Chapter 9 - The Wedding He Thought He Would Never Live To See
Their wedding took place on the coast.
No guns.
No guards visible.
No underworld business.
Just family and friends.
Sharise walked toward Ramona wearing an ivory dress she had chosen herself.
He looked stunned.
She smiled.
"What?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
"You're staring."
"I waited a long time for this."
She reached him.
The ceremony began.
Then came the vows.
Ramona spoke first.
"I don't know how to explain what you did to me."
Sharise smiled.
"You mean texting the wrong number?"
A laugh moved through the crowd.
He smiled.
"That too."
Then he became serious.
"I spent years believing I was protecting myself by shutting people out."
He looked at her.
"Then you appeared."
She held his hands.
"You reminded me that being afraid of losing someone is not a reason to never love them."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I promise to choose you."
He kissed her hand.
"I choose you."
They married as the sun set.
Later that night, they stood alone by the water.
"Happy?" he asked.
She smiled.
"Very."
He wrapped his arms around her.
"I never expected this."
"Neither did I."
"You know what's strange?"
"What?"
"The first message."
She laughed.
"I thought I was texting Greg."
"And I thought someone was trying to kill me."
"Technically, both things were true."
He laughed.
They kissed.
Then Sharise looked toward the horizon.
"I sometimes wonder who made that first connection."
Ramona squeezed her hand.
"Maybe it was coincidence."
"Do you believe in coincidence?"
"No."
She smiled.
"Neither do I."
Behind them, their friends called for them.
They returned to the party.
The years passed.
Ramona built a legitimate empire.
Sharise's restaurant expanded into a small chain.
They funded shelters.
They helped families escape criminal networks.
They became known publicly as business owners and philanthropists.
Very few knew the truth.
Even fewer knew how it began.
With one number.
One broken phone.
May you like
One message.
I miss you.
