Page 113 of Always Mine
I groan softly, not because I don’t want to go to dinner, but because I don’t want this perfect moment to end.
“Okay. Okay. It’s time for you to have your meds now, so let me get them before I hop into the shower.”
I throw on Marco’s t-shirt before I go into the kitchen to grab his meds and some water. When I walk into the room, I notice he’s not in the bed anymore. I quickly scan the room until my eyes land on where he’s down on one knee below the photos lining the floating shelves.
I stop in my tracks, a glass of water in one hand, his med box in the other. “Marco, what’s going on?” I whisper.
“Put those down and come closer and I’ll tell you.”
I do as he says, my heart pounding out of my chest as I walk towards him, coming to a stop directly in front of him.
Looking up at me, he starts on a shaky exhale.
“Sophia, even before I understood what love was, I had an overwhelming sense I needed to protect and care for you like you were the most precious thing in this world. Every time you were nearby, my heart would beat a little faster, and nothing and no one else mattered. My greatest joy comes from seeing you happy, and even better if it’s because I put the smile there. I want you to be the person I see first thing in the morning and the last person I see before I close my eyes. I want forever with you, Sophia Rose Princi, in the good times and the bad. I want our happily ever after to be the next photo to fill this empty frame. Will you do me the greatest honor of my life and be my wife? Marry me?” he says as he pulls out a box from behind his back, opening the lid to reveal the most exquisite oval cut diamond, set in a platinum band paved with brilliant cut diamonds.
I gasp as I drop to my knees in front of him, tears streaming down my face.
“A million times yes, Marco-Boy. In this lifetime and the next, I would love nothing more than to be your wife.”
Taking the ring from the box, unshed tears lining his eyes, he slips it on my finger before kissing me sweetly and reverently, pulling away so just our noses are touching and he’s looking directly into my eyes.
“To be clear, you were always mine. This just makes it official.”
Epilogue One
You Make It Easy
Sophia
Five months later, July
Thedayafterourjoint welcome home-slash-engagement party, we asked Evie and Elena to make all the arrangements for us to get married in July. Yes, July this year, we confirmed when they looked at us like we had lost our minds. There was no point in a long engagement. We’d already lost enough time in the years apart, and deep down we both knew we were soulmates. There was no question when we were discussing dates and the type of ceremony we wanted that we would have a destination wedding away from the glitz and glamour of New York. Instead, we wanted a love-filled few weeks to reconnect to our roots and make new memories together with our family and friends.
Our only request was that the venue be the same luxury Sicilian estate where the unshakable ties between our families were first formed. We hired out the whole property exclusively with spacefor all guests to stay in the lead up and after the big day in one big celebration of love, family, and friendship. Even if Marco didn’t know his biological father or that he even existed for his whole life, it felt important to symbolically include Roberto as part of this big life milestone as a way to honor the part he played in the sacrifice he made for Marco and Elena.
Chiara, Evie, and Stella are my bridesmaids, and Sebastian, Raf, and Luca are groomsmen.
Unfortunately, Arabella couldn’t be here. Arty’s trial and the fallout with her family as a result has led to some big life changes for her. Ones that include putting space between her old life and the new one she’s trying to build. It’s a topic completely off-limits with Luca right now. But I can’t help but think that if their love is meant to be, they’ll find their way back to each other. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I do think perhaps our soulmates are written in the stars.
Although Marco and I haven’t followed tradition a day in our relationship, we did agree to follow the tradition of spending the night before and the day of the wedding apart. Our friends constantly make fun of how obsessed we are with each other, so they made sure to keep us occupied so we stuck to our plan. The boys went racing around a famous F1 track, while us girls enjoyed hours of pampering. What can I say? Marco is my best friend. My person. The thing I would pack if I could only take one thing to a deserted island.
The first time we will see each other is in a few minutes when I walk towards him to become his wife. The excitement flutters in my belly with such ferocity I’m certain I’m just floating around the room at this point.
“You look absolutely stunning, darling,” my mom gushes, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror. After trying on a few different dresses Evie called in from various designers, I settled on a stunning fitted lace gown with spaghetti straps, shimmering details, and strategically placed sheer cutouts by Galia Lahav. It felt like the perfect mix of simplicity and show-stopping appeal withthe way the sparkle of the small details offset the boldness of the structure. In a lot of ways, it was the perfect representation of me. A woman of many facets, as confident with the bold parts of myself as I am with the captivating soft, shimmering parts that don’t need to be loud to feel validated. My hair is down in soft waves, and my makeup is natural and soft.
“Thank you, Mom. I love you.”
“Are you ready to marry the man of your dreams?” calls Evie from across the room, where she stands with Stella and Chiara. They’re wearing elegant peach-colored heavy silk slip dresses, simple gold heels, and gold floral motif statement earrings.
“She’s been ready since the day she was born,” laughs Stella.
“I think the same could be said for my cousin,” quips Chiara, smiling proudly. “He’s blowing up my phone with messages. The last one was a demand, ‘Get my wife out here now.’”
Laughing, we move out of the room and make our way towards the ceremony spot. “Let’s get me my husband.”
Epilogue Two
My Wife
