Chapter 10 - The Open Door
Two years after that evening on the balcony, our lives had settled into a rhythm of profound, unshakable happiness.
The wedding was a small, intimate affair held right on the lawn of the lakefront estate, attended only by my parents' memory, my loyal sister, and a handful of trusted friends who had stood by us through the darkest storms.
Leo, Maya, and Julian were now three years old—energetic, fearless, and constantly running circles around the patio while Roman chased them with a football and I laughed from the sidelines.
On a crisp autumn afternoon, I stood in the doorway of the newly renovated nursery, watching the golden sunlight pour through the clean glass windows.
My phone rested on the wooden dresser beside me.
There were no emergency calls. No threatening messages from the underworld. No hospital conspiracy files hiding in the drawers.
Just a quiet, peaceful home filled with the laughter of children who knew exactly who their mother was.
Roman walked up behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder, looking out at the children playing on the grass.
"What are you thinking about?" he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.
"I was just thinking about the day we met," I smiled, leaning back against his chest. "When you walked into Bella Rosa Trattoria looking like a thunderstorm."
Roman chuckled, tightening his embrace. "And you looked like a broke waitress who wanted to throw a water pitcher at my head."
"I did," I laughed. "And instead, I found my whole world."
May you like
"Our world," Roman corrected gently, turning me around so I was facing him, his hazel eyes filled with a fierce, eternal devotion. "And nobody is ever going to take it away."
I smiled, reaching up to touch his face, knowing with absolute certainty that the doors of our lives were finally wide open to the future.
