Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
My heart broke a little. “Oh, Luca . . .”
“And I’m really glad you did. Being your son is the best thing ever, and I’m happy Dad asked you to marry him again so everyone knows it’s real.”
I knelt down to his level, not caring if I wrinkled my dress. “I will always choose you, Luca. Always. Being your mom is the greatest privilege of my life.”
He hugged me then, careful not to mess up my hair but holding on tight. “I’m glad we’re a real family now.”
“We were always a real family, sweetheart. Today just makes it official.”
A few minutes later, Summer declared me ready. We made our way downstairs, where Kay was waiting with a corsage and tears in her eyes.
“Oh, honey,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “You look radiant.”
“Thank you for everything, Kay. For watching Luca, for being there when we needed you, for believing in us even when we weren’t sure ourselves.”
“That’s what family does.” She pinned the corsage to my dress with gentle hands. “And make no mistake, you’ve been family for a long time.”
The ceremony took place in our backyard, under the oak tree where Luca and Colby had hung a tire swing just last week. Folding chairs filled neat rows with everyone who mattered to us. My mother sat in the front row, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. David Voight and his wife were there, along with half the parents from Luca’s soccer team.
But it was the man standing under the oak tree who took my breath away.
Colby wore a charcoal gray suit that brought out his eyes, and his dark hair was freshly cut but still showed signs of his nervous habit of running his hands through it. When he saw me walking toward him with Luca at my side, his face transformed with a smile so bright it could have powered the whole town.
“Ready?” Luca asked quietly as we reached the aisle between the chairs.
“Ready,” I said.
He offered me his arm with the solemnity of someone taking his job very seriously. Together, we walked toward Colby and the minister who would make our choice official. Every step felt like a promise, every breath like a prayer of gratitude for the unlikely path that had brought us here.
When we reached the altar, Luca placed my hand in Colby’s with ceremonial gravity. “Take care of her, Dad,” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. “She’s pretty special.”
Laughter rippled through our guests, but Colby’s response was completely serious. “I promise, buddy. For the rest of my life.”
Luca beamed and took his place in the front row next to my mother, who immediately put her arm around him like he’d always been her grandson.
“Dearly beloved,” the minister began, “we are gathered here today to witness something beautiful. The celebration of a love that has grown from friendship into partnership, from necessity into choice, from arrangement into joy.”
I looked into Colby’s eyes and saw everything I needed to see. Love, yes, but also certainty. Peace. The quiet confidence of someone who knew exactly where he belonged.
“Colby and Gianna have already taken the legal steps to bind their lives together,” the minister continued. “Today is about something deeper, the public declaration of their commitment to each other and to the family they’ve built together.”
When it came time for the vows, Colby spoke first, his voice steady and clear.
“Gianna, four years ago you were the friend who showed up when I needed help. A year ago, you became my wife out of necessity. Today, you become my wife by choice, and that makes all the difference.” He reached up to touch my face gently. “I promise to choose you every day for the rest of our lives. I promise to build a life with you that’s worthy of the love you’ve given me and Luca. I promise to never take for granted the gift of your heart.”
My own vows came from someplace deep and honest. “Colby, you taught me that love doesn’t always look like the movies. Sometimes it looks like showing up every day. Sometimes it looks like choosing someone again and again, especially when it’s hard.” I squeezed his hands. “You gave me a family when I thought I was too broken for one. You gave me a son who calls me Mom and means it. You gave me a love that’s built on friendship and trust and the kind of partnership that lasts. I promise to choose this, choose us, choose our family, every single day.”
When the minister pronounced us husband and wife, Colby kissed me with such tenderness that I forgot we had an audience. When we broke apart, Luca was cheering so loudly that everyone else started laughing and applauding.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the minister announced with a grin, “I present to you the Marshall family, together by choice, united by love, and ready for whatever comes next.”