Chapter 13 - THE CHOICE AT THE CATHEDRAL
Six months after the wedding that never happened, Lorenzo returned to Holy Name Cathedral.
He stood near the altar.
The pews were empty.
The white orchids were gone.
The silence felt different.
He remembered the day Amelia disappeared.
The humiliation.
The anger.
The vows he'd never spoken.
Then he remembered finding her in the snow.
The torn coat.
The scar.
The fear in her eyes.
He closed his eyes.
He had spent years believing that power meant never being abandoned.
Now he understood that love meant accepting the possibility that someone might choose to leave.
And loving them without turning that choice into a crime.
A voice came from behind him.
“Enzo.”
He turned.
Amelia stood near the entrance.
She wore a simple blue dress.
Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders.
The scar remained.
But she no longer tried to hide it.
Lorenzo stared.
“Amelia.”
She walked toward him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she smiled faintly.
“I wanted to see this place again.”
He nodded.
“Of course.”
She looked around.
“It's smaller than I remember.”
Lorenzo laughed softly.
“Everything looks smaller when you're not afraid.”
Amelia looked at him.
“I'm not afraid today.”
His eyes filled.
“I'm glad.”
She stepped closer.
“Enzo.”
“Yes?”
“I don't know what happens next.”
He nodded.
“Neither do I.”
May you like
She took a breath.
“But I'd like to find out.”
