‘It’s truly magical,’ Mia said. ‘I still can’t believe we’re here, in Italy. I don’t know how we’ll ever thank you enough for hosting us.’
‘Well, you’d better believe it, because your guests are about to arrive, and anyway, there are no thanks required,’ Lily said, running her hand up and down Mia’s arm. ‘It’s time to get ready.’
Joe blew her a kiss before being taken to his spot at the end of the tables, and Mia pretended to catch it as Lily led her away. They’d intended on eloping, not wanting a big wedding, but when Lily had asked if she and Antonio could host them on their family vineyard, Mia hadn’t been able to say no. It had been framed to her as a reunion of sorts, and now that she was here, she knew she’d be forever grateful that she’d said yes. It was as if everything had come full circle, being here with the women she had such a connection to.
As she stood beneath the trees, she watched everyone arrive. Antonio was with Lily, greeting everyone, and she couldn’t help but notice how their eyes kept catching, the way he brushed his fingers down her back when she passed him. But she was quickly distracted by Claudia and Mateo arriving, then Ella and Gabriel, who were escorting Mia’s mother, and Charlotte and Harrison. They took their seats just as Georgia and Luca, and Blake and Henri greeted Lily and Antonio with open arms, with Rose and Benjamin coming last, hand in hand, looking very much likethe newlyweds they were. Rose’s back was bare, her silk dress clinging to her curves, and Benjamin’s hand was splayed across her tanned skin.
Mia took a deep breath before walking out from where she’d stood hidden. But from that moment on, she didn’t see anyone.
This time Mia didn’t notice the pretty tables or the lights. She didn’t turn when she heard her name. All she could see was Joe, standing, his hand outstretched for her as she walked towards him. In that moment, he was everything.
It wasn’t so long ago that she’d given up on the idea of love or the fantasy of meeting her soul mate. She’d believed that she had lost her chance; that she’d already met and lost her one person in the world, that it would only be selfish to wish for that to happen again.
But Joe had changed everything.
Joe had made her believe in love again. Joe had shown her that she deserved to be happy, that she deserved tolove. Before him, she’d been numb, moving through life without really living it, but all that was behind her now.
‘Hey,’ he whispered as she slipped her hand into his.
‘Hey,’ she whispered back.
It was as if they were the only two people in the world, and when Joe stepped in close and raised one hand to her cheek, his lips warm and soft against hers, she didn’t stop him. It was their wedding, and if they wanted to kiss first, she doubted anyone was going to object. Or if they did, she didn’t care.
They stood close as the wedding celebrant joined them, hand in hand, their eyes fixed on each other as they said their vows.
‘I promise to love and cherish you, now and forever,’ she stared into his eyes.
It was Joe with tears in his eyes this time, and Mia brushed them away with her thumb as they dampened his cheek. ‘Ipromise to love and cherish you, to live this life like it’s the only one we have,’ he said. ‘Now and forever.’
The celebrant hadn’t even pronounced them husband and wife when Joe took her in his arms and dipped her back, his mouth on hers. And she returned his kiss with everything she had, laughing as he pulled her up and twirled her around, her laughter matched with his as she was cocooned against his chest.
But the moment between the two of them soon became shared. When Mia turned to look at everyone gathered, she saw that they were all on their feet, standing as they clapped and cheered. They held hands, Joe thrusting them high in the air and making their guests cheer even louder as they walked between the tables.
It was a reunion unlike any other, and as Lily met her gaze and gave her a little smile, she realised that this was as much a day for her and Joe as it was for all the women gathered. Seven women who’d come to mean the world to her, who’d been strangers not so long ago, but now whose lives would always be intertwined.
Mia was usually nervous about being the centre of attention and speaking in front of others, but she refused to worry about today. The first time she’d spoken to these women as a group had been in the lawyer’s office; a meeting she’d almost cancelled for fear of doing the wrong thing. But instead, she’d let her instincts lead her, knowing in her heart that reuniting the long-hidden boxes with their descendants had been the right thing to do. And that was what she’d done that night at the gallery, and what she intended on doing tonight, too.
‘Today isn’t just about me and Joe, it’s also about the seven incredible women who made this day possible. Thank you for travelling to be here with us, and for showing me what it means to be brave, and what it is to love. I know that most of you were sceptical when we first met; some of you even mentioned thinking it was a scam,’ Mia said, as some chuckles sounded out around her. ‘But ultimately you all chose to trust and to follow your hearts, and you inspired me to be brave enough to do the same. I’m sure I’m not the only one here who will always be grateful for those little wooden boxes.’
She looked around, searching out each woman as she dabbed at her eyes, overcome with emotion, hoping they really did know how much she’d come to love each and every one of them.
Lily. Claudia. Ella. Georgia. Blake. Rose. Charlotte.
‘I cherish the friendships we’ve made,’ Mia said, ‘more than you could ever imagine.’
She took a moment to gather herself, before turning to Joe.
‘But now, I’d like you all to raise your glasses to celebrate my husband,’ she said, her voice catching as she lifted her glass of Franciacorta. ‘Joe, you are my everything. All that’s left to say is that I cannot wait to do life with you.’
There were whistles and cheers as glasses clinked, and Joe stood and kissed her, his eyes never leaving hers.
‘To my beautiful wife,’ he said. ‘You walked into my bar one day with your lovely smile and your bright eyes, and I had no idea that my life was about to change forever. Or maybe I did, and I just wasn’t ready to admit it straight away.’
Joe took her hand and kissed it, his lips lingering on her skin and making her entire body flush.
‘You too are my everything,’ he said, whispering, his words just for her.
Mia set down her glass and let Joe lead her out onto the grass, beneath the glittering lights, the sun having longdisappeared. Music began to play as he placed his arms around her and they gently swayed, her cheek to his chest, listening to the steady, reassuring beat of his heart.
