Chapter Fourteen Where We Begin #2
Amara's hand flew to her mouth.
“Adrian Isaiah James?”
He tried it.
Then nodded.
“I think so.”
Amara began crying again.
Evelyn sighed.
“There goes the mascara.”
Everyone laughed.
And this time Adrian moved first.
He stepped toward Amara.
Then wrapped his arms around his mother.
Amara froze.
Naomi watched her face break.
Her arms slowly rose around the son she had lost within days of giving birth.
She held him.
Not as an heir.
Not as proof.
Not as the missing half of some succession ritual.
As her child.
Adrian buried his face against her shoulder.
Naomi turned away because some moments deserved less watching.
Evelyn slipped an arm around her.
“Ready?”
Naomi looked toward the door.
She could hear music beginning downstairs.
Her heartbeat quickened.
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“I'm ready.”
Lucas forgot how to breathe when Naomi appeared.
He had seen her beautiful before.
Laughing in Paris.
Angry in Madrid.
Barefoot in his kitchen.
Focused over sketches.
Dressed for galas.
Half asleep in his shirts.
Nothing prepared him for this.
The garden doors opened.
Every guest rose.
Naomi stood there with Evelyn.
Lucas's entire world narrowed.
Anthony leaned closer.
“Breathe.”
Lucas whispered, “I am.”
“No, you're not.”
Lucas inhaled.
Naomi saw him.
Even from across the garden, she saw the exact moment his composure failed.
His hand moved over his mouth.
His eyes filled.
Naomi smiled.
Evelyn whispered, “You got him.”
Naomi laughed softly.
They started walking.
White rose petals lined the aisle.
There were no cameras beyond the photographer Naomi and Lucas had chosen.
No press.
No spectacle.
Just people.
Catherine smiled from beside Anthony.
Olivia was already crying.
Hudson stood beside her, pretending he wasn't.
Rose Winter sat openly near the front.
No wig.
No altered identity.
No shadow.
Adrian Vale sat beside her with his hand over hers.
Julian sat on Rose's other side, close enough that their shoulders touched.
They were not healed.
Families did not repair decades in an afternoon.
But they were present.
Together.
That mattered.
Halfway down the aisle, Amara waited.
Evelyn stopped.
Naomi turned toward her.
Evelyn kissed her cheek.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too.”
Evelyn reached for Amara's hand.
Amara joined them.
For several steps, both women walked beside Naomi.
Naomi could feel the small blue flower sewn inside her dress near her heart.
At the final turn, Adrian waited.
Evelyn took Naomi's left hand.
Amara took her right.
Together, they placed both into Adrian's.
No one said anything.
They didn't need to.
Adrian offered his arm.
Naomi slipped hers through it.
“Don't trip me.”
“I was about to tell you the same thing.”
She smiled.
They walked.
Lucas was crying now.
Actually crying.
Naomi's heart swelled.
When they reached him, Adrian looked at Lucas.
Lucas waited.
Adrian said quietly, “She's my sister.”
“I know.”
“She deserves everything good.”
“I know that too.”
Adrian studied him.
Then smiled faintly.
“Good.”
Naomi whispered, “That's your threat?”
“I'm evolving.”
Lucas laughed.
Adrian placed Naomi's hand into his.
Then stepped away.
Lucas stared at her.
Naomi raised an eyebrow.
“You planning to say something?”
“You're…”
He stopped.
She smiled.
“Yes?”
“Give me a moment.”
The guests laughed softly.
Lucas shook his head.
“You are breathtaking.”
Naomi's smile softened.
“You clean up nicely too.”
“Nicely?”
Anthony whispered from behind him, “Take the compliment.”
Lucas squeezed Naomi's hands.
The officiant welcomed everyone.
But Naomi barely heard the first few sentences.
She was looking at Lucas.
And Lucas was looking at her.
Not past her.
Not toward some imagined version of a wife.
Her.
The vows had been written privately.
Lucas went first.
He unfolded his paper.
Then looked at it.
Then folded it again.
Naomi frowned.
“You forgot how to read?”
A few guests laughed.
Lucas shook his head.
“I don't need it.”
His voice trembled slightly.
“Naomi, before you, I believed love was something that could be lost if you failed to protect it perfectly.”
Her eyes immediately filled.
“I spent years trying to control every possible outcome because once, losing someone convinced me uncertainty was dangerous.”
He took a breath.
“Then you walked into a museum, disagreed with me within minutes, and somehow became the person who taught me that loving someone isn't about making their world smaller so nothing can reach them.”
Naomi squeezed his hands.
“You challenged me. Frightened me. Infuriated me.”
She laughed through tears.
“You made me examine the things my family called normal and the things I called duty.”
His voice softened.
“And every time the truth became uglier, you still found a way to remain kind without becoming na?ve.”
Naomi's tears slipped free.
Lucas smiled.
“I promise I will never ask you to shrink your dreams to fit beside mine.”
