I ended up writing my vows in the early hours of this morning, unable to sleep due to the empty space in the hotel room bed beside me.
Even though Ciara and I are already married, she wanted to be traditional and spend the night before the vow renewal apart.
I tried my hardest to persuade her against it, taking the opportunity to show her multiple times what she would be missing out on. But my wife has a will of steel. I should have known better than to think a night of mind-blowing sex would tempt her to change her mind.
“For so many years, I have slept alone. I went to bed alone and woke up alone, and I never once felt like anything was missing. Until I met you.”
Ciara’s eyes well with tears.
I smile. “I never thought I would want to say the words ‘I love you’ to anyone until you, and even then, those three words don’t come close to what I feel for you, Ciara. You and the babies will always be my number one priority, and I promise to love and protect you until my dying day. You are my home, my family, and my heart.”
Tears flow down Ciara’s cheeks, and I reach out to wipe them away.
“I love you,Tine Bheag,”
“Stupid hormones. And how am I meant to follow that?” Ciara mutters, and soft laughter rings out through the chapel.
I flash her a wink. “I think I win at the vows.”
Mila steps forward to hand Ciara her vows, which she holds with surprisingly steady hands.
“Ronan…Where do I begin? You are my biggest supporter and my biggest challenger. When we first said I do, I honestly thought it would end in divorce, or murder, not a vow renewal.”
I choke on my laughter.
Kieran scoffs. “I second that.”
Ciara grins. “But over these past few months, getting to know you and learning toloveyou has been… the greatest honor of my life?—”
Ciara’s voice breaks, and my throat tightens as I fight the sudden wave of emotion that hits me.
Her eyes meet mine. “I promise to stand by your side through every joy and challenge that life throws our way. I promise to cherish you and our twins, and to build a life filled with laughter, love, and unbreakable loyalty. You are my everything, Ronan Sullivan, and I love you.”
After we exchange our new wedding bands, I take Ciara’s face in my hands and kiss her like my life depends on it.
The cheers and applause that break out around us are almost completely drowned out as I lose myself in Ciara’s touch.
She tastes like home, and I don’t think I will ever be able to get enough.
Dinner is a complete blur.
I hired a private dining room in the hotel to host the evening reception. It’s intimate, which is exactly what Ciara wanted, and whatever she wants, she gets.
We sit at one of the round tables in the corner of the room with my brothers, surrounded by empty champagne bottles and whiskey glasses.
The room has its own bar, and I stupidly put my card behind it.
Now my brothers have taken it as a personal challenge to see how high a tab they can rack up by the time the night is over.
From how drunk Brennan is, I’d say it’s pretty high.
Ciara is nestled against my side, her head resting on my shoulder as she listens to yet another story Kieran is sharing with her from our childhood. Her body shakes with silent laughter as Kieran drawls on, and I lazily stroke my fingers over her shoulder, watching her skin pebble beneath my touch.
Kieran turns to Cormac. “Do you remember when Ronan got sent home from grad school for beating that kid up?”
