“Hey, Devlin,” the judge said. “Is the ATF involved with this?”
“Nope, just family.” Aiden headed over to take a spot next to my parents.
Nick Basanelli, his mom, and his brothers arrived next.
The judge pinched the bridge of his nose. “Prosecutor Basanelli, you are not related to anybody here.”
“I know, but I’m dating somebody here.”
“All right.” The judge held up his hands. “Nobody else comes inside this courtroom.”
We had a full house, so of course, the door opened, and Oliver and Pauley walked in.
I looked over my shoulder. “They work with me, Judge. Plus, the kids are friends with Violet.” I looked closer as Clark entered, stacks of files in his hands. “And that’s my law partner.”
The judge took a deep breath. “I see. Violet, are you sure you want all of this?”
As one, we all stood. This felt like a moment to stand.
“I’m absolutely positive, Judge,” she said. “I promise this is what I want and what’s best for me.”
The judge looked down at the paperwork. “After last weekend, I had considered extending this hearing for at least another month, but in the face of overwhelming evidence of love and support, I’m going to sign the documents today.” He signed and then stamped them.
Violet gasped. “That’s it?”
His gaze softened. “Yes. You’ll need to get your last name changed to Albertini, but I can do that right now. Everybody else has already signed the documents, and we will notarize them.” He looked around at the gathered mass. “I hope you know what you’ve gotten into.”
Buddy pulled Violet in for a big hug before handing her over to Yara, who also hugged her.
“Me, too, judge,” Violet said, her voice muffled. She turned to him and wiped tears off her face, and I found myself doing the same thing. “Thank you for this.”
The judge grinned. “You’re welcome, and I wish you the best of luck.”
Yara held Violet close. “We’re going to have a party to celebrate tomorrow night, Judge. We hope you can make it.”
The judge tugged on his pink tie. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
We trooped out of the courtroom, and Tessa cleared her voice. “Hey, lunch is on Smiley’s Diner since I’m part owner. Let’s head over there and celebrate.”
“What a marvelous idea,” Nonna Albertini said. “I’m starving.”
“Wait a second.” Nick held up a hand.
We all stopped outside the courtroom in the main hallway.
“What is it?” Tessa asked.
He shook his head. “I’ve been trying to do this for weeks, and honestly, I might as well do it right here in front of family.” He dropped to one knee and yanked the velvet box out of his back pocket. “Tessa Albertini, I’ll love you until the day I die. I’ve adored you for years and was finally fortunate enough to catch your attention. I know it’s soon. We can have the longest engagement you want, but here, with all our family as witnesses, I ask…will you marry me?” He flipped open the box.
A whisper went through the crowd.
“I said yes,” my dad said, his voice deep. “Just in case you wondered.”
Tessa gasped, delight filling her eyes. “Yes,” she said.
Nick instantly slid the ring onto her finger and stood, kissing her deeply. “Finally,” he said. “All right, let’s go celebrate family.”
Epilogue
