Page 248 of Forced Vows

Opening my mouth to do just that, the baby kicks and I gasp instead.

Severu lays his big hand over my pregnant belly. "How's my son doing?"

"He's active." A little too active for all the food over the past three days.

While I didn't refuse any courses, I didn't eat more than a couple bites of each either. I was the one Uncle Sal was giving a hard time at lunch.

He's got a traditional Sicilian-American outlook. That means, he celebrates with food and gets offended by a guest who does not imbibe enough.

Lucky for both Róise and me, we're the hosts tonight, not Uncle Sal.

But since he's also dedicated and loyal to his family, he takes it personally when the bride doesn't eat her pasta.

Róise doesn't need me defending her though. She's got my mother-in-law and Severu's aunt staunchly on her side already.

I love this family, so different from my own. My husband might run a criminal syndicate, but he love and values me and cares deeply about the rest of his family too.

Just like they care about each other.

Even Uncle Sal, who is the first to offer the per cent'anni toast to Róise and Miceli.

For a hundred years.

Severu leans close to me after the toast. "Five centuries will not be enough with you. Wherever we are in the afterlife, I will be by your side into eternity."

The Wedding

MICELI

The soft strands of the Celtic harp accompany the bridesmaids and groomsmen as they walk down the aisle.

Mick escorts his wife, Kara, to the altar before going to stand on the other side of Sev. Sev is my best man, but he refused to walk any other woman down the aisle but his wife. And he adamantly opposed Catalina being forced to stand during the ceremony at six months pregnant.

Raph and Giulia are next. Now a mom of two, my sister glows with love for her husband. More importantly, he looks at her like she is the center of his world.

As she should be.

Next comes Bianca and Salvatore. Newlyweds married less than two months. I'm not the only one who notices that my cousin hesitates to let his wife go to join the other groomsmen.

But she whispers something to him, and he finally releases her.

Allessio escorts Fiona down the aisle at the last.

The harps fall silent, bringing a hush over the guests.

Then the tones of the uilleann pipes fill the cathedral as the wedding march begins.

And she's there. My bride.

My wife.

These vows we speak before the priest are superfluous for us. We have made our promises and sealed them in blood on each other's skin.

As she walks toward me, everyone else fades away. Her uncle, whose arm she is holding. The guests. Our attendants.

None of them register anymore as my beautiful angel in white makes her way toward me. Her veil does nothing to hide the emotion in her emerald gaze.

Love.

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