Chapter 10 - The Vows Beneath the Pines
One year to the day after the storm at the harbor, the chapel bells of St. Mary’s by the Sea rang out across Greyhaven.
The old stone church was filled with sunlight streaming through stained-glass windows, casting vibrant pools of blue and gold across the polished oak pews.
There were no capos in black suits whispering threats in the back rows, no hidden detonators, and no whispered warnings of danger in the night.
Instead, the pews were packed with local nurses, clinic patients, estate workers, and trusted friends from across the city.
At the front of the altar stood Lorenzo Duca, wearing a dark navy suit and looking down the aisle with a quiet, unwavering serenity.
The heavy oak doors at the back of the chapel slowly swung open.
Sophia walked down the aisle in a simple, elegant ivory silk dress, her eyes shining with unspeakable joy. Ahead of her, scattering white rose petals along the stone floor with theatrical concentration, was four-year-old Emma, wearing a matching ivory dress with a flower crown resting neatly on her brown curls.
As Emma reached the altar, she stopped right in front of Lorenzo, reached into her small wicker basket, pulled out her gray stuffed rabbit—which now wore a tiny matching white bowtie—and handed it solemnly to the most feared man in Massachusetts.
"He's the ring bearer today," Emma whispered loudly enough for the entire church to hear.
Lorenzo carefully took the stuffed rabbit, solemnly tucked its little velvet paw into his jacket pocket where his custom pistol used to rest, and looked down at the child with a tender smile.
"An excellent choice," Lorenzo whispered back.
Sophia reached his side, slipping her hand into his warm, steady palm. The priest began the ancient vows of partnership, devotion, and peace.
May you like
As Lorenzo slid the platinum band onto Sophia’s finger, the afternoon sun broke fully through the stained-glass windows, bathing the entire chapel in a golden, unshakeable light.
Outside, the Atlantic waves crashed rhythmically against the Greyhaven shore—not as a threat from the dark depths, but as a steady, peaceful heartbeat of a new beginning.
