Page 139 of Deathless & Divided

“And I got my sweetness from Theo,” Lily said.

Dino nodded. “That must be it. God knows you never got any of that nonsense from me.”

Lily squeezed her brother’s arm as the mother of the tiny flower girl urged her daughter through the opened doors. When they closed, shutting out the quiet murmurings of the church and the eyes of the guests trying to get a peek at Lily and Dino, her heart began to calm.

“Did you like my gift?” Dino asked.

Lily’s brow furrowed. “What gift?”

“The rosary, little one.”

Oh.

“That was from you?” she asked.

Dino nodded. “Yes. It’s very special to me. I waited a long time to finally be able to give it to you like I was supposed to.”

Lily’s hand clenched around the stem of her bouquet, feeling the rosary beads roll under her fingers. “Why is that?”

“You probably don’t recognize them. Church wasn’t a big thing for Mom, I guess. She only really brought them out on special occasions and whenever she went in for confession.”

Lily’s heart stopped and she grabbed her bouquet tighter. “It’s Mom’s?”

“Yes. She used to hang them off the bedpost on Dad’s side of the bed because she always said he needed more reminders of faith than she did. She loved him like crazy. I don’t think she ever really liked what he was or the things he did, but she loved him. And we came along for the ride, you know.”

Lily felt like she couldn’t breathe. “Thank you.”

“Better for you to have them, Lily. Theo and I, we’re going to the same place no matter how much we pray. You’re not quite the same.”

Lily didn’t think so. She wouldn’t argue it with Dino.

“You’re not giving me away today,” Lily said, tugging on Dino’s arm firmly to bring him closer to her side. “You’re just—”

“Setting you free,” Dino said as the doors opened a final time to let Lily and Dino step forward into view. “Because that’s what you do with the things you raise and love, Lily. You set them free and you pray they’re strong enough that they don’t need to come back to you, but you still hope that they do.”

Dino turned as the sound of three hundred or more people standing from the pews echoed through the church. Lily let her brother kiss her cheek before he fixed her veil.

“You’re going to be just fine,” Dino said.

“Will I?”

“DeLucas don’t know how to fail, Lily. We never have.”

Lily willed away her tears as Dino took his spot beside her again. He fixed her hand tucked into his elbow and then moved them forward. Through the sheerness of her veil trimmed with a delicate lace, Lily ignored the faces of people she didn’t know and even those she did recognize. Instead, she focused on the man waiting for her at the front, standing at the bottom of the altar with his hands clasped behind his back.

Damian’s smile grew the closer she came. For a man that usually kept his emotions hidden from view, the happiness and joy on his face was written as clear as day. The wedding march reverberated through the church from the organ, hitting every note perfectly.

Lily barely heard it at all.

“Who gives this woman today in marriage?” she heard the priest ask as they came to a stop at the bottom of the altar.

Theo stepped down from his spot on the altar with Tommas to stand beside Dino.

“We do,” her brothers said together.

Words exchanged between the priest and the men before Damian took Dino’s place. Dino kissed Lily’s hand softly before he passed it to Damian. Theo took his place back on the altar without a word. Lily smiled as Damian gave her hand a slight squeeze.

In that one action, she was grounded to his side again.