Chapter 34
STASSI
Chamomile tea never works, but here I am, hoping it'll somehow calm the flutter in my chest.
My reflection in the vanity mirror stares back, calm and serene, at least on the outside.
A white silk robe drapes over my body, my hair half-pinned, my lips painted with a soft rose.
Behind me, Calli is chattering with the makeup artist about my look.
Her voice is light, playful. It helps. A little.
Calli leans over, her hair falling forward as she points. "More gold in the inner corners, I think. Her eyes need to pop, especially with that veil."
I smile slightly, careful not to disrupt the artist's work. There's a hum of activity in the air, people coming and going, preparing and arriving. All for us. All for this day I never thought would come.
I glance down at my engagement ring, twisting it slightly on my finger.
How did we get here?
Through happiness. Through heartbreak. Through years apart and a son born in secret. Through violence and some long-buried truths. But also through love. The kind that never died, not even when I tried to kill it.
It's as if Theo and my heart had a string, and no matter how far either of us went, we were always destined to come back together. Granted, there was a painful reunion and a kidnapping involved, but hey, we made it.
Calli's warm hand squeezes my shoulder, snapping me from my thoughts. "Hey, you doing alright?" she asks, her eyes meeting mine.
"I'm spiraling. Just a little," I say, and we both laugh.
I smile, turning slightly toward her. "No, I'm just thinking about how different this is from what I used to imagine."
"You used to imagine marrying my brother?" Calli's eyebrow arches with amusement.
"Back when we first got together." The confession feels a bit childish. "I used to picture us eloping somewhere quiet. Just us. No fuss." I laugh softly. "I think I knew from the beginning I wanted him forever."
Calli's eyes soften, and she wraps her arms around my shoulders from behind, careful not to disturb the makeup artist's work.
"And now you're getting the full Kastaris treatment instead.
" She rests her chin on my shoulder, our reflections side by side in the mirror.
"I'm so glad you're back in our lives, Stassi. In his life."
"Me too," I whisper.
"You're going to be an incredible wife." Her voice catches slightly. "My brother is lucky as hell to have you."
My eyes mist up.
"Don't you dare cry," the makeup artist warns, brandishing her brush like a weapon. "I just perfected those lashes."
We all laugh, and I dab carefully at the corners of my eyes with a tissue.
"Speaking of perfect," Calli says, stepping back to admire the makeup artist's work as she puts the finishing touches on my face, "you look too pretty. It's almost unfair to the rest of us." Her eyes suddenly widen. "Holy shit, this is real! You're actually marrying my brother today."
Her excitement is contagious, as always, and I feel a bubble of joy expanding in my chest.
"I hope to have something like what you two have one day," Calli says, perching on the edge of the vanity. "The way he looks at you," she sighs dramatically. "Until then, I've got my hot boxing instructor to flirt with." She winks.
A knock at the door interrupts us. The door creaks open and Katerina steps inside, radiant in her dress, her long curls pinned half-up. She smiles warmly.
"I hope I'm not interrupting."
Calli waves her in. "Perfect timing. We were just being sappy."
She shuts the door. "Just wanted to check in," she says, stepping closer. "Wow, you look beautiful, Stassi."
"Thank you," I say. And I mean it, too. Not just for the compliment, but for everything. In the weeks since we first met, she's been warm, supportive, and even jokingly stood up to her husband Ares for me in a playful argument we were having.
Calli gives her a hug, and for a few moments we're just three women laughing, chatting, and bonding.
"So, how are you feeling?" Katerina asks, rubbing my shoulder. "Nervous?"
"Starting to get a little terrified," I admit. "But the good kind of terrified."
She nods knowingly. "I felt the same with Ares. Like standing at the edge of a cliff, scared to jump but knowing the view will be worth it."
The makeup artist steps back, declaring her work complete. I study my reflection as Calli and Katerina flank me on either side; three women in the mirror, the bride and her new sisters.
Calli glances at her phone. "I'm going to check on Theo. Make sure he actually got his tie on straight"
Katerina laughs.
Calli walks to the door, then pauses. "Not to bring any sadness into your day, but if your mom was alive, she'd be proud of you. Of the woman you've become. You look like an angel."
My throat tightens. "Don't make me cry."
"Too late." Calli grins. "Okay, okay, hang on." She scrunches her nose. "Want to hear a terrible joke that your son made me tell him 100 times to stop the tears?"
