Chapter 7 - The Kingdom of LightSix months later, the spring sun broke over the rolling green lawns of a grand oceanfront estate in Lake Forest, north of Chicago.
The fifty-acre property, surrounded by ancient oak trees, blooming white hydrangeas, and high stone walls, sat overlooking the clear blue waters of Lake Michigan.
On the wide stone terrace, a small, elegant gathering of fifty close friends, foundation staff, and trusted associates sat around candlelit tables filled with fresh flowers, warm pastries, and fine wine.
I stood near a white floral arch wearing a breathtaking, simple ivory lace gown that caught the afternoon sunlight like liquid gold. My dark hair was styled in soft, glossy waves, my skin radiant, my posture holding the unshakeable sovereignty of a woman who had survived the storm and reclaimed her empire.
Beside me stood Roman, wearing an immaculate black tuxedo, looking more handsome, relaxed, and happy than I had ever seen him in his life.
Standing between our legs, wearing a small black tuxedo matching Roman's, was six-year-old Leo—proudly holding a velvet pillow containing our gold wedding bands.
The minister smiled, opening his ceremonial book.
"Do you, Roman Moretti, take Megan Vance to be your lawful wedded wife, to love, honor, and protect her and her son for all the days of your life?"
Roman looked deep into my hazel eyes, his large, calloused palm wrapping around my fingers with absolute, eternal devotion.
"I do," Roman swore softly, his deep baritone ringing clearly across the quiet lake.
"And do you, Megan Vance, take Roman Moretti to be your lawful wedded husband?"
"I do," I whispered, my heart bursting with a joy so vast it filled the entire sky.
Leo jumped up on his tiptoes, raising his small hand high in the air. "And I say yes too! Roman is my real dad!"
The guests erupted into a warm, affectionate round of applause that carried across the sunlit terrace.
Roman pulled me into his broad arms, lifting me effortlessly into his embrace, kissing me with a deep, sweet, consuming passion that sealed our lives together under the open sky, while Leo cheered, wrapping his small arms around both of our legs.
May you like
Down on my left hand, a flawless six-carat diamond ring caught the bright spring sunlight, gleaming with an unbroken, beautiful light that would last a lifetime.
Outside the grand iron gates of the estate, the city of Chicago continued to spin, but sitting on the sunlit terrace, wrapped in the arms of the man who had turned a dark alley into an empire of love, I knew that our home, our peace, and our lives were finally, beautifully, and forever our own.
