Chapter 195 The Wedding Day

Chapter 195 Forever
Simone POV

Simone woke before Marcus. Morning light slipped through the curtains and spread across the bedroom. She stayed still for a moment, watching him sleep. His face was relaxed, his breathing steady.

After everything they had been through, seeing him like this still felt strange in the best way. Her eyes dropped to her hand.
The wedding ring sat beside the engagement ring.

She touched both, remembering the proposal, the wedding, and every step that had brought them here. A photograph on the dresser caught her attention.

Their wedding day. Marcus in his suit. Simone in her wedding dress with the both of them smiling at each other. Jenny had taken the picture and framed it as a gift.

Simone smiled. Getting out of bed, she headed to the kitchen and started the coffee. The apartment felt different now. When she had first moved in, boxes covered the floor and the walls were bare. Everything had felt temporary.

Now, their things filled the shelves. Their pictures hung on the walls. Their lives had settled into the space. It was home.Their home.

Marcus appeared in the doorway, still half asleep."You're up early."

"I'm always up early."

He rubbed his eyes. "That's not true."

"It is."

He walked over and kissed her forehead.
"Good morning."

"Good morning."

Breakfast turned into an argument about who made better coffee. Neither of them backed down. Marcus reminded her that he had practice. Simone reminded him that she had work.

Their mornings had become ordinary.That was exactly what they wanted. At the rehabilitation center, Rachel was already organizing patient files when Simone arrived.

"Good morning, Dr. Carter."

"Good morning, Rachel."

"I have the schedule ready."

"Let me see it."

They went through the patient list together. Rachel asked questions, made adjustments, and suggested changes without waiting for Simone to guide every decision.

The woman who had once stood outside Simone's office nervous and unsure was gone. Rachel had found her confidence.
Simone smiled as she watched her work.

Helping Rachel grow had become one of the best parts of the job. Later that morning, one of Simone's patients caught her attention.

The older man still wore a brace, but he no longer needed the cane. His steps were slow, yet steady. Months earlier, he had refused to cooperate. He had been angry about his injury and had wanted nothing to do with rehabilitation.

Now he walked across the room on his own. He noticed Simone watching."Look at me."

She smiled."I am."

He took another step."I didn't think I'd get here."

"You did the work."

He looked down at his legs, then back at her."Thank you."

Simone nodded."Keep going."

He smiled and continued down the hall. She watched him until he disappeared around the corner. This was why she had chosen the career. Not the title. Not the position.

The moments when someone who had almost given up found a reason to keep going. That evening, Simone sat in the stands at Marcus's home game.

The arena was full. Marcus moved across the court with the confidence she had watched him rebuild piece by piece. No hesitation. No desperate need to prove himself. His teammates trusted him, and he trusted them.

The ball found his hands when it needed to. He made the right plays. He defended.
He scored. He helped Philadelphia win.
Simone never counted his points. She didn't need to.

After the game, she waited outside the arena. Marcus walked out in his team clothes, his bag over one shoulder.The moment he saw her, his face softened.

He walked over and kissed her.

"Good game."

He shook his head. "It was okay."

"It was good."

"I'm not arguing with you."

She laughed. They drove home together, talking about ordinary things. Dinner. Work. His next game. Her patients. Weekend plans.

Philadelphia moved past the windows.The city had become their home. Later that night, Simone found Marcus sitting in the living room with an old box beside him.

She knew what was inside.The Hawks jersey. The photograph from Lena's and the basketball Darius had given him. She sat beside him.

"Do you ever think about who you were before everything changed?"

Marcus looked down at the jersey. "Sometimes."

"Does it make you sad?"

He thought about it."No."

She waited.

"Life is better now."

"Why?"

He looked at her."Because I have you."

Something tightened in her chest. No answer came. Simone simply reached for his hand. His fingers closed around hers.
They sat together for a while, as the old memories between them no longer have any power over them.

After a moment, Simone looked down at their joined hands."I want children someday."

Marcus turned toward her."Me too."

"Not now."

"I know."

"Just someday."

He smiled."Someday."

She rested her head against his shoulder.
The old jersey and photograph stayed inside the open box. Those things belonged to a life that had shaped Marcus, but they no longer defined him.

Neither of them needed to rush what came next.There was time.There was a life ahead of them. Later, they stepped outside together.

Philadelphia was quiet. The streets had emptied, and cool air moved between the buildings. Marcus reached for her hand.
Their fingers intertwined.

No conversation filled the walk. Nothing needed explaining. Simone looked at the ring on her finger. She thought about everything that had brought them here. The scandal. Hartford. The comeback. Philadelphia. Their careers. The proposal. The wedding.

So much had changed.Yet the simplest part remained the same.They had chosen each other. Now they were married, building their careers, making a home, and talking about the family they might have someday.

The future no longer felt like something waiting to be proven. It was simply there.
Open.

The two of them kept walking. Marcus glanced at her. She smiled and Marcus smiled back. Hand in hand, they continued down the quiet Philadelphia street, together.

The End