He saw the vulnerability there, the terror of being rejected. This wasn't CEO making strategic move. This was woman who'd found family she'd stopped believing existed and was terrified of losing it. "Is that a yes?" Victoria asked him, voice barely a whisper.
"That's a yes to all of it. The marriage, the family, the complicated, messy, beautiful reality of building life together." Victoria laughed through tears, pulled Ethan close, kissed him with none of the desperation from the gala two years ago. This was kiss that tasted like hope instead of panic. Future instead of survival.
They were married 6 months later. Ceremony was still small but significantly less fictional than the courthouse wedding Jennifer Chen had invented. Thomas walked Victoria down the aisle, expression carrying pride he'd never quite managed to show during her childhood. Mrs. Rodriguez stood as Ethan's witness. Tissues ready, makeup already ruined from crying before ceremony even started.
Lily was flower girl who took her duties very seriously. Scattering petals with concentration that made entire audience laugh. She wore purple dress because purple was her favorite color. Victoria had insisted. At the reception, Thomas approached Ethan during the dancing.
You kept your promise. You've been there for her. I'll keep being there for as long as she'll have me. My wife used to say that the measure of a man wasn't what he did when success was easy. It was what he did when survival was hard.
Thomas paused. You survived and helped her survive simultaneously. That's rare. I'm still figuring out the whole being married to CEO thing. Pretty sure I'm going to mess it up regularly.
Good. Marriage that's too perfect isn't real. Marriage that survives imperfection is worth having. Mrs. Rodriguez found Ethan during a quiet moment. She'd been crying for 3 hours straight.
Claimed it was allergies. Nobody believed her. Mijo, I'm so proud of you. I couldn't have done any of this without you. the past four years, all the nights you watched Lily, all the mornings you made her breakfast, none of this happens without you. That's what family does.
You're not technically family. Family isn't about blood. Family is about who shows up. Mrs. Rodriguez took his hands. Sarah would be so happy for you.
You know that, right? I think so. I hope so. She would. She always wanted you to find someone after she was gone. made me promise to push you toward happiness if you got too stubborn about staying stuck in grief.