Chapter 9 - The Autumn Wedding
On a crisp, golden afternoon in late October, Miles and Claire were married in an intimate ceremony on the cliffside terrace of their Hamptons estate.
There were no two hundred corporate guests. No press. No photographers dangling from helicopters.
There were only thirty people: close friends, trusted team members, Evelyn Harrington—who had spent the past three months genuinely bonding with the twins—and Nurse Elena, who had helped Claire during those hard early months.
Julian served as the ring bearer, wearing a tiny black tuxedo identical to his father's, carrying a plush pillow down the aisle with serious, concentrated steps. Ivy was the flower girl, wearing a white lace dress, dropping flower petals one by one before getting distracted by a butterfly and sitting down right in the middle of the aisle.
The guests laughed warmly as Miles stepped down from the alter, scooped Ivy into his arm, and walked back up to await his bride.
When Claire appeared at the top of the stone steps, escorted by her father, the breath caught in Miles’s chest.
She wore an off-the-shoulder gown of delicate ivory lace, her veil floating lightly in the autumn breeze. She looked like a painting come to life—strong, radiant, and breathtakingly beautiful.
As she reached him, Miles held Ivy in his left arm, took Claire’s hand with his right, and whispered, "You took my breath away on Fifth Avenue. You're taking it away again today."
"I plan on doing it for the next fifty years, Miles," Claire whispered back with a radiant smile.
Their vows were simple, honest, and profound.
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"I promise to build a life with you, not just a career," Miles swore, looking into her green eyes. "I promise to be present for every laugh, every tear, every Sunday morning. I promise that you and our children will always be my only true priority."
When the minister declared them husband and wife, Miles pulled Claire into a deep, loving kiss while the small crowd erupted into cheers, Julian clapping his small hands loudly in his father's tuxedo shadow.
