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‘They all wanted to be part of it?’ Maria asked, a little touched

‘They all want you to stay,’ Seb replied ‘Not as much as I do, of course, but maybe close Apparently I’m a lot nicer to be around when you’re here Plus they all love you, too They’re your family as much as they’re mine’

Family Wasn’t that what she’d wanted when she’d ed, where she was loved? And it was definitely what she wanted for Frankie,

And she could have it if she stayed If she trusted that Seb was telling the truth when he said he loved her

She knew they couldn’t be happy the way they had been before, and while the last week and a half had been better, it still wasn’t what she really wanted froe She didn’t want to have to hold her husband accountable to quotas and objectives every day of their lives But she didn’t want hiain either

Which otiation

Starting hat mattered most this time

Starting with love

‘If I stay,’ Maria started, and Seb felt his heart rise, light with hope ‘If If I staywe need a new plan Not a contract or objectives like before,’ she added quickly

‘Good Because I want to be the husband you deserve, and the father Frankie needs—really I do And I want you to tell me what you need that to be But I’d rather it happen because we’re a teao Not because we both have our separate objectives toto fail’

He’d spent tooalready Too iven away, and not being good enough to make up for that loss

Noanted to focus on being happy instead On le day

‘A team’ Maria sainst the world Well, you, me and Frankie’

‘Exactly Plus I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially since we found out about Leo,’ Seb said ‘I think I think the only way to fail at being a faether’

‘And I do’ Maria grabbed hold of his hands suddenly, and Seb was surprised to see that there were tears in her eyes ‘That was always the problem, you see I wanted to stay so badly But I knew that if I stayed as things were, I’d never be happy But now’

‘Now I’ll make it my life’s work to keep you happy That’sto need some promises from you, too’

‘Yeah?’ Maria raised her eyebrows at him ‘Objectives? Goals?’

‘I like to think of the vows for us both What do you think?’ He barely remembered what he’d pro at how beautiful Maria was in her bridal gown, and feeling the gazes on the back of his head of the hundreds of people their

But this timethis tih the years That he’d think of the, and live by them every day

Even if there was no one else there to hear them make them, and he was dressed in an elf suit rather than a tuxedo

These were the vows that mattered

‘Vows,’ Maria said, with a s? You want to promise to love, honour and obey me?’

‘Ha! No You didn’t even promise that last time’ He frowned ‘Did you?’

‘Of course I didn’t,’ Maria said, rolling her eyes ‘But what, then?’

‘How about I promise to always keep you first in my heart, and in my mind?’

‘I like that one’ Maria shifted closer, and he lifted an arently ‘And I promise to always tell you what I need, and let you find a way to ets, don’t you?’