A love like ours ✔️

♚Epilogue♛

*Two weeks later*

Rafael

Cherubs in golden pallas, decorate the arched ceiling, their pristine wings forever frozen between two flaps as their hands strum instruments or carry wreaths, seeming to celebrate the mortals who chose to oficiate ceremonies under their watchful gaze, making them silent witnesses of the human life circle - from christening, to marriage, to grave.

Light pours through the stained glass windows, landing in multicolored beams on the altar and on the isle framed by white flowers as the hum of whispered conversations flows in the sacred space of the church.

Liana, Valeria, and Apolo wait at my right as the bridespeople, next to Adira, who's the maid of honor. Dante stands dutifully behind me, laying a comforting hand on my left shoulder trying to settle my nerves, or rather the anticipation that fills me to the brim.

I straighten my back, risking a look in my parent's direction who are seated in the front row. Bad idea. Amelia squeezes mama's hand, who's is dabbing away her tears with a handkerchief while
papa rubs her back.

I absuletly can't deal with the tears of the women I love, so I advert my gaze to the other side of the pews where Enzo is seated next to Salvador, who is glaring darkly at me. Yoshiro Tanakas takes a spot to his left, and when he sees me look, he throws me a wink.

Fucker.

As the orchestra starts playing the first notes of the bridal march, everyone goes quiet, and I focus on the humongous carved doors of the enterance.

Nyx pops in first, strutting proudly towards us, ignoring the wary looks thrown her way by guests who are unfamiliar with the exotic presence of such a predator, with the rings tied to her collar. Dante bends to her level to take them, giving the big cat a pat on her head before she settles at my feet.

Little Emerie comes next. Dressed in an ivory dress and wearing a matching crown of blooms, she beams at the congregation, charming everyone while shoving her little gloved hand in the petal basket to fulfill her role as the flower girl.

And behind her, at Damiano's arm, emerges the love of my life.

I take a shuddering breath. My heart stutters, and my breathing stops as every fiber of my being focuses on her. She's a vision in white. Beneath that veil, there's an angel who came down from the heavens to be my salvation.

When Damiano places her in hand in mine, I know with every atom in my body that I was born to be hers, just like I know she was born to be mine when I lift her veil and see the pure happiness on her face and silver lining her dark eyes as she look at me. If I were to jundge by the wetness gathering behind my eyelids as I blink once to make sure I'm not dreaming, I'm on the verge of tears too.

Our souls have been waiting lifetimes for our hearts to meet, but as the ceremony flies by and the priest declares us man and wife in front of God, we are finally and truly one.

Complete.

***

*7 years later*

Soraya

Grief is a funny thing. While it never goes a way, sometimes you forget it will always haunt you. It's the small things that bring it back full force, making it dig into your chest like the claws of a bird of prey, ready to rip out your heart so it can feast on it.

Sometimes you simply turn around, you search the room for the person you lost with your gaze, you listen for their voice or laughter just so you can realise that you'll never hear them again.