My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

The priest spoke about love, and his words resonated differently in the hearts and minds of everyone gathered there.

"My children, we must remember that true love is not just a fleeting feeling, but rather a conscious decision to care for, respect, and remain faithful to your partner.

"Love, my dear children, is a constant commitment—an act of daily will. It will always require some sacrifice, patience, and teamwork to grow together as a couple and as a family.

"When I see a young couple, I like to remind them that love in marriage must be unconditional—a love that accepts the other person with both their virtues and flaws. It is in the most difficult moments that true love is revealed.

"In hard times, love strengthens, allowing you to face life's challenges together. Your home will be a refuge during trials, and your love will be the driving force for personal and spiritual growth.

"To all gathered here, may the love of this couple and every family present be eternal, strong, and ever-growing."

Those words touched the hearts of everyone in attendance, bringing back memories of their own lives.

Frederick discreetly took Camille's hand. She squeezed it gently and looked at him with a special glimmer in her eyes. Their relationship had been quite the surprise—just as Marcus had his fair share of fleeting romances in the past, Frederick had been no different.

What started as friendship and companionship had slowly evolved into something deeper, something that made them happy and allowed them to truly share a life together.

Then there were Theodore and Fiona, a couple who amazed everyone. To most, Theodore was the tough, grumpy, and serious type-no one would have imagined that at home, his life was filled with romantic moments and small gestures of love between him and his wife.

Theodore's story bore some resemblance to Marcus's relationship with his daughter, though the love was different. But with Fiona's arrival, the hardened man had softened, gradually shedding his rough exterior for the woman who woke up in his arms every morning.

Listening intently to the priest's words was Maximus, for whom every phrase seemed to echo painfully in his ears. Guilt weighed heavily on him-the countless mistakes of his past, his first marriage, the pain he had inflicted on a woman who hadn't deserved it.

It caused a physical

ache in his

chest, an emptiness that gnawed at him. Even though they had long gone their separate ways, he knew that for a large part of his life, he had caused pain-whether knowingly or not. Not just to Mary, but to his own brother as well.

The reckless choices of his youth came back to haunt him every time he thought

he had moved on. And now, with the sudden reappearance of Paul's father, the past refused to let him go.

A sudden squeeze on his hand pulled him back to the present, and a warm touch wiped away a tear that had nearly betrayed his sorrow.

Beside him, the owner of that gentle hand was a young woman—a woman who had entered his life unexpectedly. A woman who, without asking for much, stood by his side, accepting him for both his past and his present.

Diana was the one bringing order to his life, reminding him that second chances could exist. That while facing the consequences of his own actions wasn't easy, there was always a way forward. It wouldn't be simple, but it was possible.

"Are you okay?" Diana whispered.

Maximus could only nod, forcing a small smile before turning his gaze back to where his daughter stood.

Then there was another couple, one still reluctant to openly admit they were together-Katherine and Ignatius. They had been living together for about a year, and it wasn't that Katherine was still waiting for Peter. No, it was something else entirely.

She was ashamed of herself. She didn't feel worthy of the man beside her.

Ignatius was free-he had no dark

past, no burdens weighing him

down. He was a man who had

decided he would love her in this life and the next. A man who had once seen a girl in need and helped her without expecting anything in return. A man whom, for years, she had stubbornly pushed away.

As Peter listened to the priest's words, he reached for Katherine's hand and gave

it a gentle squeeze. She looked at him, surprised, and he turned to her with a soft

smile.

It was no secret that Peter had once loved the woman beside him with an intense passion, but their

relationship had never worked, and it never would. Whether consciously or unconsciously, the love he had felt back then had been fueled by desire for something that was never truly his.

They exchanged a glance before turning their eyes forward. In front of them stood

the one truly good thing that had come from their time together their son, the living reflection of them both.noveldrama