I’d never seen my mother happier. David did as he promised and went above and beyond to show the amount of love he had for Mom. They’d been happily married for over a year now, and never in my life did I know love could be so whole.
It turned out not all men were evil—some wanted nothing but happiness for the loves of their lives. That was one of the best truths I’d ever learned. Maybe, just maybe, the Martínez family curse had officially been broken.
Mima popped her head into the fitting room, and her eyes swelled up with tears as she looked my way. “My gosh, that’s it, isn’t it? I knew it the first time I saw you in it.”
“Yes. This is the one.” I nodded as I ran my fingers against the beautiful cream fabric. It was a princess gown, covered in lace and crystals throughout the dress.
Mima walked toward me with a large envelope in her handsand held it out to me. “I was instructed to give this to you once you’ve made your final choice. Come on, Camila. Let’s give her some time alone with the package.”
The two left the fitting room, and I ripped the package open.
Inside was a notebook and a few pieces of candy.
Banana Laffy Taffys.
My lips curved into a grin as I opened the notebook and began reading the words on the page.
Chick,
Today is the day the woman of my dreams has found the dress of her dreams. You’ve discovered the dress you’ll wear when you walk down the aisle to give me my happily ever after. I never believed in love stories before you entered my life. I didn’t believe in romance or happy endings or anything with an ounce of life.
You changed all of that for me. You brought me into a new realm of beliefs. You’ve made me a believer in true love, and I cannot thank you enough for that.
I wanted to share a few words with you about how you’ve changed my life for the better—how without you, there is no home.
You’re the definition of strength and love. Not only for others but for yourself. It’s been an honor to watch how you’ve grown into the strong woman that you are today. You fight for your happiness in all aspects of your life, and you inspire me to be better. You push me to chase my dreams without concern for the opinions of others. You calm the storm inside my head. When I am in the depths of a war zone, you still my mind.
You are my soulmate, my heartbeats, and I cannot say enough how much you’ve shaped me into a better person.
When you walk down the aisle toward me in that beautiful gown, know that I am promising you my forever. I am promising you my ups and downs. I am promising you I’ll put in the work to make you happy. To make myself happy. To make us happy.
There was a point in my life when I never thought I’d make it to my thirties. I’d lived with a cloud of darkness hovering over me that I thought would never clear, then you came into my life and shone your light on me. You brought me to a place where I learned to make peace with my demons, not by enabling me, but by pushing me to want more for myself. To give myself the best chance at life.
You’ve saved me.
Day in and day out, you save my life.
I love you times two. From now until forever. I cannot wait for you to be my wife.
Here’s to our story. Our struggles and our light.
Thank you for the beautiful words you’ve given me throughout the years.
I am the man I am today because of your love.
—Satan
P.S. You look so beautiful today. Don’t worry, I’m not around the corner sneaking a peek. I just know that no matter what’s on your body, you always glow.
My lips curved up into the biggest smile as my heart pounded against my chest. Once upon a time, I fell in love with a boy. A beautiful, broken boy who had his own world of struggles. He fought his demons. He went to battle each day and came back stronger than before, and he was mine.
All his bumps, all his bruises, and all his battle scars were mine, and I loved every single one.
* * *
Landon
Six Years Later