Submitting to my Ex Uncle-Chapter 251

Music Recommendation: You Are In Love by Taylor Swift.

.....

Two Months Later:

The evening sun rested low on the horizon, spilling gold over the private estate like it knew what the day meant. The air carried that weight, the kind that made everything softer, quieter, and more deliberate.

The garden had been transformed, not extravagantly, but beautifully. Long ivory drapes fluttered gently from the terrace, and the scent of white roses mixed with the faint, crisp wind.

Strings of lights were woven through the trees, with tiny constellations coming alive before night could fully fall.

The night was quiet enough to hear the birds settle, the soft hum of the breeze, and the faint rustle of glittering silk as Amara adjusted Celeste’s veil.

"You look... unreal," Amara whispered, her voice trembling a little. Her eyes, still healing from everything she’d been through, carried a softness that hadn’t been there in months.

Celeste smiled faintly.

Her gown flowed around her like liquid light, an ethereal creation of lace and ivory satin. It was the kind of gown you didn’t just wear, it belonged to you. Dominic had it done specially for her, and she loved it.

The sleeves hugged her gently, the skirt spilled like a cloud, and the bodice glimmered under the subtle shimmer of the fading sun.

The bump beneath the gown was small enough to be hidden by the way the gown flowed, but not small enough for Dominic not to know it was there. He did, and he loved it.

Amara reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she brushed a strand of hair from Celeste’s face. "You’re shaking."

Celeste laughed breathlessly. "I know. It’s ridiculous, right?"

"No," Amara smiled softly. "It’s perfect. It means you care."

At the sound of the soft instrumental music drifting through the air, Amara slipped her hand into Celeste’s. The moment they stepped out of the doorway, the world seemed to hold its breath.

The aisle was lined with candles instead of petals, their soft flickers casting golden light along the path. And at the end of that path, standing tall, and immaculate in a black tuxedo that seemed to have been crafted just for him, was Dominic.

He turned when he heard the faint shuffle of footsteps. The look on his face when he saw her was that of quiet devastation. It was the kind that comes from realizing the thing you never thought you’d have is now walking toward you.

Amara’s father took one side of Celeste’s arm, while Amara took the other. Between them, Celeste moved slowly, her heart beating so loud she swore it echoed in the air.

Dominic blinked, his eyes getting flooded, and for a moment, his jaw clenched as he tried to keep it together. But as she got closer, a smile, soft, fragile, and painfully real, touched his lips.

When she finally reached him, he reached out for her hand, and when their fingers touched, everything stilled. The world outside the estate could’ve burned and they wouldn’t have noticed.

The officiant’s voice was calm, a whisper against the hush. "We gather here, quietly, for love that has been tested and returned stronger."

Amara stood beside Celeste, wiping her eyes before the tears even had a chance to fall. On Dominic’s side stood Ronan, stoic, but with eyes that softened every time they flickered toward his little brother.

And somewhere near the back, little Ruby sat between two of Dominic’s men, her legs swinging, and clutching a small bouquet of white daisies. She smiled up at Celeste the entire time, as if she understood everything this moment meant.

The vows came first from Celeste.

Her voice trembled. "I used to think I knew what strength was," she said softly, looking up at Dominic. "But it wasn’t until you came into my life, messy, impossible, infuriating, that I realized strength isn’t about fighting everything alone. It’s about finding the one person who reminds you that you don’t have to."

Dominic’s eyes were glistening.

She smiled faintly. "You’ve been my storm, my calm, and every shade in between. You’ve seen me at my worst and still wanted to stay. You made me believe in home again. And I love you. I’ll love you in every season, through every scar, and even in silence. Especially in silence."

Her voice broke. Amara’s hand immediately reached over and gripped hers tightly.

Dominic inhaled sharply, blinking hard as the officiant nodded toward him.

And then, he began to speak.

He didn’t need the paper he’d written on. He didn’t even look at anyone else. He looked only at her.

"I spent years thinking love was noise," Dominic began quietly. "Loud promises. Grand gestures. The kind that shook the world. I thought it had to hurt to be real. But then you walked in, and you taught me that love could be quiet. That it could whisper instead of shout. That it could stay."

He paused, his voice trembling. "You’re just... my favorite person I’ve ever met. No offense to everyone else," he added, and a ripple of laughter passed softly through the guests. "But the fact that this is the person I get to hang out with every day, for the rest of my life, that’s everything. This ring, this day, and this life it’s all me saying that I want to hang out with you forever."

He exhaled, voice rough now. "And when things get hard, because they might, I’ll still choose you. Every day. Not because I have to. But because I can’t imagine a world where I don’t."

Celeste’s tears fell then, one after another. Amara was openly crying beside her. Even Ronan tilted his face down, jaw tight, pretending not to notice the way his eyes burned.

The officiant smiled softly. "May we have the rings?"

Ruby stood up softly, her small hands holding the little cushion carefully. Her smile was wide as she walked down the aisle, and when she handed it to Dominic, Celeste knelt just slightly, brushing her cheek and whispering, "Thank you, sweetheart."

Ruby beamed. "You look like a princess," she whispered back.

Dominic slipped the ring onto Celeste’s finger. "With this ring," he murmured, "I choose you. Every morning. Every breath. Every heartbeat."

Celeste did the same, her hands trembling as she slid his ring into place. "With this ring," she whispered, "I choose home."

The officiant smiled. "By the power vested in me... you may kiss your wife."

Dominic didn’t hesitate. He cupped her face and kissed her like it was the first time and the last time all over again. Soft, full of warmth, and full of history. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

"Mrs. Monroe-Cross," he whispered.

"Mr. Cross," she whispered back.

The small crowd clapped quietly. There no noise too loud, and no cheers too wild. Just warmth. Just peace.

Amara pulled Celeste into a hug immediately after, laughing through her tears. "I swear," she sniffled, "I thought I’d lost you, and now look at you. Married. Glowing. Impossible."

Celeste laughed, eyes glassy. "I thought I lost you."

They both held onto each other a little longer than necessary.

Ronan clapped Dominic’s shoulder and murmured something only brothers could understand. Ruby tugged at Celeste’s gown, asking shyly if she could hold her flowers. Celeste smiled down and said yes.

The evening shifted slowly into soft music and quiet conversation. Dominic never left Celeste’s side. He kept one hand at her back, and every now and then, he leaned down to kiss her temple.