Diane’s POV
"This wedding cannot hold," he continued, his voice carrying clearly through the church, "until the woman of my dreams says yes to !"
The congregation began to murmur, confused but intrigued.
But then the speaker stepped into view, and my panic turned to confusion. It was Henry, Joan’s Henry, walking down the aisle with a bouquet of flowers in his hands and the biggest smile on his face.
"My woman," he continued, his voice carrying clearly through the church, "the one who gives joy and peace, who makes every day brighter just by being in it—Joan, you are my heart, my soul, my everything."
I looked at Joan, who was staring at Henry with her mouth open, her eyes wide with shock.
He stopped in front of Joan, who was now shaking her head in embarrassnt but smiling so wide it looked like her face might split.
Then, to everyone’s delight, Henry dropped to one knee right there in the aisle, pulling out a ring box.
"Joan Hand," he said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "will you marry ? Will you make the happiest man on earth?"
The church erupted in laughter and cheers. "Say yes, Joan!" soone called out. "Don’t keep the man on his knees forever!"
"Co on, Joan!" another voice added. "Put him out of his misery!"
"The poor man’s going to get carpet burns!" soone else joked, causing the entire congregation to burst into laughter.
I was laughing too, tears of joy streaming down my face. "Say yes," I mouthed to Joan, who was now crying and laughing at the sa ti.
Joan looked around at all the expectant faces, then back at Henry, who was still kneeling patiently with the ring box open.
"Yes," she whispered, then louder, "Yes! Yes, of course, yes!"
The church erupted in cheers and applause as Henry slipped the ring onto Joan’s finger.
Then, in a move that brought tears to my eyes, Joan knelt down beside him and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly.
The officiant cleared his throat loudly, tapping his microphone to get everyone’s attention. "Can we all now face the business of the day?" he said, his tone so dry and formal that everyone burst into laughter.
He turned to Joan and Henry. "And you two, don’t steal my couple’s spotlight. Can you let finish this ceremony in peace now, Mr. and Mrs. Soon-to-be?"
More laughter filled the church as Joan and Henry took their seats, both grinning from ear to ear.
"Now then," the officiant continued, "where were we? Ah yes, the rings."
He gestured to Dylan, who was still clutching the ring pillow. "Ring bearer, if you please."
But Dylan, apparently deciding that this was all too much excitent, took off running down the aisle, the rings bouncing on the pillow as he went.
"Dylan!" I called, trying not to laugh. "Co here, sweetheart!"
The congregation was in stitches as our nanny, Sarah, chased after him, her dress hiked up as she ran. She finally caught him near the back of the church, gently took the rings from his grasp before carrying him back to us.
"What a day!" the officiant said, wiping his brow theatrically. "Phew! I’ve been officiating weddings for thirty years, and this is definitely one for the books."
Finally, with the rings recovered and everyone settled back into their seats, we were able to continue. Noah and I exchanged rings, our vows, and promises for the future. Through it all, I could feel the love and support of everyone around us, could see the joy on their faces as they watched us pledge our lives to each other.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister said, his voice filled with warmth and joy. "You may kiss the bride."
Noah’s hands ca up to cup my face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had started flowing again. "I love you, Mrs. Hemsworth," he whispered, before pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that was soft and passionate.
The church erupted in cheers and applause, but I barely heard it. In that mont, there was only Noah and , and the beginning of our forever.
As we walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, Noah leaned close to my ear.
"I have sothing to tell you," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitent. "We’re not going to your dad’s house."
"What do you an?" I asked, confused.
"I bought us a house," he said, grinning. "A beautiful mansion just five minutes from your parents. Your dad helped find it, pulled so strings to make sure we could get it."
I stopped walking, staring at him in amazent. "You bought us a house?"
"I wanted you to be close to your family," he said. "And I figured when we fight, you’ll need sowhere to run to." He laughed, pulling closer. "Though I plan to make sure we don’t fight very often."
I threw my arms around him, tears streaming down my face again. "Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you for everything."
"Co on," he said, taking my hand. "Let show you our new ho."
The house was everything I could have dread of and more. It was elegant but warm, spacious but cozy, with a beautiful garden where the twins could play. There was a ho office for both of us, a nursery that Noah had already decorated, and a master suite that took my breath away.
"This is where we’ll build our life together," Noah said as we stood in the foyer, surrounded by our wedding party and family. "You, , Dylan, Danielle, and Sarah. Our little family."
I was overwheld by the thoughtfulness of it all, by the way he’d considered every detail to make sure I’d be happy and comfortable.
