Chapter 10 - The True Vows
Late May in Chicago belonged to the blooming lilacs and the warm breeze rolling off Lake Michigan.
We didn't rent out the grand ballroom at the Ashwick Grand this time. We didn't invite hundred of high-society dignitaries, and there were no fake elopement stories whispered behind velvet drapes.
Instead, the ceremony took place right in the backyard of our new home under a canopy of white roses and freshly leafed oak branches.
The guest list was small, intimate, and fiercely loyal. Paige sat in the front row, looking radiant in a yellow summer dress, having officially filed for divorce and started her own graphic design firm downtown. Investigator Vance stood proudly in a sharp gray suit, serving as Matteo’s best man. And Mrs. Gable walked down the aisle just ahead of Nora, carrying a basket of pink rose petals while wearing a discreet earpiece and her customary smile of terrifying efficiency.
Nora served as the maid of honor, wearing a matching green sash over her white dress that echoed the emeralds in my ring.
As I walked down the grass aisle on my mother’s arm—my mother who was currently dabbing her eyes with a lace handkerchief and looking smugly victorious—I saw Matteo waiting for me at the altar.
He wore a tailored navy suit, the harsh, impenetrable armor of the Chicago underworld completely stripped away, leaving only the man who brought me Thai food, helped build Lego towers, and loved my daughter as his own.
When I reached him, he took my hands in his. His grip was warm, steady, and utterly secure.
"I never believed in fairy tales," Matteo said softly, his voice carrying clearly to every guest gathered in the garden. "I spent my whole life building walls, believing that survival meant keeping everyone at a distance. But then you walked into a ballroom wearing a borrowed dress and holding the weight of the world on your shoulders. And you changed everything."
I smiled, a tear slipping down my cheek as I looked into his clear, gray eyes.
"I didn't need a savior, Matteo," I whispered, my voice steady and clear. "I needed a partner. And you became my home."
The minister smiled, stepping forward. "Do you, Matteo, take this woman to be your lawful wife, through every storm and every calm, for all the days of your life?"
"I do," Matteo said, without a single hesitation.
"And do you, Maren, take this man to be your lawful husband, to build this life, this family, and this future together?"
"I do," I answered, my heart soaring.
May you like
When Matteo slid the simple platinum band onto my finger, sealing our vows with a deep, lingering kiss that made Nora giggle and everyone else break into thunderous applause, I knew the performance was finally over.
There were no more fake stories, no more shields, and no more ghosts from the past. There was only us—real, messy, unbreakable, and forever.
