Chapter 9 - The Real Engagement Party
One year after that horrific morning, the lake behind our new house was decorated with white fairy lights, yellow marigolds, and sunshine-colored ribbons. There were no fake smiles, no hidden agendas, and no corporate networking.
Our true friends, Marcus’s wonderful parents, and our supportive neighbors filled the backyard. Lily ran through the grass in a brand-new yellow dress—not from a clearance rack, but custom-made for her, complete with little embroidered rabbits along the hem.
Marcus stood by the small wooden altar we had built, wearing a tailored gray suit. When I walked down the grass toward him, his eyes filled with tears.
We didn't just exchange rings; Marcus knelt down and presented Lily with a small, beautifully engraved silver locket. Inside was a picture of the three of us.
May you like
"Lily," Marcus said over the microphone, his voice trembling with emotion. "I promise to protect you, to laugh with you, and to love your mommy with everything I have. Today, we aren't just becoming husband and wife. We are becoming a family."
The applause from our real loved ones drowned out the gentle lap of the lake water against the shore.
