Page 325 of When a Soul Cries

Somewhere behind me, Sugga sniffled loudly.

Roman smiled for half a second.

Then his eyes returned to mine.

“I promise I will never use what I do for you as a way to control you. I promise I'll listen when you're scared, even when I don't understand the fear. I promise your voice will matter in every decision we make.”

His gaze moved toward Halo.

His voice broke.

“And I promise that little girl will never have to wonder whether she's mine.”

My breath caught.

Roman looked at Halo for a long second before continuing.

“I don't care how she got here. I don't care whose blood she carries. That's my daughter. If she'll have me, I'm her daddy for the rest of my life.”

Sugga's hand flew to her mouth.

Zari was openly crying now.

Kai lowered his head and rubbed a hand over his jaw.

Even the pastor blinked rapidly a few times before looking down.

Roman turned back to me.

“And you, Sol...” He swallowed. “You're my home.”

That broke whatever composure I had left.

“I love you,” he continued. “I choose you. And I'm gonna keep choosing you every damn day I'm lucky enough to wake up beside you.”

For a moment, I couldn't speak.

The man standing in front of me had met me when I was stocking shelves in an oversized T-shirt and red Cash Market vest.

He'd seen me exhausted.

Broke.

Homeless.

Ashamed.

Terrified.

He'd seen the parts of me I had spent years trying to hide from everybody.

And he was still standing there.

Choosing me.

The pastor gave me a gentle nod.

My turn.