Updated Feb 23, 2026 • ~6 min read
POV: Rory
We get married on a Tuesday.
Not because Tuesdays are romantic.
But because we don’t want to wait.
After three months apart, every day feels too long.
It’s not a big wedding.
Just us. The people we love. And a judge.
We’re standing in a small courthouse ceremony room.
Priya and Isabel on my side.
James and Lucas on his.
Ten people total.
No fancy dress. No tuxedo.
I’m wearing a simple white sundress.
He’s in slacks and a button-down.
We’re holding hands.
And we’re both crying.
The judge—Judge Morrison, the same one who presided over the annulment case—smiles at us.
“We meet again,” she says warmly. “Under much better circumstances.”
“Much better,” Dominic agrees.
“Shall we begin?”
We nod.
She opens her book.
“Dominic Ashford and Aurora Bennett. You’re here today to legally solemnize your marriage. I understand this is your second ceremony together?”
“Yes,” I say. “The first one was… complicated.”
“I’m aware. I’ve read the case files. But that’s behind you now. Today is about choosing each other. Freely. Legally. With full knowledge and consent.”
“Yes,” we say in unison.
Judge Morrison begins.
“Marriage is a sacred commitment. Not just a legal contract, but a daily choice. To love. To honor. To choose your partner even when it’s difficult.”
I look at Dominic.
He’s looking at me.
“You two have already faced more challenges than most couples face in a lifetime. Loss. Grief. Impossible decisions. And yet, here you stand. Choosing each other.”
“Every day,” Dominic whispers.
I squeeze his hand.
“Do you, Dominic Ashford, take Aurora Bennett to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Dominic says. His voice is strong. Sure.
“And do you, Aurora Bennett, take Dominic Ashford to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, as long as you both shall live?”
I take a breath.
This is it.
The moment I choose him.
Really choose him.
Not because I’m desperate. Or scared. Or competing with anyone else.
But because I love him.
And I believe in us.
“I do,” I say.
“The rings?”
James steps forward with the rings.
New rings.
The one Dominic proposed with for me.
And one I picked out for him.
Simple gold bands.
Nothing fancy.
Just us.
Dominic takes mine first.
“Rory,” he says, voice shaking. “This ring represents my promise to you. To choose you. Every day. No matter what. To love you. Honestly. Completely. Without reservation. You’re my wife. My partner. My everything.”
He slides the ring onto my finger.
It fits perfectly.
My turn.
I take his ring.
“Dominic. Three years ago, I married you believing we’d found forever. Then we lost it. And I thought forever was gone. But standing here now, I realize—forever isn’t about perfect circumstances. It’s about choosing each other through the imperfect ones. This ring is my promise. To love you. To trust you. To build a life with you. Starting today.”
I slide the ring onto his finger.
He’s crying openly now.
So am I.
Judge Morrison smiles.
“By the power vested in me by the State of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Legally. Irrevocably. Joyfully. You may kiss.”
Dominic doesn’t hesitate.
He pulls me close.
Kisses me deeply.
And the small room erupts in applause.
When we break apart, we’re both laughing through tears.
“Hi, wife,” he whispers.
“Hi, husband.”
“Let’s never do this again.”
“Deal.”
After the ceremony, we go to a small restaurant.
Private room.
Just our ten guests.
No speeches. No formalities.
Just food. Wine. Laughter.
Priya pulls me aside during dinner.
“I’m proud of you,” she says.
“For what?”
“For giving him another chance. For being brave enough to try again.”
“I’m terrified.”
“That’s what makes it brave.”
Isabel joins us.
“You two are disgustingly happy,” she observes.
“We are, aren’t we?”
“It’s adorable. And well-deserved.”
I look across the room at Dominic.
He’s talking to James and Lucas, laughing about something.
He catches my eye. Winks.
And my heart swells.
Later, James makes a toast.
“To Dominic and Rory. Who’ve been through hell and back. And somehow found each other on the other side. May your marriage be boring from here on out.”
Everyone laughs.
“Boring sounds perfect,” Dominic says, raising his glass.
We clink glasses.
Drink.
And I think: boring does sound perfect.
After everything we’ve been through?
Boring sounds like heaven.
That night, we go to a hotel.
Not home—we’re still apartment hunting.
But a nice hotel downtown.
Honeymoon suite.
Champagne waiting.
Rose petals on the bed.
Cheesy. Perfect.
“Mrs. Ashford,” Dominic says, pulling me close.
“Legally this time.”
“Legally. Officially. Irrevocably.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.”
He kisses me.
Slow. Deep. Full of promise.
And for the first time in months, I feel whole.
Later, lying in bed, wrapped in his arms, I think about everything we’ve survived.
Celeste’s coma.
The impossible choice.
The kiss.
The miscarriage.
The separation.
The healing.
We shouldn’t have made it.
Statistically, most couples wouldn’t.
But we did.
Not because it was easy.
Because we chose each other.
Every day.
Even when it was hard.
Especially when it was hard.
“What are you thinking about?” Dominic asks, stroking my hair.
“How lucky we are.”
“Lucky? After everything?”
“Yes. Because we could have lost each other. But we didn’t.”
“No. We didn’t.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Every day. For the rest of our lives.”
“And then some.”
He kisses the top of my head.
And I fall asleep.
In my husband’s arms.
Legally.
Finally.
Forever.
The next morning, we wake up to sunlight streaming through the windows.
Dominic’s phone buzzes.
He checks it. Smiles.
“What?” I ask.
“Text from Celeste.”
My stomach tightens.
“What does she want?”
He shows me.
Celeste: “Heard you two got married. Congratulations. I’m happy for you. Really. Be good to each other.”
I stare at the message.
“How does she know?”
“I told her. Last week. When we set the date. I wanted her to hear it from me.”
“And she’s… okay with it?”
“She’s moved on. Just like we have.”
I hand back the phone.
“Are you going to respond?”
“Already did.”
He shows me.
Dominic: “Thank you. I hope you’re happy too. You deserve it.”
Simple. Kind. Final.
“Is that okay?” he asks. “That I told her?”
“Yeah. It’s okay. She deserved to know.”
“No more secrets. Remember?”
“No more secrets.”
He pulls me close.
And we spend the rest of the morning in bed.
Talking. Laughing. Planning our future.
Together.
Legally.
Finally.
END OF CHAPTER 27
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