Epilogue
GAbrIELA
“Gabs, you look like a princess,” Abella gushes.
“You really do,” Val agrees.
I glance at my reflection in the mirror for one final check. The dress is unapologetically me—endless layers of blush pink tulle and a sweeping skirt dotted with rosette appliqués. The bodice sits off the shoulders, wrapping me in delicate tulle blooms. It looks like something out of a fairytale.
I still can’t believe Val was able to orchestrate this in such a short amount of time.
I suspect Romeo and his bank account had a hand in that, too, because she told me he didn’t care what it cost to make this wedding happen.
I didn’t want anything over-the-top. Just a pretty dress, a few flowers, some cake, and of course, my charming serial killer of a groom.
He's given me everything I ever could have wanted, and some days, it’s hard to believe this is my life. I choke up when I think about how far we’ve come and where we’re going. I’m more than ready to spend the rest of my life with Romeo Vitale.
All my girls are here with me, dressed in dusty rose satin slip gowns, and of course, Nonna too.
Beppe is in his tuxedo sweater, prepared for his role as ring bearer.
Antonella will be the flower girl, carried down the aisle by Abella.
Nonna will be the one to give me away, and Romeo’s cousin Pepe will officiate the ceremony.
The wedding party will be the only guests, and after celebrating with the family tonight, Romeo and I will leave for our honeymoon. We’re spending a week at the Vitale-owned cabin in Leavenworth, the perfect cozy winter retreat.
I’ve been promised warm fires, scary movie marathons, and of course, lots of time lounging around in bed. It sounds like pure bliss, and I can’t imagine anything better.
“You ready?” Val brings me back to the present.
I turn to face my bridesmaids, and when I do, Abella is smirking at me.
“You’re thinking about the honeymoon, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.” I smile innocently.
“Let’s focus on making it down the aisle first,” Val says.
“Okay.” I nod. “I’m ready.”
Val shepherds us down the hall, lining us up outside the ballroom. We opted for a modern processional, with the groomsmen waiting at the altar beside Romeo and the bridesmaids walking before me.
Val cues the music from her phone and starts issuing orders like a tiny drill sergeant, sending each of my bridesmaids marching.
The duet of "You Are The Reason" by Calum Scott and Leona Lewis drifts from the ballroom speakers—the perfect song for everything that’s led us to this moment.
Just before Abella’s turn, she takes a moment to check in with me. “You good?”
“I am, surprisingly.”
I’m completely relaxed for once.
“Good.” She smiles. “Love you.”
“Love you too. I’ll be right behind you.”
She makes her journey down the aisle, and Nonna pats my hand.
“Thank you, tesoro.”
I blink up at her, caught off guard by the emotion in her eyes. Nonna Vitale is always warm, but she’s also known for being stoic. Right now, she’s anything but.
“For what, Nonna?” I ask.
“You made him smile again.”
The weight of her observation settles over me, a bittersweet reminder.
Everyone in the family has worried about Romeo over the years, even if they tried not to show it.
But I can’t take all the credit for the emotional shift, because so much of it had to do with timing.
He had to get to a point where he could trust himself with me, and now that we’re finally here, everything just feels right.
“Okay, ready?” Val checks me over one last time.
I nod, and she sends us off with a smile, Beppe leading the charge into the ballroom. As we reach the aisle, and the altar comes into view, I almost falter for a second as I stifle a laugh.
There, across from my bridesmaids, is an impenetrable wall of suits—the Vitale men, each wearing a different mask.
We have Jason, Michael Myers, and Angelo in his infamous skull.
Naturally, my groom is wearing Ghostface in an all-black suit with his signature combat boots.
He’s owning his not-at-all-a-gentleman look, and I love it.
I’m impatient to get to him, but Nonna keeps me grounded and maintains a ladylike pace as she mutters something in Italian about the men. When we finally reach the altar, and Romeo removes his mask, handing it off to his brother, my chest fills with a sudden rush of butterflies.
He’s so hot, I could maul him right here, and I can’t believe that after today, he’ll be mine forever.
Seemingly reading my thoughts, he takes me by the hand and leans in, lips brushing against my ear.
“Keep looking at me like that, little shark, and we won’t make it through the vow ceremony.”
I let out a dreamy sigh, and Pepe clears his throat, reminding us we have an audience.
He opens the ceremony, but I’m not sure I hear a word he says because I’m lost in Romeo’s gaze. When his thumb brushes my knuckles, and a hint of a smile passes over his face, I realize it’s time to pay attention.
We chose traditional vows, and unlike most of the time, there isn’t an ounce of sarcasm or dry humor in Romeo’s voice as he repeats them. He wants me to know he’s serious, and that this isn’t just a formality for him. It’s a promise.
When it’s my turn to repeat the vows, he grounds me with his touch, and everything else falls away. It’s just the two of us, swearing our love to each other for eternity.
After I finish, Rafe scoops Beppe up and hands over the rings. Romeo slips mine on first, and I could almost swear I feel a tremor in his hand when he lifts his gaze to mine.
Before I slide his band on, my thumb grazes the scar on his finger from the day of the lightning strike. It feels strangely fated, like that mark lingered there as a sign of what would come. That somehow, we’d always find our way back to each other.
When I look into Romeo’s eyes, I know he feels it too.
Pepe pronounces us husband and wife, and Romeo doesn’t wait for his cue. He sweeps me up into a kiss that lets me—and everyone else—know I’m his.
A chorus of cheers erupts around us, Beppe barks, and my heart swells even more in my chest.
“è sempre stata tu,” Romeo murmurs the words against my lips. “Sei mia. Per sempre.”
I echo it back to him, and in that moment, I know truer words have never been spoken.
It’s always been you. You’re mine forever.