Page 52 of Happily Ever After

A warm smile on his face, he turns to Aiden.

"Do you, Aiden Leonard Burg, take Ella to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Aiden looks into my eyes, his gaze unwavering. "I do," he says, his voice having regained its strength and filled with emotion.

The sound of those two simple words sends a shiver down my spine, and the tears are welling up again.Damn waterworks.

Father Josef turns to me. "And do you, Ella Rose O'Neil, take Aiden to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

My heart swells with so much love I can barely breathe. "I do," I whisper, my voice thick with tears of joy.

Father Josef nods and continues, "May I have the rings, please?"

Lex steps forward, handing the rings to the priest. He blesses them before giving Aiden the smaller one.

"Aiden, place the ring on Ella's finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge to you my love, my faithfulness, and my devotion. May it symbolize the unendingcircle of our commitment, a bond that will endure through all the seasons of our lives."

Aiden takes my hand gently, his fingers steady despite the tremor beneath his skin. As he repeats the words, he slides the ring onto my finger. Then he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses the symbol of our marriage that now happily marks me as his.

My smile is radiant, reflecting the joy and love that fills my heart.

Father Josef holds the larger ring out to me, and I carefully take it. Reaching for Aiden's hand, I savor the cool metal against my palm.

"Ella, place the ring on Aiden's finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge to you my love, my faithfulness, and my devotion. May it symbolize the unending circle of our commitment, a bond that will endure through all the seasons of our lives."

I look up at Aiden, my hand steady as I slide the ring onto his finger, though my voice is shaky with emotion as I repeat the words spoken from the heart.

Father Josef carefully and reverently pulls the ribbon from around his neck and binds our hands together. I sense a flutter deep within my chest, like butterflies taking flight. The warmth of Ade's touch, combined with the weight of the moment, sends a wave of tingles cascading down my spine. With each gentle tug of the ribbon, it's like the bond between us strengthens.

Is that my imagination? Or is he really weaving our love and commitment together?

Weirdly, it's as if every fiber of my being is attuned to this sacred ritual.

"As your hands are bound together, so too are your hearts." Father Josef's words echo the vows we've just exchanged.

He smiles warmly at us both and then says the words Ade and I have been longing to hear.

"By the power vested in me by the Holy Church and the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife.Now, you may kiss the bride."

Grinning from ear to ear, Aiden steps closer, his hands cupping my face as he leans in. My stomach is wonderfully bubbly, the electricity that always sparks between us amping up to a feverish intensity. I can't wait for our wedding night. Right now, it seems too long away. The need to touch every inch of my hot-as-hell husband is overwhelming.

Husband.

I repeat the word over and over in my mind, all of me giddy with excitement.

Husband, husband, husband.

I'm married!

I'm really freaking married.

Ade's face inches closer, so slowly, it's as if he wants to prolong this moment, make it last, and give us time to memorize it for eternity.

"Mrs. Burg… wife," he whispers before our lips meet.

And in that kiss, I feel the culmination of everything we've been through, every hope and dream for our future.

For this perfect moment, it's just the two of us, bound together forever… having found our happily ever after.

The End