TWO DAYS LATER, on their second wedding anniversary, Mila stood in a long white dress covered in lace. Lulu beamed at her as she lowered the veil over Mila’s face and dabbed at a tear that had fallen down her cheek.
‘I’m such a mess!’ Lulu said with a hiccup, and Mila smiled teasingly.
‘The joys of—’
‘Growing a life inside you—I know.’ Lulu rolled her eyes and then smiled. ‘I’m so happy for you.’
Mila laid a shaky hand on her stomach. ‘Me, too.’
They walked the short distance from the house to the chapel where she and Jordan had made their vows two years before. And although she was wearing the same ring and the same dress as the first time they’d got married, she was a different person. She was someone who was more confident, who only cared about the opinions of those who loved her. And she was standing on her own this time.
Though she would have done anything to be walking down the aisle with Greg again, being on her own was oddly comforting. It represented the fact that she could be on her own if she needed to. But now she was walking towards the man who had promised her that she would never have to be alone again.
She didn’t take her eyes off him as she walked down the short aisle, her heart thumping at how handsome he looked in his suit. And then it was just the two of them, standing in front of the altar, making their promises to one another.
‘I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you in my life again,’ she began, and tears welled up in her eyes. ‘You have shown me how it feels to be loved, to be needed. You have given me the family I’ve never had. You have helped me grow into someone I didn’t know I could be. Into someone who is willing to hope after hurt, who is willing to open her heart to the possibilities of the future when shutting everyone out would be so much easier.’
She squeezed his hands, felt the tears run down her face now.
‘We have been through the worst of times together. But because I look at you now and see how much stronger you are—we are—and how our love has grown stronger because of it, I know that we can face anything together. And I believe that the best of times are still to come.’
His eyes gleamed, but he cleared his throat and said, ‘Mila, I am a different man because of you. You’ve helped me unload the baggage I came into this relationship with. And what I have left I know you’ll help me carry.’
He smiled at her, brushed a hair out of her face, and she leaned into his touch.
‘I promise to stay with you through good times and bad. I promise to love you with all that is in me and put our relationship first. You mean the world to me, and I can’t wait to have a family with you. To show our children what love’s supposed to be. No matter what we go through, I will be there for you. Thank you for giving us a second chance.’
They kissed, and she felt it solidify their promises, their declarations of love for each other.
As they walked out of the chapel Mila leaned over to Jordan. ‘Do you think this is what your father wanted all along?’
Jordan smiled down at her, and her heart warmed at the look in his eyes. ‘Absolutely. And I can’t thank him enough.’
She laughed when he scooped her into his arms, and as she placed her head on his shoulder she knew she was finally living the life she had dreamed of.
* * * * *
If you loved this story, don’t miss
THE TYCOON’S RELUCTANT CINDERELLA,
the debut novel by Therese Beharrie.
Available now!
If you want to read about another
emotional second-chance romance
make sure to indulge in
THE MARRIAGE OF INCONVENIENCE
by Nina Singh.
Keep reading for an excerpt from
HER PREGNANCY BOMBSHELL
by Liz Fielding
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