Her breath caught.
“I promise to listen when you tell me who you are instead of deciding for you.”
He glanced briefly toward Hudson.
Then back to Naomi.
“I promise our home will be a place where love is never something anyone has to earn.”
Hudson lowered his head.
Olivia reached for his hand.
Lucas continued.
“And if we're fortunate enough to have children one day, I promise they will know where they came from without ever being told that where they came from determines where they must go.”
Naomi covered her mouth.
Lucas laughed softly.
“And I promise to stop denying that I snore.”
The garden erupted in laughter.
Naomi pointed at him.
“Witnesses. We have witnesses.”
“I regret adding that.”
“You should.”
He lifted her hand.
“Most of all, I promise that whatever comes next, you will never face it wondering whether I am beside you.”
Naomi wiped her cheek.
“My turn?”
Lucas smiled.
“Please.”
She unfolded her vows.
“I wrote mine, and I'm using them because unlike some people, I respect preparation.”
More laughter.
Lucas bowed his head.
Naomi looked down.
Then at him.
“Lucas, when I came to London, I had a plan.”
“You did.”
“A very good plan.”
“Debatable.”
She gave him a warning look.
The guests laughed again.
“My plan did not include you.”
“I gathered that.”
“It definitely did not include secret societies, stolen art, billionaires with emotional problems—”
Anthony coughed.
“Which billionaire?”
Naomi looked toward him.
“Stay out of this.”
Anthony grinned.
Naomi returned to Lucas.
“I spent years believing that if I worked hard enough, stayed focused enough, and needed little enough from anyone, I could protect myself from disappointment.”
Her voice became softer.
“Then you noticed me.”
Lucas's expression changed.
“You didn't ask me to become easier to love.”
Naomi looked toward Evelyn and Amara.
“You loved the parts of me I already knew were beautiful, and you were patient with the parts still learning that.”
Lucas's eyes glistened.
“You stood beside me when my identity cracked open.”
She took a breath.
“You never used my confusion as an opportunity to tell me who I should become.”
Naomi smiled.
“I promise to protect what is ours without trying to control everything around it.”
She squeezed his fingers.
“I promise to remind you when you're becoming too serious.”
“Already happening.”
“I promise to fill whatever house we choose with music you will probably hate.”
“Cruel.”
“I promise our children, if we have them, will know their grandmother Evelyn makes better cinnamon rolls than either of us.”
Evelyn called, “Correct!”
Naomi laughed.
“And they will know their grandmother Amara can turn fabric into something that feels like memory.”
Amara pressed a tissue beneath her eyes.
“They'll know Uncle Adrian complains constantly but shows up anyway.”
Adrian nodded solemnly.
“Accurate.”
“They'll know Olivia gives the best hugs.”
Olivia began crying harder.
“And they'll know Hudson is available for expensive birthday presents.”
Hudson laughed.
“Finally, a role I understand.”
Naomi looked back at Lucas.
“But before all of that, they'll know their parents liked each other.”
Lucas's smile deepened.
“They'll know we laughed.”
Her voice caught.
“They'll know we kept building even after other people left us ruins.”
The garden grew quiet.
Naomi reached up and touched Lucas's face.
“And you'll know, every day I can give you, that marrying you wasn't something that happened to my story.”
She smiled through tears.
“It was something I wanted.”
Lucas closed his eyes for one brief second.
Then the officiant wisely moved things along before both of them dissolved completely.
Rings were exchanged.
Promises confirmed.
And when Lucas was finally told he could kiss his bride, Anthony whispered loudly enough for the front rows to hear—
“Try to keep it respectable.”
Lucas looked over his shoulder.
“Absolutely not.”
Naomi barely had time to laugh.
His hands framed her face.
Then he kissed her.
Cheers erupted.
Naomi wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened, warm and breath-stealing and full of every day they had fought to reach.
Lucas drew her closer.
She smiled against his mouth.
“People are watching.”
“You invited them.”
She laughed.
He kissed her once more.
And when they finally turned toward their family and friends, Naomi James—now Naomi James Taylor only when she felt like using the extra name, as she had already informed Lucas—raised their joined hands.
The garden exploded with applause.
The reception lasted until well after midnight.
Anthony's speech was inappropriate.
Catherine's was better.
Evelyn revealed three childhood stories Naomi had specifically forbidden her from telling.
Amara danced with Adrian.
At first they moved awkwardly.
Then Adrian laughed at something she said.
Naomi watched from across the floor.
Lucas came up behind her.
“You're staring.”
“I know.”
“Happy?”
Naomi leaned against him.
“Yes.”
Hudson danced with Olivia beneath strings of garden lights.
Rose sat nearby talking quietly with Adrian Vale while Julian listened.
For the first time, Rose did not appear prepared to disappear.
Naomi noticed Beatrice standing near the edge of the terrace.
She approached her.
“I wasn't sure you'd come.”