The estate has been transformed into something from a fairy tale for our early evening wedding, though I suspect Leo would prefer if it featured more dinosaurs and fewer flowers. White peonies cascade from every available surface, their sweet fragrance mixing with the salt air from the ocean beyond. Candlelight flickers in glass hurricane lamps along the garden paths, creating pools of warm light that guide guests toward the altar.
I stand at the end of the aisle wearing a charcoal gray suit that Danielle chose because she said it makes my eyes look like storm clouds. Beside me, Andrei adjusts his tie with the same precision he brings to everything, while Leo fidgets with the ring bearer’s pillow and whispers questions about whether space dinosaurs would like weddings.
“Are you nervous?” Andrei asks quietly.
“No.” I watch the violinist tune her instrument and think about how many times I’ve imagined this moment over the pastseven months since Sophia was born, and we started seriously planning the wedding. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
Leo tugs on my sleeve and beckons me down to his level. “Daddy, do you think Sophia knows this is a special day?”
I crouch beside him and straighten his miniature bow tie, which matches mine exactly. “I think she knows that everyone she loves is here together, and that makes it special.”
“She looks really pretty in her dress.” His observation is delivered with the serious consideration he applies to all important matters. “Almost as pretty as Mama.”
“I can’t wait to see them,” I say, having been denied a glimpse due to the old tradition, but the truth is that Danielle could be wearing a potato sack and still be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
The string quartet begins playing the processional music, and conversations quiet as guests turn toward the beginning of the aisle. Carmen appears first, radiant in the soft blue dress Danielle chose for her maid of honor. More importantly, in lieu of a bouquet, she carries seven-month-old Sophia, who’s wearing a confection of white lace that makes her look like a tiny angel.
Sophia’s dark hair has grown into soft curls that frame her face, and her gray-blue eyes—identical to mine—take in the scene with the serious concentration she’s inherited from both her parents. She doesn’t cry or fuss, seeming content to observe the festivities from Carmen’s secure embrace.
Leo bounces slightly on his toes, clutching the ring pillow with determination. “My job is next, right, Daddy?”
“Soon.” I place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Once Daddy and Mama say our vows, remember?”
He nods solemnly as the music changes, and Danielle appears at the beginning of the aisle. She walks alone, having chosen to give herself away. Her dress is simple and elegant, flowing white silk that skims her curves without hiding the strength in her movements. The bouquet of white peonies trembles slightly in her hands, which is the only sign of nerves she allows herself to show.
Everything else disappears as I watch her approach. The guests, the flowers, and the ocean beyond cease to matter compared to the woman walking toward me with love and trust and promise written across her face. She’s more beautiful than she was the day we met, more radiant than she was the morning after our first night together, and more perfect than she was the day she delivered our daughter.
She reaches the altar and hands her bouquet to Carmen, who shifts Sophia slightly to hold both, then turns to face me with tears threatening to spill over her lower lashes. I take her hands in mine and forget that anyone else exists. “Hi,” she whispers, and the simple greeting contains everything we’ve been through to reach this moment.
“Hi, yourself.” I brush a tear from her cheek with my thumb. “You look incredible.”
“You look amazing too.”
The officiant clears his throat diplomatically, reminding us we have an audience waiting for the actual ceremony to begin. We’ve written our own vows, intimate truths that we’ll speak in front of our family and friends but that feel too personal foranyone else to truly understand. They’re brief but heartfelt, and then Leo proudly thrusts up the pillow when I nod down to him.
The exchange of rings passes in a blur of whispered promises and gentle touches. Leo performs his duties perfectly, though he stage-whispers to Sophia that the rings are very shiny and cost more than a lot of dinosaurs.
When the officiant pronounces us husband and wife, the kiss we share is soft, sweet, and filled with the promise of everything that comes next. Applause erupts from our guests, but all I hear is Leo cheering and Sophia making happy baby sounds from Carmen’s arms.
The reception flows seamlessly from ceremony to celebration. Leo immediately commandeers the dance floor, spinning and twirling with abandon while other guests laugh and join him. Sophia naps peacefully in Carmen’s arms until she wakes hungry and Danielle disappears with her for a bit to feed her. When they return, she gets passed around to various friends and relatives who want to marvel at her latest developments.
Andrei gives a toast that manages to be both heartfelt and appropriately vague about the details of how we met. Carmen cries happy tears while talking about friendship and family and the power of second chances. Leo insists on making his own speech about how Daddy knows everything about space dinosaurs and how Sophia is the best baby sister ever, even though she can’t play dinosaurs yet.
As the evening winds down and guests begin to drift away, I find Danielle in the garden. She’s changed into a simpler dress for dancing, but she still wears her hair in the elaborate style the stylist spent hours perfecting this morning.
“How does it feel to be Mrs. Vetrov?” I slip my arms around her waist and pull her close enough to breathe in the scent of her perfume mixed with peonies.
“It feels like coming home.” She leans into my embrace and looks up at the stars beginning to appear in the darkening sky. “It feels like everything we went through was worth it to get here.”
“It was worth it.” I kiss the top of her head and think about the path that led us to this moment. “Every mistake, every moment of fear, and every choice that seemed impossible at the time brought us here.”
She tilts her head slightly while looking up at me. “Do you ever miss it? The excitement, the power, and the feeling of controlling everything around you?”
“Never.” My answer is immediate and completely honest. “This is the life I never knew I wanted. This is what makes everything else worthwhile.”
She turns in my arms and looks up at me with the expression that first made me fall in love with her. “I’m glad you chose us.”
“I didn’t choose you over anything else.” I cup her face in my hands and kiss her softly. “I chose the only life worth living.”
