Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 22067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Last but not the least, I've registered for the bar exam. Finally. Next spring, I'll be Shayla Kontides, Esquire. A far cry from the frightened, defensive woman who hid behind a fake wedding ring for nearly a decade.
Well, eight and a half years, to be precise, but I think it's time I stop counting, with the doors in front of me finally parting open. It feels so symbolic, too, with a new chapter of my life that's about to begin, and oooh!
A choked laugh escapes me. The way everything's decorated is wonderfully familiar. It's straight out of my childhood sketches of my future wedding, which I'm sure Hope was quite happy to share with Adriano.
I slowly walk past a sea of familiar faces. Friends and colleagues, both old and new. Pietro's there, of course, and surprisingly still single. My parents, too, and they've even sworn not to quarrel. It's just for tonight, but I'll take it.
Nothing can ruin this evening for me, and oh, when I finally see him, my heartbeat just skyrockets.
My love.
Adriano looks perfectly dashing in his white tux, and my heart feels like it's about to burst when I see the way he's looking at me. The words I see in his eyes are exactly what I felt.
My love.
We truly are mirror images of each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I take my first step down the aisle. Alone, or so it appears. But with each step, I feel His presence beside me, and it's humbling beyond words.
Thank You, God. Thank You.
If not for my Father in Heaven, none of this would be possible.
None of it.
Adriano reaches for my hand, I place mine in his, and everything feels so perfectly right.
"Hi," I croak out. I'm finally feeling nervous. But that's normal. Right?
"Hi." Adriano says this with mock gravity, and it's exactly what I need to hear. My nervousness disappears, and now I'm just struggling not to laugh.
This, I can't help thinking.
This is what love is all about.
ADRIANO
All my life, I've been an obnoxious jerk, making it clear to everyone that I had no need for my father's billions.
I was making enough money on my own as one of the East Coast's top lawyers, and this made me feel like I was everything.
But I know better now, of course.
Everything that I am is no accident. All of it are His gifts, all of it undeserved. And everything in my life is part of His plan, including my inheritance. I finally understood why I had so much money at my disposal, and its purpose now stands before me, a fully renovated building that a massive team in the hundreds had worked hard to complete in a short span of time.
Psalm 13 Community Center
It's my wedding gift for my bride of four hours, whom I've abducted from our simple Christian ceremony, and have kept blindfolded for the drive here.
"Can I take it off now?" Shayla asks, fingers fidgeting with the silk scarf covering her eyes.
"Go ahead."
She pulls the blindfold down, and the look on her face is priceless. Shock, confusion, then dawning understanding as she reads the sign. Her lips part, but no sound comes out.
"YOU'LL RUN OUR FOUNDATION from here." My own voice cracks as I say this. Because her dream has become my dream as well, and a part of me still finds it hard to believe how God's given us the privilege to serve Him this way.
"T-This..." Shayla shakes her head. "This is why you agreed to the interview."
"Yes." In exchange of allowing a society magazine to feature our wedding, they'll make a sizeable donation to Psalm 13.
"I can't believe this," Shayla whispers in a daze. "Is this really true? How will it work?"
"If someone comes here, they need to be okay with a thirty-minute talk with our in-house pastor before they can receive help. All they have to do is listen. That's non-negotiable."
She's nodding at every word, and I'm glad. Every foundation has its own objective, and we're both standing firm on what's ours.
"It will have free daycare, legal counsel, medical consultations, counseling. For a start."
Shayla starts crying, tears spilling over her cheeks. "I've never heard anything hotter in my entire life."
I can only shake my head and laugh. She's lived just three weeks with Hope, and the effects are already showing, and most likely permanent.
"But this is just the first half of my gift."
Milos drives us back to my penthouse—our home now—and my wife looks at me in bemusement when I take her straight to the infinity pool. The night air is warm against our skin, and the pool's reflection is a fascinating mix of starry skies and city lights. I've had candles placed around its edge, their flames dancing in the gentle breeze.
Shayla's eyes widen when I slowly pull her close and reach for one of the delicate straps of her gown.