When I finished, a full silence bloomed before Axel spoke, emotions swirling in his eyes.
"María José, you are the one who made me believe in love."
His hand lifted, brushing a tear from my cheek with the gentlest touch. "Before you, I was lost in shadows; broken, angry, and afraid. But you—your strength, your fire, lit a path through my darkness."
He bent closer, voice breaking slightly. "I vow to protect you, cherish you, and love you with every piece of my heart, for all the days we are given."
I couldn't stop the tears now; they spilled freely down my cheeks, but they weren't tears of sorrow. They were the rivers of hope, of promise, and of love reclaimed.
The priest smiled softly and raised his hands.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Axel's lips found mine in a kiss that tasted of forever; deep, fierce, and full of every vow we'd just spoken.
But this night wasn't just ours.
