Chapter 258

Chapter 258

Nicholas felt his eyes sting. He turned and hugged Sophia back.

"Sophia, you're being so good to me right now. So good that it doesn't feel real."

Sophia couldn't help rolling her eyes and gave him a light pinch on the arm.

"What are you talking about? Was I ever not good to you?"

"You were. Of course you were." Nicholas broke into a goofy smile.

"Sophia is the best woman in the whole world. Marrying you is the greatest blessing of my life."

"Then you should know how to enjoy that blessing," Sophia said.

"Take good care of Eloise and me. Stop being so negative and believe that you're going to live a long, long life. If you keep acting like this, Eloise and I are going to be very disappointed in you."

Nicholas panicked a little. "I won't, I promise. I want to be around for you and Eloise as long as possible, so I'll do better."

Sophia laughed softly. "Alright, alright, look at you getting all scared. I was just teasing. No matter what, you'll always be the best husband and the best father, in both my heart and Eloise's."

Nicholas pulled Sophia a little closer into his arms.

They sat in silence for a moment before Sophia spoke again.

"Nicholas, let's get remarried."

Nicholas paused, then turned to her with a helpless smile.

"Do you remember what I told you last time?"

"Of course I do." Sophia nodded without hesitation.

"You said that the next time I brought up getting remarried, you wouldn't say no. And that if I ever tried to leave again, you wouldn't let me go so easily."

Nicholas had been about to say something, but hearing those words come out of Sophia's mouth, he suddenly couldn't find them anymore.

No reason he could think of came close to meaning as much as Sophia asking to remarry him.

And honestly, if he said no, he was genuinely afraid she might give up on him.

"Okay." Nicholas nodded.

"We'll get remarried. And this time, we're never splitting up again."

The next morning, when Sophia woke up, Nicholas was already gone from her side.

Still half asleep, she reached over and felt the sheets next to her. Still warm. He hadn't been up long.

She rolled over, ready to doze off again, when she heard Eloise's excited voice floating up from downstairs.

"Daddy! Where are we going today?"

Sophia pushed herself up slowly, one hand on the edge of the bed, then made her way to the top of the stairs, one hand resting on her belly. She looked down and saw Nicholas crouched in the entryway, tying Eloise's shoes.

Eloise was wearing the prettiest little dress, and Nicholas had tied the laces into a bow.

Eloise looked down and gave a satisfied nod.

Nicholas looked up and found Sophia standing at the top of the stairs, watching him.

"You're up?" He stood, grabbed his crutch, and made his way over to help her down.

"Are you two heading out?" Sophia stifled a yawn.

Nicholas nodded, then shook his head, looking a little embarrassed.

Before he could say anything, Eloise came running over from the entryway, tilting her little face up with barely contained excitement, ready to announce him.

"Mommy! We're getting married today!"

Sophia blinked.

The tips of Nicholas's ears slowly turned red. "The weather's nice today... I was thinking, while Eloise hasn't had her surgery yet, and before you give birth... we should get it done."

He paused, as if worried she'd think he was rushing things, and added, "But if it feels too soon, we can always do it another day."

Sophia looked at his slightly flushed ears and smiled.

"It's not too soon. Let's do it today."

Nicholas looked up sharply, his eyes bright.

For a moment, Sophia thought she could see the boy who had once gotten down on one knee for her.

Eloise was already tugging Sophia toward the door. "Come on, Mommy, let's go! Daddy said he's taking Eloise somewhere really, really beautiful!"

Sophia let herself be pulled along a couple of steps, then glanced back at Nicholas.

He followed behind her on his crutch, the corners of his mouth curved up.

"Eloise, can we let Mommy get ready first? You look so pretty today — Mommy needs to look pretty too, don't you think?"

Eloise stopped and considered this with great seriousness, then nodded.

"Oh, right. Mommy has to look pretty, too. Mommy, can you wear a dress today?"

Sophia smiled and patted Eloise's head.

"Of course."

The drive took about half an hour before they finally arrived.

Eloise pressed her face against the car window, eyes wide. "Daddy, it's so big!"

Nicholas ruffled her hair, opened the door, lifted Eloise out first, then turned back to help Sophia.

The three of them stood outside the entrance. Sophia looked up at the flag rippling in the breeze and felt a strange, drifting feeling come over her.

This was the same place where they had registered their marriage the first time. From the day they met, to the wedding, to the divorce, to the baby, and now this — finding their way back to each other.

All that wandering, and here they were again.

Sophia thought that life was a kind of loop. Some loops just brought you back to the same road. Others brought you back to the right person.

"Let's go." Nicholas took her hand.

She turned, and that's when she noticed — Nicholas was wearing the same suit from their first wedding.

Back then, he'd been young, full of energy, but when he held her hand and said his vows, his voice had trembled with nerves.

He just hadn't understood, back then, that the moment something made you that nervous from the inside, you were already in love.

But that was the past. No point dwelling on it.

After a staff member checked their documents, they were led into a small room.

"Please wait here. Someone will be with you shortly." The staff member smiled and stepped out.

The quiet formality of the room seemed to settle over Eloise. She sat unusually still in a chair nearby, both hands resting on her knees, watching her parents with wide, attentive eyes.

Nicholas stood beside Sophia, holding her hand, and noticed her palm was cold.

"Nervous?" he asked quietly.

Sophia shook her head, then nodded.

"What are you nervous about? It's not like it's your first time." He curved his mouth into a small smile, trying to get her to laugh.

Sophia looked up at him. Her eyes held something complicated, a whole tangle of feelings, and then it all softened into a quiet sigh.

"That's exactly why I'm nervous. Because it's not the first time."

Nicholas went still for a moment, then understood.

Not the first time, which meant more room for regret, more ways to let each other down, more chances to ruin it again.

He tightened his grip on her hand, his thumb moving gently across her knuckles.

The door opened.

The officiant walked in, looked at Nicholas and Sophia, and smiled with a nod.

"Congratulations," she said. "Please come stand over here."