Chapter 28 - The Eve of the Vow
The night before the wedding was warm, tranquil, and clear.
At the Jorge Castellanos Memorial Harbor, five thousand union workers and their families had gathered for an immense waterfront festival. Massive grills were smoking with barbecue, mariachi bands played alongside traditional Italian accordions, and colorful lanterns were strung across the great red cranes.
Elena stood on the observation balcony of the newly inaugurated Jorge Castellanos Children’s Maritime Academy, looking out over the sparkling East River. She wore a lovely yellow sundress, her engagement ring catching the moonlight.
Dante stepped up beside her, wrapping his coat around her shoulders against the harbor breeze.
"Are you nervous, Mrs. Moretti to-be?" Dante teased gently, resting his chin against her hair.
"Not nervous at all," Elena replied, leaning back against his strong chest. "Just amazed. Two years ago, I didn't know how I was going to pay the rent on our one-room basement apartment. I used to cry myself to sleep, praying Jorge would give me a sign that we were going to survive."
She turned in Dante’s arms, looking into his dark, loving eyes.
"And Jorge sent you. He sent a man who had forgotten how to smile, so that my daughter could teach him how to laugh again."
Dante looked down at her, his expression filled with profound tenderness. "Lily didn't just teach me how to laugh, Elena. She saved my soul. And you gave me a home."
Down on the pier below, Lily was surrounded by dozens of other children, teaching them how to cut out paper dolphin stars with her gold-plated scissors. Frank Brennan sat nearby in a lawn chair, wearing a ridiculous party hat and cheering every time Lily handed a star to a dockworker.
"Look at her," Elena whispered, tears of joy shining in her eyes. "She’s the happiest girl in New York."
"She deserves the world," Dante said softly. "And tomorrow, the whole world will know she is my daughter."
Suddenly, fireworks lit up the sky above the harbor. Brilliant bursts of gold, emerald, and crimson exploded over the water, illuminating the great crane with dazzling light.
The five thousand workers raised their glasses toward the balcony, roaring with unified celebration:
May you like
"To Dante and Elena! To the Castellanos family! To the Guardians of Brooklyn!"
Dante and Elena waved back, hand in hand, their hearts beating as one under the shower of falling golden sparks.
