Chapter 123

“Iris Smith,” Christian says quietly, taking my left hand in his and looking directly into my eyes. “You are, without a doubt, the love of my life. I have been overwhelmed, every day of my life – with you present in it and not – by your beautiful soul, your grace, your strength, and your courage. Your incredible spirit –“

His voice breaks here and he glances down at the floor, pulling himself together, and my heart leaps into my throat, my eyes lining with tears.

“That spirit,” Christian continues, shaking his head and returning his eyes to mine, “has gotten me through more than you know, and I won’t survive without you by my side. Please, Iris – please give me the great honor of calling you my wife.”

I just stare at him, tears slipping down my cheeks, wondering if this is all a dream.

“Please, Daisy,” he whispers, staring at me without blinking, awe in his expression. “I fought it too long. I don’t want to spend another day without you. Please, please marry me.”

And even if there was a little part of me that hesitated – it’s all swept away in the end by the sight of this handsome man, who was once the boy who grew up next door, kneeling before me and begging me to be his.

“Okay,” I whisper, nodding softly.

“Okay!?” he breaks out, grinning at me. “Yes!?”

“Yes!” I shout, laughing, tipping forward off of the pew and into his arms.

Christian bursts out into a shout of joy, grabbing me close and holding me so tight I’m not sure I’ll be able to draw breath. But I’m laughing too, shocked and delighted, completely swept away in the moment. Christian – my fiancé – stands up and takes me with him, scooping me up into his arms and beaming down at me like he, too, is amazed.

“We’re doing this!?” he asks, his voice thrilled.

Eagerly, I nod.

“Ridiculous,” Lucy sighs, though I can hear in her voice that she doesn’t really mean it. Both Christian and I turn our heads to smile at her as she walks over, followed by Tony and Nico and Frankie. “Not you, Iris,” she clarifies, rolling her eyes and holding up a tiny bouquet of flowers that I didn’t realize she was holding. “Just Christian. Who on earth has a surprise wedding.”

“It’s cool,” Christian murmurs, laughing a little and glancing back at me as Lucy hands me the tiny bouquet. “You’re just jealous, Luce, because Tony is dragging his feet.”

“We could make it a double wedding,” Tony says, giving a little shrug.

“No,” Lucy counters immediately, laughing and spinning to point a finger in his face. “I am not as cool as Iris, Anthony Romano. You are giving me that big wedding. Cathedral veil, roses, lilies, and five hundred guests.”

I grin at Lucy, and then down at my perfect little tiny bouquet of flowers, and then lift my head to look around at Nico and Frankie. Nico, to my surprise, is smiling at me like he can’t help it – like he’s genuinely happy for me, for us. Like he’s finally accepted it, and stopped fighting it, and now that he has he sees how right it is – how much of a match Christian and I really are.

But Frankie…

My smile falters, just a touch, when I see that his smile is pasted on his face. That he’s working very, very hard to be the supportive best friend.

When he sees my happiness falter, though, Frankie shakes his head – almost imperceptibly. But enough. And then his smile turns genuine as he takes me in, sees how happy I truly am, sees the sweet, tiny bouquet in my hands.

And I see that he’s really happy for me. Even if he has to work for it.

My own happiness returns in a flood, because I realize that…that it’s okay. And it’s right.

Because I’m marrying my best friend. I look up at Christian, and find his eyes on me, and I bite my lip.

Because I can’t wait another minute.

“Let me down,” I say, wiggling a little, eager. “Let’s go – let’s do it!”

He laughs, but keeps holding me up where I am. “I think we’re good just like this,” he murmurs.

And then, without another word, Christian turns and strides up the aisle with me in his arms. I burst out laughing and wrap one arm around his neck, clutching my tiny bouquet to my chest and looking forward to where the rather scandalized priest is standing, waiting for us.

The priest takes a deep breath as we arrive at the front of the altar, both of us beaming, our little collection of friends and witnesses coming up behind.

“I take it,” the priest says, raising an eyebrow at us. “That things have been sorted?”

“Yes, Father,” Christian says happily, putting me gently on my feet and pulling me close to his side, an arm around my waist. “Now, if you would please marry us as hastily as possible.”

The priest laughs a little, shaking his head, but he bids us to kneel down in front of him. We do, and excitement wells in me the whole time.

The whole process goes faster than I thought it would. The priest says a few prayers and a quick mass, giving us some bread to eat and then a little bit of wine. Christian takes it all in stride very seriously but, not having bought into any of the scanty religious training I did have, I just…follow along.

It all come a bit clearer, though, when the priest asks us quite solemnly to please produce the rings.

To my shock, Christian does indeed pull one out of his pocket.

“Where the hell did you get that on such short notice?” I breathe, amazed.

The priest gives me a bit of a dirty look for the curse, but I ignore him.

Christian shrugs. “Had it laying around,” he murmurs. But the way he smirks – I know there’s a deeper story behind it. I smile, nodding to him, silently begging him to tell me later. He nods, agreeing to it.

I bite my lip. “I don’t have one for you.”

He shrugs. “We’ll pick one up as soon as we can. Until then, you’ll just have to take my word for it.”

I laugh a little, and nod, not really caring that I’ll have a ring when he doesn’t.

The priest takes the ring from Christian’s hand and blesses it quietly before handing it back to him. And then we stand, and say our vows.

They’re quite simple, really, the ones that have been used thousands of times to unite thousands of people. But even though they’re familiar, even though they’re not unique to us…

Still, my eyes fill with tears as Christian says the words to me.

“I, Christian, take you Iris, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

He breaks tradition a little bit, raising a hand to my cheek as he says them, as he promises to hold me, to stand by me through illness in health, until death parts us.

And then I do the same, making my vow to him. To Christian, my best friend, my…

My husband, now.

“Till death do us part.”

The words leave my lips like a prayer. They’re more than a promise – my solemn vow to him.

“I now pronounce you,” the priest says quietly. “Man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

A huge smile stretches over my lips – and then Christian gathers me into his arms, and bends me backwards just a touch, and kisses me. My arms wrap around his neck as he pulls me close to his body, and I kiss him right back, my whole heart in every movement of my lips.

Christian, my love. My husband now.

Exactly what I’ve always wanted.

Shouts of joy break out around us, and bells peel, and I break away laughing, surprised by this as well. I turn to look for the sound, up in the ceiling, but then Lucy’s there – laughing and clapping and hugging us both, congratulating us and wishing us well. And then Nico and Tony and Frankie press kisses to my cheek, offering Christian their hearty congratulations.

And then – like it’s all a dream – Christian lifts me again into his arms and carries me out of the church. “Come on, Mrs. Romano,” he murmurs, pressing a happy kiss to my cheek. “Let’s go celebrate.”

And I grin, nodding, but as we move out of the church the reality of that new life sets in and I suddenly realize that…I have no idea what I’ve actually signed up for.

Iris…Romano. My new name.

Because for better or worse now, I’m part of the Romano crime family.

Till death do us part.