20. Zane
Chapter 20
Zane
SIX MONTHS LATER…
I stand beneath an arch of white roses on the rooftop garden of our shelter, trying not to fidget with my tie. Below us, the city spreads out like a carpet of stars, but I can't focus on anything except waiting for her. Espresso sits beside me, surprisingly dignified in his little bow tie collar, clearly understanding the importance of his role as ring bearer.
When the music starts, my heart stops.
Tessa appears, and everything else fades away. Her dress is simple, elegant—just like her. No elaborate princess gown or dramatic train. Just pure Tessa, beautiful and real and mine.
I feel my carefully maintained CEO composure crumble into pure joy.
Our guests are a perfect reflection of what we've built together—our families, our closest friends, the shelter residents who've become part of our extended family. Even Matthews is here, beaming like a proud uncle.
Our vows are our own—promises not just of love, but of purpose.
"I promise to always see you," Tessa says, her voice strong despite her tears. "Not the masks you wear or the walls you build, but the heart that cares so deeply it scares you sometimes."
My thumb brushes away her tears as I respond. "I promise to be worthy of how you see me. To never stop trying to be the man you believe I am. The man you've helped me become."
But it's the unexpected speeches that catch me off guard.
Tommy, now our head apprentice baker, tells everyone how Tessa taught him to believe in himself. Matthews, surprisingly emotional, speaks of how together, we're transforming the way business can impact community.
My mother rises to speak, her eyes shining. "Sometimes," she says, "the perfect love story isn't about finding someone who changes you. It's about finding someone who helps you become more yourself."
Later, as we dance under the stars, our worlds fully merged at last, I whisper, "Happy, Mrs. Mercer?"
"Deliriously." She rests her head on my chest. "Though I'm keeping Marlow for the bakery."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." I pull her closer, breathing in this moment. "Though you'll always be my Mrs. Mercer."
Around us, our unlikely family celebrates—corporate executives dancing with shelter residents, apprentice bakers serving carefully crafted desserts, our mothers trading embarrassing childhood stories. Even Asher and Ivy are lost in their own world, plotting their own future happiness.
Espresso weaves between our legs, still wearing his bow tie, clearly pleased with his performance today.
"He's going to expect to dress up for board meetings now." Tessa laughs.
"Maybe he should. Might help with difficult negotiations."
I spin her under the twinkling lights, marveling at how perfectly she fits in my arms. How perfectly she fits into every aspect of my life.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks, her eyes bright with happiness.
"How right this feels," I murmur against her hair. "You, here. Us. Everything."
Because some unions aren't just about joining lives, they're about joining purposes, joining visions. Creating something bigger than ourselves.
As the city glows bright, as our family celebrates around us, as Tessa smiles up at me with all the love I never thought I deserved, I know that this is just the beginning.
And I can't wait for every single moment of it.