Three weeks after the trial, we set a wedding date.
June. At the cottage. Small ceremony. Just family and close friends.
Isabella was thrilled. She'd already called three different wedding planners. Sent me links to dresses. Started making lists of flowers and food and everything else.
"You only get married once," she said over lunch at her favorite restaurant. "We're doing this right."
"It doesn't have to be fancy. Just simple. Intimate."
"Simple and intimate doesn't mean cheap and boring. Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
I smiled. Watching her get excited was sweet. She'd fully accepted me now. Treated me like a real daughter.
It made what I was about to ask harder.
"Isabella, can I ask you something? About Dante?"
Her expression shifted. Cautious. "Of course."
"Has he seemed
