Page 93 of No Vow Broken

I wandered over to chat with Slash’s mom, Juliette, and his stepfather, Oscar, both of whom I’d become quite fond of over the past few months. In the background I could hear an approaching helicopter and knew our special guest would be here soon. Juliette gave me a big hug, saying nice things about how I looked, while Oscar just grinned at me. We caught up a little, and then he leaned in and whispered, “I hope you’re sitting next to me.”

“Why? To prevent you from eating spicy food?”

“For starters. Plus, you’re a great conversationalist.”

“Me? I’m pretty sure that’s the first time anyone ever said that about me.” I lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. “I hardly talk at all.”

Oscar grinned. “Exactly.”

We were interrupted when the door to our private dining room opened, and the pope strolled in alone. He’d left his entourage outside, signaling he was serious about this being a family affair. He was dressed in an all-white cassock with a pellegrina—a short mantle open in the front and sewed onto the robe—along with a simple zucchetto on his head. What I found fascinating were the red papal shoes, which stood out against his all-white garments. A large white sash hung around his waist and featured the papal coat of arms, while a heavy gold cross gleamed where it rested gently against his chest. The papal ring sat on his finger, simple in style, but certainly made of solid gold.

Regardless of his elevated status, each time I saw him, I was struck by how normal he looked. His persona was so larger-than-life that it seemed almost unbelievable he was so regular and approachable.

He spotted Slash first and crossed the room to greet him. The two hugged before the pontiff spoke to him in a low voice, his hand resting on Slash’s shoulder for at least a full minute. Finally, the pope looked over and spotted me, a wide smile crossing his face.

“Lexi.” He held out a hand, so I crossed the room to greet him. As I passed my mother, I saw her eyes shine with pride.

When I reached him, I began to kneel, but he pulled me into a hug instead. “No formalities on this special night,” he said in accented English. “I mean it. I am but a humble guest, fortunate to be here to celebrate your holy union. May the blessings of God rain upon you.” He released me from the hug and smiled at me, his hands on each of my shoulders. “Thank you for inviting me.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, so I went with honesty. “Thank you for risking your life to be here and to marry us, Holy Father. We really appreciate it.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything, or any reason, I assure you. You’re truly what’s left of my family.” He looked over at Slash and then Father Armando. I thought I saw emotion shimmer in his eyes before he blinked a few times. “Cristian would be so proud of you two, as am I.”

Cristian was Slash’s biological father and he’d been close friends with the pope and Father Armando in the priesthood. Just hearing Cristian’s name spoken aloud caused a lump of emotion to rise in my throat. My back was to Slash so I couldn’t see his expression, but I suspected he felt a similar emotion.

The Holy Father lifted a hand and touched the small silver cross that hung around my neck. A cross that once had belonged to his mother and one he had gifted to me the first time I’d met him. A gesture I still didn’t understand.

“You wore it,” he murmured. “Thank you.”

“Thankyou,” I said. “Your kindness means a lot to me.”

He smiled, his accent deepening. “You were led to me, Lexi, by the hand of the Father for a reason. It has been a joy to see the mystery of you unfold in front of me.”

I didn’t know what he meant by that or how to respond, so I was grateful when Slash saved me by introducing again his parents and mine. After a few minutes of small talk, we sat down to eat at a large round table decorated with lovely blue-and-white plates, blue cloth napkins, and a stunning blue flower centerpiece. Simple, but elegant. Amanda had knocked it out of the park again in terms of decorations, and I was grateful she’d stuck with us.

To my mother’s absolute surprise and delight, she was seated to one side of the pope with Slash’s mother on the other side. Mom probably thought it was blind luck, but secretly I knew Slash had arranged it that way, and I loved him more for it.

I sat between Father Armando and Oscar. To my surprise, the dinner conversation for all of us was lively, engaging, and thoroughly interesting. I thought everyone might be starstruck or reserved in the presence of the pope, especially after he took five minutes to bless our meal, but I should have known better. We immediately began discussing topics ranging from food and politics to travel and religion. The only off-limits topic seemed to be the current attacks on us, and that was more because we were tired of talking about it rather than avoiding it on purpose. We treated the Holy Father as family, and he reciprocated because he truly was one of us. He fit right in, relishing his role and diving right into arguments and counterarguments with the confidence of the rest of us. He seemed to love every minute of it.

I watched the pontiff with a mixture of interest and admiration. I couldn’t imagine the pressure he had to endure every day to navigate difficult situations and uphold his position as an important and revered public figure. I couldn’t have done it. Yet, here he was, able to easily shed the pomp and circumstance and engage with our families as if he’d grown up with us.

It wasn’t until we were enjoying a delectable dessert, a French chocolate tart, and sipping apricot brandy that the pope steered the conversation back to our wedding.

“My children,” he said, addressing Slash and me. “You are about to embark upon one of life’s most challenging and exciting adventures together—marriage. Although, I must admit, you two have already faced numerous trials and challenges that would have ripped apart couples less suited to each other. Those challenges aside, no matter how capable you are at facing down the world’s evil, marriage can sometimes be an even more difficult and dangerous road to navigate, because you hold each other’s hearts.”

My dad put his arm around Mom, and she leaned into him. Juliette took Oscar’s hand as Slash’s eyes met mine across the table.

“Marriage requires work,” he continued. “Hard work. Mutual respect, commitment, trust, and most importantly, love must take precedence during dark times, and I assure you, you will face them.” He paused for a moment. “God has offered you a precious gift. This gift is the power of divine love. It endures and is faithful because the people he has gifted it to are his children and he loves them. Nurture this gift and don’t give up on it, no matter how difficult it may become.”

He took a sip of his brandy, collecting his thoughts. “Make sure when you enter this sacred union tomorrow, you do it with a pure heart. Purge any guilt and extend forgiveness to each other or to those who have hurt you deeply. Forgive yourself for your own transgressions. Remember, you cannot change the past, but you can take responsibility for your future.”

I wasn’t exactly sure if he was talking to me or Slash or both of us, but I didn’t feel like it was the right time to ask for clarification.

“Now, my children, let me give you one final piece of marital advice.” His tone lightened and his eyes sparkled. “I know this might sound presumptuous coming from a man who has never married, but as I understand it, there are three important words in a marriage.Please,thanks, andsorry. Use them frequently and respectfully. More importantly, after every argument, do not fall asleep before you have made peace with each other, no matter how long it takes. It will be worth it.”

He held up his brandy. “So, let us toast to a magnificent union and a blessed ceremony tomorrow, which I am very much looking forward to attending.”

We lifted our glasses in a toast. I sincerely hoped the pope’s direct connection to God was going to tilt the world in our favor—for once—and let our day go off without a hitch.

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