Chapter 17 - The Wedding They Were Owed
They chose a small garden.
No reporters.
No investors.
No business partners invited out of obligation.
Only people they loved.
Claire walked toward Drew holding Lucy’s hand.
Drew cried immediately.
Marcus whispered, “Hold it together.”
Drew whispered back, “Shut up.”
Claire heard both and laughed.
Their vows were different this time.
Drew did not promise to protect Claire from everything.
He had learned that love was not protection through control.
Instead he promised:
“I will tell you the truth, especially when it scares me.”
Claire promised:
“I will stay when staying is my choice, and if I am afraid, I will tell you instead of disappearing.”
Then Lucy interrupted.
“What do I promise?”
Everyone laughed.
Claire knelt.
“What do you want to promise?”
Lucy thought carefully.
“I promise to remind both of you when you’re being weird.”
Drew nodded solemnly.
“Important responsibility.”
They exchanged the same rings they had worn years earlier.
No diamonds.
No family jewels.
No Mercer emerald.
Just two simple bands.
When Drew kissed Claire, nobody whispered scandal.
Nobody controlled the story.
Nobody threatened them.
Their daughter cheered.
And Claire finally understood that this was not a replacement wedding.
Their first wedding had been real.
Their love had been real.
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This ceremony simply returned something that had been stolen from them:
The right to celebrate it.
