With You

With You
SARAH

My eyes sting, and I can’t stop the tears.

Cullen smiles faintly through his own. “You once told me that love shouldn’t feel like walking on glass, that it should feel like home. I didn’t understand that before, but I do now. You are my home, Sarah Sullivan. And this time, I’m never walking away.”

He squeezes my hand gently and whispers, “That’s my vow.”

Cullen steps closer, his hand cupping the side of my face. For a moment, the world just stops. No sound. No movement. Just him and me.

This isn’t about a ceremony or a performance. It’s something deeper. Familiar. Steady. Real. I can’t stop smiling.

The pastor nods, then turns to me. “Sarah.”

I take a small, shaky breath, trying to steady my voice. I keep my eyes only on him.

“Cullen,” I begin, and already my throat tightens. “When I first married you, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know who you really were or who I was supposed to be for you. We were strangers trying to fit into a story someone else wrote for us.”

I pause, swallowing the lump in my throat. “But somewhere between the pain and the storms, I saw you. I saw the man beneath the anger, beneath the distance, the one who stayed beside me when I didn’t think I was worth staying for. You could have walked away then, but you didn’t. And I’ll never forget that.”

My voice shakes. “You’ve seen me at my worst. You’ve seen me broken, and instead of running, you held the pieces until I could put myself back together. So today, I promise to stand with you, beside you. As your wife. Your friend. Your partner.”

Cullen’s eyes glisten, and for a second, he looks like he’s fighting to keep it together.

I take a small breath, my heart beating fast. “This is my vow, that I’ll never stop choosing you, even when it’s hard. Even when life tries to make it impossible. Because you’re not just my husband anymore. You’re the love I never saw coming.”

A soft silence falls over the garden. Even the breeze seems to be still.

The pastor clears his throat gently, his voice warm with emotion. “Those are vows born not out of obligation, but of redemption and love. What you two have today isn’t a new beginning, it’s proof that love, when it’s real, survives everything.”

He smiles. “Cullen, you may kiss your wife.”

Cullen’s lips find mine, slow, trembling, full of everything we’ve both been too scared to say. The small crowd erupts softly, laughter, claps, sniffles. Somewhere, Bella’s crying, and Mrs. Cincinnati’s holding her husband’s arm tightly.

But I only feel him, Cullen. The weight of his hands on my face, the warmth of his mouth on mine, and the quiet truth blooming in my chest.

We didn’t just renew our vows.
We found our way towards each other.

When we finally pulled apart, Cullen murmured against my ear, “So, Mrs. Cincinnati, ready for that honeymoon?”

I laughed softly, my breath still catching. “We haven’t even celebrated our wedding yet. How can you talk about a honeymoon already?”

“Because that’s where I’m taking you,” he said, his voice low. “I’m not sitting here with your family and mine in the same room pretending we’re one big happy family when I know everyone’s trigger-happy. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to destroy our day. You and I.... we’re getting the hell out of here.”

Before I could protest, he turned to the crowd of smiling faces and said, “Sorry to cut this short. Mom, thank you for such a beautiful wedding, but I’m afraid I’ll have to steal my bride now. Our flight is waiting.”

“Where are you going?” Mrs. Cincinnati asked, clutching her pearls.

Cullen turned to me and winked. “That’s a secret,” he said, and the garden broke into laughter.

He started pulling me toward the exit, his hand firm around mine. I tried to wave goodbye to everyone, to my dad, watching us with a smile that said too much. I wanted to go to him and hug him but Cullen wouldn’t slow down. I threw a few air kisses over my shoulder, laughing breathlessly as he led me out into the evening air.

By the time we reached his car, he was grinning. “Mrs. Cincinnati,” he said again, his voice teasing.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed, my heart light for the first time in what felt like forever. I was happy. So happy. I never thought I could feel this way, being married to the same man who had once made me so miserable.

Minutes later, we arrived at the private airport. Inside, a small box sat on one of the seats, wrapped in silver paper with a perfect bow. I turned toward Cullen, raising a brow.

“A gift? For me?”

He smiled, that boyish curve of his lips melting something inside me. “Yes. The first of many, Mrs. Cincinnati. My gift to you for our wedding. Go on. Open it.”

“Aww,” I said, tracing the ribbon. “I didn’t know we were exchanging gifts. I didn’t get you anything.”

“You don't have to,” he murmured, stepping close until his forehead brushed mine. “You agreeing to marry me… that’s already the biggest gift I could ever ask for. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to top that.”

I smiled at him as I opened the box. Inside, there were a few papers tucked below, but on top, a small silver pendant shaped like a little boots, and a cute little onesie.

I blinked, confused. “What’s this?”

“Read it,” Cullen said softly.

I frowned, my chest tightening as I lifted the papers. They were hospital documents, with my name printed clearly on them. My throat went dry. I didn’t understand what I was looking at.

“What… what am I looking at, Cullen? I don’t understand. What is this? What are you trying to say?”

He reached for my hand, gently placing the papers down on the small table between us.

“Look at me,” he murmured. His voice trembled a little. “Sarah, I know you want kids. I know how much you’ve wanted them, and I want them with you....”