Epilogue
The day Sophia married Luca dawned warm and bright, like the world itself had decided to give them a blessing.
She stood at the end of the aisle with Aurora beside her, smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her dress as her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest. The bakery smell—vanilla, sugar, and something comforting still clung faintly to Aurora, who had insisted on baking the wedding cake herself.
“You ready?” Aurora whispered.
Sophia smiled, eyes shining. “I’ve been ready for him my whole life.
” When the music started playing, everything else faded.
Luca stood at the altar in a dark suit that fit him like it had been made just for him.
His usual hardness softened by awe the moment he saw her.
The fighter, the protector, the man who’d torn through hell to save her, looked undone.
And he never once looked away from her as she walked down the aisle.
The vows that they exchanged were simple and honest. They made each other spoken promises without hesitation. “I won’t disappear,” Luca said, his voice steady but thick.
“I won’t stop choosing you,” Sophia replied.
When it was time to kiss the bride, Luca took his time. They had already survived the worst and knew this thing between the two of them was forever. He had all the time in the world, and she loved that their special moment wasn’t rushed.
That night, after the guests had gone and the house was quiet, Sophia stood barefoot in their bedroom, watching Luca loosen his tie in the mirror. The gold band on his finger caught the light, and something warm bloomed in her chest.
“Hey,” she said softly.
He turned to face her and smiled. “What’s that look for?” he asked. She took a breath and held out the small white stick she’d been hiding in the nightstand drawer for a few days now. Her hands trembled, but her smile didn’t.
Luca frowned, confused, and then it seemed to hit him. He crossed the room in three long strides. “Soph,” His voice broke as he looked at the test. “Are you—?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “We are going to have a baby.” For a moment, he just stared at the stick in her hand, and then he laughed—a rough, disbelieving sound, and pulled her into his arms so carefully it made her chest ache.
“I don’t deserve this,” he murmured into her hair.
She pulled back just enough to look at him. “You fought for this. You fought to find me, and you saved us.
He dropped to his knees in front of her, pressing a kiss to her stomach, like he already loved the life growing inside her. “I swear,” he said, looking up at her with fierce tenderness, “I will protect you both with everything I have.”
A few months later, Sophia sat ringside in Atlantic City, one hand resting protectively over her bump, Luca’s jacket draped over her shoulders. He stood in the ring, sweat-slicked and focused, eyes locked on her through the chaos.
This time, he wasn’t fighting to survive. He was fighting for his future—their future. When the bell rang, Luca glanced her way one last time. Sophia lifted her chin and smiled—steady, proud, and unafraid.
“I’m right here,” she mouthed. And for the first time in her life, she watched as Luca went into a fight, knowing exactly what she was coming home to. Love, family, and forever.
She had always thought of her time in foster care as something she wanted to forget.
But being in the system had led her to Luca, and that was something that she wouldn’t change.
They had both finally made the family that they had always wanted, and she wouldn’t trade it or her fighter for anything in the world.
The End
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