Epilogue

LUCIA

Six months later

"She's so tiny," I whisper as I reach into the incubator and gently stroke my thumb over my daughter's hand. I'm trying to ignore all the tubes and wires attached to her because they only make me anxious.

"The doctors said she's strong enough to go home in a few days." Mikhail squeezes my shoulder.

I smile. "That's good news."

Exhaustion starts to set in.

It's been a chaotic and emotional few days, and I don't think I've slept in almost forty-eight hours.

"We were meant to be getting married today." I reach for Mikhail with my free hand.

"Somebody didn't want to miss all the fun." Mikhail drops into the chair beside me. "Reminds me of her mother."

"I'm starting to wonder if we're destined never to have a proper wedding. Maybe it's a sign from the universe. "

"I promised you a real wedding." Mikhail squeezes my hand. "If we have to postpone it again, then so be it."

I chew on my lower lip as I look at Vivianna hooked up to all the machines. Even though she arrived six weeks early, the doctors say she's strong and thriving. I couldn't ask for better news, but I still can't help but wonder about the alternative.

"I don't want to wait. We've done enough waiting."

"Lucia—"

"I don't care how or where, Mikhail. All I care about is being your wife, and I don't want to wait any longer. Can you get everyone here?"

"Of course, I can." He grins. "I'll be right back."

When Mikhail doesn't appear for a while, I start to get anxious.

I'm just reaching for my phone, about to call him and ask where he went.

I look up at the sound of Bianca's voice in the hallway. "Right, let's bring the flowers over there… Dimitri, have you got the rings? Please tell me you have the rings… Leo, honey, don't eat your bowtie…"

She and Zara wave at me through the window, both wearing their bridesmaid's dresses.

Dimitri and Federico walk past, dressed in full tuxes and carrying vases of white lilies.

"What on earth…"

The door to the private room opens, and Zara and Bianca duck inside.

"We thought you should still have the wedding of your dreams, even if it is in a hospital." Zara comes over to give me a hug. "We brought as many of the flowers over from the venue as we could, and Elle should be here any minute with your dress. "

"Are you being serious right now?"

"Mikhail said you didn't want to wait." Zara glances nervously at Bianca.

"I don't. I just… I can't believe you did all this for me."

"Lucia, when are you going to realize that we're always going to be here for you?"

I blink back tears as I reach for their hands.

"Thank you, for being the best friends I always wanted."

"Enough with the mushy stuff, I don't want to ruin my makeup." Zara fans her eyes. "Let's get you married!"

Elle soon arrives, and we turn Vivi's room into a dressing room.

Despite my dress having been altered to fit around my heavily pregnant belly, we make it work considering I barely gave birth twenty-four hours ago.

Elle pulls the lace garter from her purse that she gifted me all those months ago at my bachelorette party. "I know there won't be any funny business for a while, but I thought you should still have this."

"I'm sure Mikhail will still appreciate it." I chuckle.

Within half an hour, I'm fully made up and being wheeled out into the corridor by my father, who looks particularly dashing in his three-piece suit.

"Is this allowed?" I glance at the nurse who's wheeling Vivi's incubator out into the hallway ahead of us.

"Technically, no, but who am I to deny two people in love?" She offers me a warm smile. "I'd say it's a pretty special way to welcome this little one into the world too."

"It really is." I smile as I look at my daughter.

"Be careful, that's my granddaughter in there," my father warns.

The nurse pales a little .

"Papa, let her do her job."

He grumbles but keeps quiet as the nurse wheels the incubator down the corridor.

I have to say, Bianca and Zara have managed to turn a hospital corridor into a perfect wedding venue, with vases of lilies lining each side as well as the huge flower arch at the end that I had planned on standing beneath as I exchanged vows with Mikhail.

"I can't believe they got that here," I whisper.

My father pats my shoulder from behind me. "You've made some very strong allies, Lucia."

"They're so much more than that. They're my family."

Elle hurries over to me and hands me my bouquet.

"Ready when you are." She winks.

I take a deep breath before nodding.

I've been ready for this since the day Mikhail and I completed that bucket list all those months ago. I knew then that he was either going to forever break my heart or heal it.

I'm so grateful that I was given the opportunity to love and be loved by him. He's my everything, and I can't wait to tell him that in front of our family.

I can barely see through my tears as my father wheels me down the corridor to where Mikhail stands with one hand on Vivianna's incubator. My entire family, old and new, lines the makeshift aisle as Dimitri plays my entrance music through his phone.

I can't help but laugh.

This is not what I envisioned at all, but it's so much better.

When I reach the end of the corridor, Mikhail helps me to my feet, and I take a moment just to admire how handsome he looks in his tuxedo. I catch the top of his newest tattoo peeking out above the collar of his shirt, and I choke back a sob.

The moment we found out we were having a girl, we picked out a name, and Mikhail immediately went out and got the name tattooed, deciding that he wanted to carry on the tradition that my father set.

"I love you." I wrap my arms around his neck, reaching up on my tiptoes for a kiss.

Danil clears his throat. "That part comes later."

I glance to my left and frown at the youngest Koslov brother standing beneath the flower arch. "Danil? What are you doing?"

"I got ordained." Danil shrugs, looking particularly pleased with himself. "Figured it would come in handy at some point."

"What, in case the mafia didn't work out?"

Danil grins, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Never hurts to have a backup." He winks.

"Watch it," Mikhail warns.

Alexei wrestles with a squirming Leo in his arms. "Can we please try and get through one wedding without a fight?"

"If there's any place to have a fight, it's in a fucking hospital." Dimitri shrugs as he bounces Ben on his hip.

"Language!" Zara scolds as Sasha starts to cry.

"Danil, you're up." I wave at him to get started before all hell breaks loose.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union between Lucia and Mikhail…"

Mikhail barely waits for me to finish sliding the ring on his finger before he's cupping my face and kissing me so fiercely that my knees almost buckle.

Danil chuckles. "Uh, I guess you may now kiss the bride! "

"Are you happy?" Mikhail murmurs against my lips as all our family cheers.

"So happy that it doesn't seem real."

"It's very much real, kisa. And I'd get used to the feeling. It's how I'm going to make you feel every day for the rest of our lives."

"I can't wait, cucciolo. " I laugh as I reach up on my tiptoes and kiss him.

Anton and Nina's story " Sinful Betrayal " is coming soon…