Chapter 20 - The Summer RetreatTo celebrate our first wedding anniversary, Julian and I packed up the estate and took the family on a two-week retreat to a secluded, sun-drenched lakeside cabin in northern Michigan.
The days were filled with kayaking on crystal-clear blue water, hiking through pine-scented forest trails, and reading books on the wooden dock as the sun dipped below the horizon.
On our actual anniversary evening, while Lily and Clara stayed back at the cabin roasting s'mores, Julian and I took a quiet canoe ride out to the center of the lake.
The water was as smooth as glass, reflecting the brilliant orange and purple hues of the sunset.
Julian rested his paddle across the gunwales, looking across at me with a tender, breath-taking smile.
"One year married, Daniel," Julian whispered softly. "And I love you more today than I did on our wedding day."
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"Julian, you brought life back into my soul," I answered, reaching across the canoe to take his hand. "We built an empire of love out of the ruins of betrayal. I couldn't ask for a more perfect life."
We leaned in close, sharing a sweet, quiet kiss under the vast, open northern sky as the first stars began to blink into existence.
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