Chapter 135: Today

Gemma's POV

"Good afternoon, everyone. Please take your seats and silence your phones as we begin the ceremony."

The priest's voice carried faintly up the stairs, muffled through the closed doors. I caught the tail end of it while Jade fussed with the last pin in my hair.

"We ask that you remain seated until you are invited to stand, and we kindly ask that you refrain from taking photographs during the ceremony so our photographer and videographer can capture the moment without interruption.

Today, we are gathered to witness the marriage of Christian and Gemma."

My stomach flipped at the sound of our names together, said out loud…. officially.

"In a few moments, we will welcome the bride. When she begins to walk down the aisle, I ask that everyone please rise." He paused. "Thank you, we can now begin."

"Gemma." Jade's voice snapped through the door, half-whispering. I glanced at her through the mirror.

"Gemma, hurry up, the ceremony has started."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I slid the last pin into place, staring at the mirror, my hands trembling slightly, though not from nerves the way I expected. "Just one final touch."

She folded her arms, watching me through the mirror. “If that one pin takes another five minutes, I'm walking down the aisle without you.”

I smiled. “You wouldn't.”

“Try me.”

I looked at myself, taking in the dress, the veil, the woman staring back at me who barely resembled the version of herself who had sat tied to a chair in a warehouse two months ago.

"You look beautiful," Jade said softly, appearing in the mirror beside me, her eyes already glassy.

I smiled at my reflection. "I do, don't I."

The first note of the wedding march drifted up through the floor, faint but unmistakable.

Her eyes met mine in the mirror. “That's our cue.” she said, squeezing my hand once before pulling the door open.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and welcome the bride."

The doors at the end of the hall swung open, and every head in the room turned toward me at once. I stood there for one breath, taking in the sheer number of people who had come to watch this, my fingers tightening around my bouquet.

I finally made myself move, one foot in front of the other, down the aisle toward him. The music filled the hall as I began walking.

Christian stood at the altar, watching me the entire way. The look on his face made it harder to keep my own composure.

He looked different from the man I had first known…or maybe I was seeing him differently now.

This is the man who took a bullet for me, I thought, my eyes stinging as I walked. He almost died so I could still be standing here.

I let myself look past him for a moment, at the rows of familiar faces smiling back at me, and then I found her. Elma….sitting near the front, bouncing a small, fussing bundle gently against her shoulder. Little Ryan, barely a few months old himself, one tiny fist waving in the air like he was trying to join in the celebration.

I reached the altar, and Christian took my hand, his grip firm, steady, like he needed the contact just as much as I did.

Christian held out his hand, the moment I reached the altar. I placed mine in it, his fingers closing around them. "You came," he murmured so only I could hear.

"Where else would I be?" I whispered back.

The priest cleared his throat gently, and we both turned to face him, though I kept my hand in Christian's the entire time.

"We are gathered here today, in the presence of family and friends, to celebrate the union of Christian and Gemma," the priest began. "Marriage is not something to be entered into lightly. It asks of two people the willingness to stand beside one another, not only in the easy seasons, but through every storm life brings."

I felt Christian's thumb move slowly over the back of my hand, I held on tighter.

"Christian," the priest said, "please repeat after me."

Christian's eyes never left mine as he spoke, his voice steady despite everything I knew still sat beneath the surface of him. "I, Christian, take you, Gemma, to be my wife. To love you, protect you, and stand beside you for the rest of my life. Through everything we've already survived and everything still ahead of us, I promise you'll never face it alone again. I’ll choose you….Today, tomorrow, and every day after this."

My throat tightened, tears slipping free before I could stop them.

"Gemma," the priest said gently, "your turn."

I took a slow breath, holding both of Christian's hands now. "I, Gemma, take you, Christian, to be my husband. I won't pretend the road here was easy because it wasn't. But I choose you, all of you, the good and the difficult. I choose this life, with you and with our son… for as long as we both live."

A quiet smile passed between us, our eyes never leaving each other's.

The priest smiled. “May I have the rings?”

Christian took my ring from the small cushion beside us, sliding it onto my finger.

“With this ring, I give you my promise.”

I took his ring. “With this ring, I give you mine.”

The priest looked at both of us. “By the vows you have made before your family and friends, and by the authority entrusted to me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He looked at Christian. "You may kiss your bride."

Christian didn't wait, his hand came up to my cheek, and he kissed me slowly. Behind us the room broke into applause.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead resting against mine, he whispered, just for me, "We made it."

"We made it.” I smiled.

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I could barely keep up with the hands pulling me into hugs at the reception.

I sighed, finally getting time to myself.

“Come with me.”

I turned to see Jade behind me.

I frowned. “Where?”

“Just come.” She grabbed my wrist, tugging me away from the crowd before I could ask anything else.

We slipped into the hallway, away from the music and the voices, until she pushed open the door to the ladies' room. I laughed softly. “Jade, what are you doing?”

The moment the door shut behind us, she turned to face me, practically bouncing on her feet, her hands pressed against her mouth like she was physically holding something in.

"Okay, what is going on with you?" I laughed, though her energy was starting to make my heart race a little too.

She shook her head, letting out a breath. “I can't keep it to myself anymore.”

“Keep what to yourself?”

She looked at me for a few seconds, then smiled. “Gemma, I'm pregnant.”

I stopped. “What?”

“I found out yesterday.”

For a moment, I could only stare at her, then my mouth fell open. “Jade…”

She laughed, already tearing up. “I know.”

I grabbed her hands. “You're pregnant?”