Empire rachel van dyken

Papi followed in the back.

Had someone told me that I’d have four uncles as my wedding party, I would have died laughing.

Instead, it had me near tears.

That the old hands holding mine, had always been willing to fight for me, to die for me. For me!

Like I deserved it.

Because to them, I was precious. I was a promise. I was everything.

I think in that moment, I shed the last part of my innocence, knowing fully that I was entering into a sacred bond, not just with Sergio, but with The Family, with the idea that my father had left behind.

One of peace.

Love.

One where blood was only spilled out of necessity.

Dante was at the front of the church with the rest of the men; they waited near Sergio.

Once Frank stepped out of the way, I noticed I was nearly at the end of the aisle.

Sergio’s eyes were closed like he was in pain.

My heart sliced in two.

Because even though I wanted to understand, how could I? He’d lost the only woman he’d ever loved after a ceremony like this — and there I was. The exact opposite, young, innocent, everything he didn’t want, but had to take.

Because of his honor.

I respected him for it.

And I knew I would end up loving him.

I was already halfway there.

Yes, it was time to shed the old me and step into a new reality, a new life, because some stories aren’t filled with instant love or happily ever afters where all it takes is one kiss to seal the affection between two people.

Sometimes it’s work.

Sometimes it’s painful.

Our love would be ugly, deformed, awkward. It would be so many things, but I hoped, that in the end, above all else, it would be good enough.

Not just good.

Not even amazing.

But good enough, so that at least I was in a marriage where we had respect, friendship, it was all I felt right in asking for.

Sergio’s hands shook at his sides.

Frank turned and lifted my veil from my face kissing each cheek and then whispering a blessing in my ear.