He slapped me on the back. “Relax, big brother. You’re marrying the woman of your dreams. Least I can do is make sure you both look good doing it.”
Emily laughed again, eyes bouncing between the two of us, full of affection and amusement. “Alright. I trust you both... I think.” She gave in.
“Since you don’t have any girlfriends here,” Brando added with a wicked grin, “I took the liberty of picking out a bridesmaid for you.” He pointed dramatically at Giorgio.
I struggled to keep a straight face. Giorgio shot me a pleading look, but I stayed silent. He sighed and lowered his head in defeat.
Brando turned to me, that smug grin still plastered across his face. “And you should head downstairs. Your best man, who I also picked, is waiting for you.”
“Maxim?” I asked. “I’m surprised you didn’t choose yourself, you narcissistic jerk.”
“Oh, you better watch your mouth. I’m the most important part of this wedding.”
“Yeah? And what part is that, exactly?”
“I’m the one giving Emily away to you,” he said smugly.
This time, I couldn’t hold back a laugh. “A little young to be playing the role of her father, aren’t you?”
“Oh no. That’s exactly what our little bird wants. Besides, she’s my sister now.”
Emily smiled, her voice soft but sure. “That’s right.”
Brando clapped his hands together. “Alright, everyone’s got their roles. Now go on. We’ll be down in an hour.”
Emily slipped off her ring and handed it to Giorgio, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. I shook my head at Brando’s theatrics, pressed a quick kiss to Emily’s lips, and headed downstairs with Giorgio.
Outside, Maxim and Lorenzo were busy setting up a carpet of red roses that stretched from the house to the fountain. Well, Lorenzo was doing the work. Maxim stood over him, barking orders like a general. Lorenzo kept shooting him irritated looks, which only seemed to make Maxim more enthusiastic.
An hour later, I was standing in front of the fountain, at the end of the rose-covered path. Maxim and Lorenzo flanked me on the right, Giorgio on my left, while the priest stood behind me with his book open and ready.
The courtyard was drenched in soft sunlight. The sound of water trickling from the fountain and a light breeze rustling through the trees made everything feel... still. Peaceful.
Then the door opened.
Emily stepped out, wearing a white gown with delicate blue blossoms embroidered across it. Her hair was loose and flowing, the way I loved it. She looked radiant. More beautiful than I’d ever seen her.
Brando stood tall beside her, offering his arm with a rare, genuine smile. Emily took it, and together they began walking down the path of roses. The world seemed to go quiet, no sound but the breeze and the fountain’s soft whisper.
When they reached me, Emily kissed Brando’s cheek. I stepped forward, held out my hand, and she took it without a second’s hesitation.
Her fingers were warm, her grip sure. Standing there with her, the fountain behind us, I couldn’t help but picture my parents’ wedding. My father may not have been a good man, but he’d been a good husband to my mother.
That day, I made a vow to Emily. To be the same, and more. To be faithful. To love her. To be a good father to the children she’d one day give me. To protect them with everything I had. To give them a life full of safety and comfort. And with my honor, and my blood as my witness, I would keep that promise until my last breath.
Whatever was left beating in my chest, whatever part of me could still be called a heart, belonged to her now. She was the light in the darkness I’d spent my life crawling through.
THIRTY-ONE
Emily
Three years later
I stared at the tiny dot the doctor was pointing to on the monitor. It was hard to believe, but that little dot was a living being, the result of love, passion, and everything Carlo and I had shared. My heart swelled as I gazed at it, already filled with affection for this tiny life that had been confirmed today.
And now... I couldn’t wait to tell him.
Carlo was supposed to be back from his business trip tomorrow. I wanted to tell him in person and make himearnthis news with a night full of warmth and emotion. A smile tugged at my lipsas I imagined his reaction. Carlo wasn’t the kind of man who showed emotions easily, but this... this would hit him right in the heart.
