Chapter 113 CHAPTER 113

Chapter 113 CHAPTER 113
Gabriel Morgan

When he reaches the altar, I hold his hand. It is trembling. I notice that mine is too.

I smile.

"You look beautiful, my sun."

He smiles back.

"You look magnificent, baby."

The foolish smile surfaces without asking permission. We turn to the former priest, still holding hands.

He begins the ceremony with a calm voice, speaking about love, about daily choices, about walking side by side even when the path is difficult. He speaks about resilience, about care, about remaining.

"Marriage is not just a day," he says. "It is a decision that is renewed every single day."

I listen to every word attentively, feeling the weight and the beauty of all of it. He speaks of the importance of supporting, of respecting, of loving without reservations. Of being present on the good days and, especially, on the difficult days.

Then, he faces us with a serene smile.

"We have now reached the moment for the vows."

My heart races once more.

This is it.

I take a deep breath and squeeze his hand.

"My sun… since the day I met you, everything began to make sense. I always wanted to love and be loved, but I spent my life believing that wasn't for me. Until I found you in that hospital room… and afterward, we ran into each other in that cliché bump that seemed like something out of a movie."

He laughs softly, without turning his eyes away from mine.

"Everything I lived by your side has been the best days of my life. And I want to keep living every single one of them with you. You brought me light when I didn't even know I was in the dark. You taught me that love doesn't hurt when it is care. You made me feel a love so great that I no longer know how to exist without you."

I squeeze his hand with more firmness, feeling the emotion invade me.

"I promise to love you even more each day. I promise to be by your side in joy, in sickness, on the easy days and on the days when everything seems much too heavy. I promise to be shelter when the world weighs down, strength when it lacks, and calmness when anxiety hits. I love you, my sun. You are everything to me."

He takes a deep breath, squeezing my hand back. His eyes shine.

"I give thanks every day for you taking the initiative, my love. I always thought I couldn't be happy. That my destiny would be to leave much too early, without truly living."

I squeeze his hand tightly, drawing a trembling smile.

"But when you entered my life, everything changed. I wanted to live. I wanted to stay. I wanted to fight. Because you brought me into the light, Gabriel. You filled my world with colors when everything for me was black and white."

He swallows hard, his voice thick with emotion.

"You taught me that love isn't just surviving… it's choosing to stay. It's dreaming again. It's planning the future without fear. I promise to take care of you just as you take care of me. I promise to love you on the good days and, especially, on the difficult days. I promise to choose you every day of my life. I love you more than any words can explain."

I smile, feeling the tears finally escape.

The former priest clears his throat discreetly, clearly emotional as well.

"The love you shared here today is not made of empty promises," he says, his voice steady. "It is made of truth, of struggle, of a daily choice. Gabriel and Ethan, you presented yourselves to each other not just as partners but as a safe harbor."

He takes a brief pause, looking at the two of us.

"Before everyone gathered here, I ask: do you accept to walk together, respecting, caring for, and loving each other every day of your lives?"

"Yes," I answer without hesitation.

"Yes," Ethan says, his voice choked up.

The former priest smiles, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"Before that… we need the rings."

My heart races once more.

I see Ethan's mother stand up from the first row. Her eyes are misty, but her smile is steady, proud. She walks to us with calm steps, bringing the rings in her hands. When she arrives, she looks first at her son, caresses his face with delicacy, and then extends the rings to the two of us.

"Be very happy," she says, her voice thick with emotion.

"Thank you," I murmur, feeling my throat tighten.

I take the ring, my hands trembling slightly. I hold Ethan's hand, which is also trembling. I slide the band onto his finger carefully, as if that gesture carried all the meaning of our story. When I finish, he does the same with me. The cold touch of the metal soon transforms into warmth, into belonging.

The former priest smiles, satisfied.

"Then, by the power that has been… informally granted to me," he jokes, drawing emotional laughter from the guests. "I declare you officially united in love."

He faces us with affection.

"Gabriel… you may kiss your husband."

I don't think. I just pull Ethan to me and kiss him. A kiss full of everything we lived, of everything we overcame, and of everything we are still going to live. A kiss that seals promises, heals wounds, and confirms choices.

The sound explodes around us.

Applause. Cheers. Whistles. Emotional laughter.

"Hooray!"

"Congratulations!"

"Finally!"

The guests stand up, clapping their hands, celebrating as if that love belonged to them too. I see faces smiling, eyes misty, hands joining in endless applause. The noise is loud, beautiful, and alive.

When we pull apart, still with our foreheads pressed together, we smile at each other.

We are married.

We leave the altar hand in hand, still trying to assimilate everything that had just happened. The guests stand up, forming a living aisle around us.

Flower petals are tossed into the air, falling over us while the music plays loud and joyful. Smiles on all sides, constant applause, shouts of happiness.

I walk by his side with an open chest and a light heart.

We head to the party space, still with our hands intertwined. When we reach the center, I ask for a little attention. The murmur decreases, and I look around.

"We want to thank all of you for being here," I say, my voice steady despite the emotion. "Having each person here means a lot to us. You are part of our story, and this moment is only so special because you are here."

Ethan squeezes my hand, agreeing with a smile.

"Thank you for celebrating this day with us," he completes.

We take two glasses of champagne. I raise mine.

"To love. To life. And to everything, we are still going to live together."

"To us," he says.

We toast. The sound of the crystal mixes with the applause, the laughter, and the atmosphere of happiness that takes over the place.

The music shifts to something softer, and Ethan pulls me by the hand, bringing me close. He loops an arm around my waist, and I begin to dance with him, slowly, pressed together, as if the rest of the world had disappeared.

The sound of the sea in the background, the warm light around us, the calm sway of his body next to mine.

Just the two of us.

He lifts his face and smiles in that way that is always capable of accelerating my heart.

"My husband… finally my husband."

I let out a low laugh and kiss his lips without rush.

"Yes. Only yours. Just as you are mine. My beautiful husband. I promise to protect you, take care of you, spoil you… in everything."

He smiles, resting his forehead against mine.

"You already do that, my giant baby."

I laugh truly, feeling a simple and whole happiness.

The music changes suddenly, becoming lively and contagious. Before I can react, my mother surfaces by our side, already clapping her hands.

"Let's liven up this party! Everyone dance! Come on, let's go, let's go!"

The guests begin to laugh and stand up. Ethan moves away, beginning to dance in a completely loose, exaggerated way, drawing gasps of laughter from me. I can't resist. I go after him, joining in the fun.

In a few seconds, everyone is dancing. Laughter, arms in the air, clumsy steps—happiness spread through every corner.

And there, surrounded by music, laughter, and love, I understand that after everything we faced, we finally won.

When the party finally comes to an end, Ethan and I are completely exhausted. Perhaps it's the accumulated fatigue, perhaps the lack of sleep from the last few nights. Or perhaps it's just the intensity of everything we lived through today.

I see my mother approach with a smile I already know very well. That smile that always announces something.

"Now that you are tired, it's time for the honeymoon."

I crease my forehead, confused.

"I prepared a trip on my private jet," she continues, as if she were speaking of the simplest thing in the world. "You don't need to worry about clothes. The bags are already on the jet. And you don't need to change right now either; do that during the flight."

I look at Ethan. He stares back at me, just as lost as I am.

My mother rolls her eyes at our slowness and simply pulls us by the arms.

"Let's go; hurry up."