BROKEN COURAGE (Broken Redemption Book 3)

Chapter 62

Emilia

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Emilia and Lucas, a beautiful expression of God's love as they commit their lives to one another..."

Uncle David's voice drifts around us like leaves caught in a gentle breeze, but my full attention is on the man standing across from me. Though only our hands are touching, I feel him everywhere, his warmth wrapping around me, steadying my nerves and grounding me with his quiet strength.

I glance up and find his eyes already on me, filled with a softness that makes my heart skip a beat. There's something reverent in his gaze, as though he can't quite believe I'm here, dressed in white, ready to become his wife. As his eyes hold mine, the weight of his journey hits me. He's had to overcome so many nightmares just to stand here today. The pain of losing his parents, then his years of deployments and dangerous missions—including the time he was captured, tortured, and forced to watch his brothers in arms fall around him.

Even after his rescue, he fought battles no one could see—the endless rounds of physical therapy, the relentless struggle with PTSD, the slow, grueling process of piecing himself back together while grieving everything he'd lost. And when he was medically discharged, stripped of the career he'd given his life to, he was left with an identity in shambles. Yet somehow, after all that, here he stands, looking at me with fierce determination, as though nothing could ever make him let go.

I can't help but reflect on my own journey to this day. The countless nights I clung to hope when it felt like my world was doomed to remain broken. There was a time I believed I'd never see him again, that I'd lost him forever. But somehow, even then, my heart refused to let him go. Whether it was luck or fate that led me to that grocery store parking lot at the exact moment he returned to Ruby Creek, I'll never know. All that matters in the end is that he found his way back home to me.

With his unwavering gaze locked on mine, I feel the weight of everything we've been through. The years of separation, the whispers of "what could have been," the quiet strength he's been for me and my children since returning to town almost seven months ago, staying only to protect me and my daughters. I feel it all.

And then, there's my father.

I didn't know it at the time, but he spent his final days making arrangements to ensure we'd be taken care of. If he hadn't sent Uncle David to rescue Lucas when he did, we might never have made it here. And then there's our home. After the fire that took Lucas's parents, with only six months to live, my father oversaw the house's rebuilding, preserving the legacy he hoped would someday serve as closure for Lucas and Jen. Because of him, we have so much to be thankful for—including Uncle David, his best friend and the love of his life, who now completes our family.

The only thing that could make this day more perfect is if my father were here, watching with that soft, proud smile he always wore when he looked at me. But in my heart, I feel him. He's here in the steadying strength of Lucas's hand, in the calm assurance of the man that stands before me. I know my father would be proud of him—the man who's shown up for me in ways I'd only ever dreamed of.

Lucas's hand tightens around mine, gently pulling me back from the flood of memories. His thumb begins tracing slow, soothing circles over my knuckles, grounding me in the here and now.

"Lucas and Emilia." Uncle David's voice breaks through the silence, his warm smile shifting between us. "You've both traveled a long, winding road to get here. Today, you stand together to make a promise–not just to love, but to honor, support, and protect one another. In the face of every hardship and every joy, you are choosing each other."

Lucas's grip grows a little stronger, his eyes shining with the same emotions that swell in my heart.

"Lucas, if you're ready to vow your heart to Emilia, now is the time."

Lucas's gaze softens ever more as he lets out a shaky breath. With one hand still holding mine, he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small piece of paper. Just seeing it in his hand brings tears of joy to my eyes.

"Emilia," he begins, voice low, each word thick with emotion. "When I look at you, I see the light that guided me through my darkest nights. You were there in the shadows, my guiding star, my... compass rose." He gives me a small, knowing grin, winking as he uses the phrase from the letter I wrote him. "A steady presence that kept me going when I felt like I couldn't take another step."

His voice catches for a moment, but he pushes on. "Even when I was broken, even when hope felt impossible, the thought of you was there—a beacon calling me back to life."

Watching him wrestle with his emotions, my chest tightens as tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"I've been a man at war," he continues, his tone fierce and unyielding. "Fighting battles I never thought would end, but nothing has ever driven me like my fight to get back to you." His eyes shine with emotion, his jaw clenching as he struggles to hold it all back. "You were my strength when I had none, my hope when hope was nowhere to be found. And today... today, I stand here because of you, because of the love you held for me—even when I was a world away."

I can hardly breathe, overwhelmed by the weight of his words and the raw emotion in his voice.

"I vow to honor that light you gave me, to protect the life we're building with every ounce of strength I have. I promise to be the man who stands by you, shelters you, and loves you fiercely, unconditionally, through every season, every storm."

He lifts a hand, brushing away a tear that has slipped down my cheek, and my heart swells with so much love it feels like it might burst.

"Emilia, you are my heart, my home, my everything. And for all my days, I will cherish you, protect you, and love you as fiercely as you've loved me." He takes a steadying breath, his sea-green eyes shining with unshed tears. "Today, and for all the days to come, I am yours—just as you were my light in the dark, I vow to be your safe haven, your always, your forever."

A hush settles over the crowd, his words hanging heavy in the breeze. Soft murmurs ripple through our guests, punctuated by the quiet weeping of those touched by his vows. But at this moment, all I see is Lucas. All I feel is his love, wrapping around me like a promise too sacred for words. Unable to resist, I reach up and place my hand on his cheek, grounding myself in his warmth, in this man who fought his way through hell to be here with me.

Want to read ahead? The next 2 Chapters are available FREE if you FOLLOW ME on REAM!!! (Link in my profile)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEW CHAPTERS post at 3:00 PM EST on Tuesdays & Thursdays!!!

For updates on this and future stories, remember to follow me.