Five years.
Five years since the real wedding. Five years since we'd stood in that small chapel and promised forever. Five years of building, growing, loving.
I woke in Declan's arms, the morning sun streaming through the windows. He was already awake, watching me.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself."
"Happy anniversary, wife."
I smiled. "Happy anniversary, husband."
He kissed me. Soft. Slow. Perfect.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too. Even after five years?"
"Especially after five years." He pulled me closer. "More every day."
---
The kids burst in at 7 AM.
Lily first, all seven years of energy and excitement. Marcus followed, now five, clutching a crayon drawing.
"Happy anniversary!" Lily yelled. "We made you presents!"
Marcus held up his drawing. A family portrait. Stick figures with giant heads and smiling faces. Everyone was there,Mama, Daddy, Lily, Marcus, Grandma, even Evelyn.
"This is beautiful," I said. "We're putting it on the fridge."
Marcus beamed.
Lily handed over her gift, a card covered in glitter and stickers. Inside, she'd written: To Mama and Daddy. You're the best parents ever. Love, Lily.
I cried. Obviously.
"Mama's crying again," Marcus observed.
"She always cries," Lily said wisely. "It's a mom thing."
---
Declan had planned the whole day.
Breakfast in bed,pancakes he'd made himself, slightly burned but perfect. Then the kids went to Margaret's for the day (she'd insisted) while we had the penthouse to ourselves.
"What's the plan?" I asked.
"You'll see."
"More surprises?"
"The best kind."
---
He took me to the chapel.
The same small chapel where we'd said our real vows. It looked exactly the same,stained glass windows, wooden pews, flowers everywhere.
"Why are we here?"
He led me to the front. Turned me to face him.
"Because I wanted to renew our vows."
I stared at him.
"Not in front of everyone. Just us. Here, where it started." He took my hands. "I want to say it again. All of it. Because it's still true. More true than ever."
I was crying again. Obviously.
"Okay," I whispered. "Yes."
---
The officiant appeared from somewhere ,the same woman who'd married us five years ago. She smiled, nodded, began.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the renewal of marriage vows between Declan and Olivia Kane."
Declan went first.
"Olivia. Five years ago, I stood here and promised to love you forever. I thought I knew what that meant." He squeezed my hands. "I had no idea."
I laughed through my tears.
"Loving you has been the greatest adventure of my life. Building a family with you has been my greatest joy. Watching you become a mother, watching you fight for justice, watching you love me through every hard moment ,it's made me who I am."
He wiped his eyes.
"I love you more today than I did five years ago. More than I thought it was possible to love anyone. And I'll love you more tomorrow, and more the day after that. Forever. Always."
My turn.
"Declan. Five years ago, I stood here and promised to love you forever. I meant it then. I mean it more now." I squeezed his hands. "You've given me everything. A family. A home. A life I never dreamed possible."
I took a breath.
"You've shown me what love really means. Not just the easy parts—the hard parts too. The nights when you held me through grief. The days when you made me laugh when I wanted to cry. The way you look at our children like they're the most precious things in the world."
He was crying now too.
"I love you. I'll always love you. Forever isn't long enough."
The officiant smiled. "By the power vested in me, I pronounce you still husband and wife. You may kiss again."
We did.
---
Afterward, we walked through the city.
Hand in hand. No phones. No schedules. Just us.
"Thank you," I said.
"For what?"
"For this. For everything. For five years of love."
He stopped walking. Pulled me close.
"Thank you for saying yes. That first day in my office. For signing the contract. For staying when it got hard."
I kissed him.
"Best decision I ever made."
"Same."
---
We picked up the kids at Margaret's.
They ran to us, full of stories about their day. Cookies. Movies. Endless games.
"Did you have fun?" I asked.
"The best!" Lily said. "Margaret let us stay up late!"
"Margaret always lets you stay up late."
"She's the best."
We drove home together, the city glittering around us, the kids chattering in the back.
"Happy?" Declan asked quietly.
I looked at him. At this man who'd started as a contract and become my whole world.
"Ridiculously."
---
That night, after the kids were asleep, we stood on the balcony.
The city spread below us, a million lights, a million lives. I leaned against him, his arms around me, his chin on my shoulder.
"What do you want for the next five years?" he asked.
"Same thing. More of this."
"That's it?"
"That's everything."
He kissed my forehead. "You're everything."
"Forever?"
"Forever."