My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 1023

As soon as the two fathers-in-law stepped out, all eyes turned to them. Almost everyone knew that, once upon a time, Marcus had nearly wanted to kill Peter. So seeing them walk out together, smiling and joking, caused quite a stir among the guests.

"What? Did something happen?" Marcus asked when he noticed everyone staring.

"No, my love… Nothing happened," Valerie said, looking at him as soon as he reached her and took her hand.

"Hey?" Marcus murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hmm?"

"Have I told you that I love you?"

"Not lately! You’ve been too nervous," she teased.

"I love you, my life! You are my world, my everything! I will always be grateful for that bottle of wine that brought us together that first time."

"Marcus…!" Valerie blushed deep red.

Something Peter had said earlier stuck with Marcus: Life gave us a second chance… And it was true.

He had once been drowning in pain and misery. His life had crumbled just as it was starting to take off. But then Serenity and Valerie had come to pull him out of it.

Meanwhile, Peter made his way over to Celeste, who had just grabbed another slice of cake.

"How are the little ones?" she asked, offering him a spoonful.

"They’re great! They’re doing just fine. What about you? How are you?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I need a vacation. I just want a day to lie on a beach, feel the sun, listen to the waves…" Celeste sighed, closing her eyes and picturing it. "But honestly, I’d settle for an extra hour of sleep."

"Hey… Come with me. Let’s take a walk," Peter said, reaching out to help her up.

Despite the pregnancy, Celeste’s body was slowly adjusting to its new shape—one that drove Peter absolutely crazy.

Celeste stared at him, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t want to cry in a moment like this, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Memories flooded her mind. If Peter thought she missed the old version of him, he couldn’t have been more wrong. At first, she’d had her doubts, but these past few months had erased them completely.

"God, I hope I don’t screw this up… Celeste, will you… will you spend the rest of my life with me? I mean, I’m not exactly a young man anymore, but I think I’ve still got a few good years left…" Peter chuckled nervously.

"Yes…! Yes, I will! But—there's one thing," Celeste said, locking eyes with him.

A chill ran down Peter’s spine.

"Y-Yeah? What is it?" he asked, trying to sound confident.

"Peter Palmer, I love you. And yes, I am completely yours, and you—you are mine. Only mine. The man standing in front of me is the only one that matters. He is the only one I have ever fallen for, and God, I wouldn’t change a thing. I would never trade this for anything.

"I wouldn’t trade you for the Peter of the past.

"Because the one I want—the one I love—is the Peter who woke up believing he was 25 years old."