"No."
"Too bad. What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary?"
I sigh. "I swear to God—"
"A thesaurus."
Katerina groans. "You're fired from maid of honor duties, but wait. I'm coming with you."
I rise from the vanity, adjusting the silk robe around me.
My fingers trail over the wedding dress hanging by the door.
I turn toward the open window. The view overlooks the courtyard below.
I catch a glimpse of Theo standing with Ares and Dimitri.
He's dressed in black, sharp and regal. Ares adjusts his collar while Dimitri paces.
I step back instinctively. Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride? But then I laugh at myself. After everything we've survived?
Screw tradition.
I move back to the window, drinking him in. The sunlight casts shadows across his face as he turns slightly. Even from this distance, he makes my heart tighten in my chest.
That's my man.
I've loved him in so many ways: desperately, painfully, hopelessly, joyfully.
I turn back to the dress.
Time to become his wife.
I step into my dress and get ready.
Another knock.
Calli sticks her head in. "Ready?"
I nod, heart thudding. "Let's do this."
"Wait," Calli says and carefully places the veil on my head, securing it with pearl-tipped pins. "Now you're ready."
She grabs my hand. "Shit, I'm nervous like I'm the one getting married."
We laugh and step out into the hallway where Katerina is waiting. We walk outside and the sun is beginning to dip, casting golden light across the stone path leading to the church. Leading me to Theo.
We reach the church doors and I peek inside.
The guests are settling. Ares and Dimitri take their places.
Theo rubs his forehead, pacing slightly.
I spot the Bonventi brothers and their wives.
Marco's wife, Alina, sits near the front.
She played a song she wrote for Theo and me last night at dinner on her harp. It was beautiful.
"Everyone's here," I whisper to Calli, who peeks around me.
"Perfect turnout," she agrees. "Ready to knock my brother's socks off?"
Before I can answer, the music changes. The quartet begins the processional we chose together. Katerina gives my hand one final squeeze before slipping inside to take her place.
Calli turns to me, suddenly serious. "You know, I always wanted a sister. Now I have two." She straightens my veil one last time. "You're already family, Stassi. This just makes it official."
My throat tightens with emotion. "Thank you for accepting me back into your lives. After everything."
"Please," she scoffs. "You gave me a nephew to adore," she says, nodding to Xander who's with Elena, "and you made my brother happy again. We're the ones who should be thankful."
Calli rubs my shoulders and hands me my bouquet and gives me a wink. "See you up there."
"Ready, Mama?" Xander says, looking up at me with those eyes that mirror his father's. He's standing perfectly still in his tiny suit, clutching the pillow with our rings.
"Ready, baby," I say back. "Remember what we practiced?"
"Uh-huh. I walk super straight and don't drop the pillow."
"Perfect."
Xander steps out first, walking carefully down the aisle with a little pillow in his hands. His dinosaur socks peek out beneath his pants. He's focused, serious, until someone claps and then he grins and waves like a celebrity. Laughter erupts through the church.
My hand flies to my mouth, tears already threatening to spill. Xander speeds up a little, proud of the reaction he's gotten, and makes it to Theo, who bends down to hug him before leading him to Elena in the first pew.
Then all eyes turn to me.
The music shifts, and I take my first step forward. The silk of my dress whispers against the floor. I grip my bouquet tighter, steadying myself.
And then I see him, really see him.
Theo stands there in his black suit, looking more handsome than should be legal. His eyes lock with mine, and suddenly the room fades away. The guests, the flowers, the music, it all dissolves until there's nothing but Theo and me and the space between us that I'm slowly closing.
I don't need to look at my feet. I don't need to think about my steps. All I need to do is walk toward him, toward the man who has always been my destination, even when I was running away.
With each step, memories flash through my mind. Our first meeting in that crowded Athens bar, fun trips around Greece, laughing uncontrollably at YouTube videos, and the painful years apart. But also Xander's birth, the moment Theo first met his son, and now this, our second chance.
When I reach the altar, Theo extends his hand. His fingers are warm when they close around mine.
"You're like a goddess," he whispers, so only I can hear.
The priest begins the ceremony, but I barely register the words. Theo's thumb strokes the back of my hand in slow, soothing circles. Xander fidgets, shifting from foot to foot, but beams up at us with pure happiness.