"There’s one more surprise," he said, his eyes bright with excitent. "Get changed into sothing comfortable. We’re going sowhere special."
Twenty minutes later, I was back in a simple dress, my hair down, my makeup touched up. Noah led to the car, where Mom, Dad, Henry and Joan were waiting.
"Where are we going?" I asked, but everyone just smiled mysteriously.
The drive took us to a part of town I didn’t recognize, past new construction and developnt. When we finally stopped, I found myself looking at a beautiful building with a sign that made my heart stop.
"The Sophie Lumina Foundation for Children and Families," I read aloud, my voice barely above a whisper.
"We’ve been working on this for months," Noah said, his voice soft with emotion. "Your dad, Joan, and I wanted to create sothing that would honor Sophie’s mory and continue her work."
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. "What is this?"
I was crying again, but these were tears of joy and gratitude. "You listened," I whispered. "When I talked about wanting to help other families, you actually listened."
"Of course I listened," Noah said, pulling close. "Every word you say matters to ."
There was a small crowd gathered at the entrance, people who had co to witness the opening of the foundation. I recognized so faces from the wedding, others from the company, and so I didn’t know at all.
"The foundation will provide scholarships for young people who want to beco event planners, just like Sophie," Dad explained as we walked toward the building. "But it will also provide support for won going through difficult divorces, help for families in crisis, and temporary housing for children who need it."
I was handed a large pair of scissors, the red ribbon stretched across the entrance of the building. The symbolism wasn’t lost on —cutting through the past to create sothing new, sothing beautiful.
"Would you like to say a few words?" Joan asked, handing a microphone.
I looked out at all the faces watching , at the building that represented hope and new beginnings, at the family and friends who had made this possible.
"A year ago," I began, my voice stronger than I expected, "I lost my sister in a senseless act of violence. Sophie was the kind of person who made everyone around her better, who brought joy and beauty into the world through her work as an event planner."
I paused, looking at the sign bearing her na. "She died protecting my children, sacrificing her own life to ensure their safety. For a long ti, I didn’t know how to honor that sacrifice, how to make sure her death wasn’t in vain."
The crowd was silent, hanging on every word.
"This foundation represents everything Sophie believed in," I continued. "The power of love, the importance of family, the belief that everyone deserves a chance at happiness. Through the Sophie Lumina Foundation, we will provide scholarships for one hundred young people to beco certified event planners. We will also provide full college scholarships for fifty additional students who demonstrate academic excellence and financial need."
The crowd began to applaud, but I held up my hand, not quite finished.
"More than that, we will provide support for families in crisis, for won and children who need help rebuilding their lives after trauma. Because Sophie taught that sotis, the most important thing you can do is simply be there for soone when they need you most."
I looked at Noah, at my parents, at Joan and Henry, at all the people who had been there for when I needed them most.
"Sophie’s na will live on through this foundation, and through every life we touch, every family we help, every dream we make possible. She may be gone, but her legacy of love and service will continue forever."
I cut the ribbon, and the crowd erupted in applause. As the red fabric fell away, I felt sothing lift from my chest, a weight I hadn’t even realized I was carrying.
We toured the building, which was even more impressive inside than out. There were classrooms equipped with the latest technology, a demonstration kitchen for catering students, a full event planning lab with decorations and supplies, and administrative offices for the staff who would run the programs.
But it was the residential wing that truly took my breath away. Behind the main building was a beautiful complex with over hundred rooms, designed to house children who had nowhere else to go. There were common areas, study spaces, a library, and recreational facilities. It was more than a shelter—it was a ho.
"This is incredible," I whispered, walking through the halls that would soon be filled with children’s laughter. Sophie would’ve really love this.
"She would have loved it certainly," Joan said, appearing at my side. "Sophie would have been so proud."
"She would have loved seeing you get engaged too," I said, smiling at her. "In the middle of my wedding ceremony, no less."
Joan laughed, looking down at her engagent ring. "I can’t believe Henry did that. I’m still in shock."
"He wanted to make sure everyone knew how much he loves you," I said. "Just like Noah wanted to make sure everyone knew how much we love Sophie."
As we walked out of the foundation together, I felt a peace I hadn’t experienced in months. The pain of losing Sophie would always be there, but now it was balanced by the joy of honoring her mory, of building sothing beautiful from the ashes of tragedy.
Noah took my hand as we walked to the car, and I looked up at him with all the love in my heart.
"Thank you," I said. "For everything. For loving , for loving my children, for making sure Sophie’s mory lives on."
"You don’t have to thank ," he said, bringing my hand to his lips. "We’re family now. This is what family does."
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