Chapter 66 The Wedding
Lara's pov
Marcus started visiting us every Saturday.
At first it felt strange.
We would all sit in the living room and talk.
But after a few weeks, it got better.
Ethan would run to the door when Marcus came.
"Uncle Marcus! I learned something new at school today!"
Marcus would sit down and listen to everything.
About spelling tests. Science projects. Everything.
He listened like it was the most important thing ever.
Two months later, Marcus brought a gift.
"I have something for you, Ethan."
Ethan's eyes got big. "What is it?"
Marcus gave him a box.
Inside was a toy doctor kit. With a fake stethoscope and other tools.
"This was mine when I was a kid. My dad gave it to me. It made me want to be a doctor."
Ethan pulled out the stethoscope.
"Can I check your heart?"
"Yes."
Ethan put it on and listened to Marcus's chest.
His face got very serious.
"Your heart sounds good, Uncle Marcus."
"Thank you, Dr. Ethan."
I turned away so they couldn't see me crying.
That night after Marcus left, Ethan played with the doctor kit in his room.
Damien and I cleaned the kitchen.
"He's really good with Ethan," I said.
"Yes he is."
"Does it bother you? That they're getting close?"
Damien stopped washing dishes.
"A little bit. Sometimes."
"Damien—"
"But then I think about it. Ethan having more people who love him is a good thing."
"You're still his father. Nothing changed."
"I know. And Marcus is very respectful. He never tries to replace me."
"He calls himself Uncle Marcus."
"Exactly. He knows where he stands. That makes it easier."
I hugged Damien.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Six months later, Marcus brought someone new.
"Everyone, this is Sarah. My girlfriend."
A woman with blonde hair stepped forward. She was smiling.
"It's so nice to meet you. Marcus talks about you all the time."
Ethan shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you."
Sarah laughed. "You're so cute."
Sarah was a teacher.
She and Ethan talked about books and drawing.
I watched Marcus with Sarah.
He had his own life. His own future.
This wasn't just about Ethan.
That made me feel better about everything.
One year later, Damien had an idea.
"I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"Making Marcus's role official. Like on paper."
"What do you mean?"
"A legal agreement. It would say when he can visit. What decisions he can help with. Everything clear."
"Do you think Marcus would want that?"
"I think it would help everyone. Make things clear."
"Okay. Let's ask him."
Next Saturday, we talked to Marcus about it.
"Marcus, we want to make things official."
He looked worried. "Is something wrong?"
"No. Everything is good. We want to give you legal rights. For visiting Ethan. For helping with decisions."
Marcus was quiet.
"You would really do that?"
"You're Ethan's biological father. And you're family now. This just makes it legal."
Marcus's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't know what to say."
"Say yes," Ethan said.
We all turned around.
Ethan was standing in the doorway. Listening.
"I want Uncle Marcus to be official family."
Marcus looked at Ethan.
"You do?"
"Yes. You're already family. This just puts it on paper, right?"
"Right."
"So say yes."
Marcus smiled. "Yes. I say yes."
The lawyer made the papers.
It took three weeks.
When they were ready, we all signed.
Me. Damien. Marcus.
Even Ethan wrote his name at the bottom.
"All done," the lawyer said.
Marcus put the papers in his bag carefully.
"Thank you. This means so much."
"You're welcome," Damien said.
I could see Damien meant it.
No jealousy. No anger.
Just happiness that Ethan had more people who loved him.
Two years later, Marcus and Sarah got engaged.
They told us at dinner.
"We wanted you to know first," Marcus said.
"That's wonderful!" I hugged them.
"The wedding is in six months. Small wedding. Just family and close friends."
"We'd love to come."
Sarah looked at Ethan. "We were hoping Ethan could be our ring bearer."
Ethan's eyes got huge.
"Really?"
"Really. If you want to."
"Can I, Mom? Dad?"
Damien nodded. "Of course."
"Yes!" Ethan jumped up.
We all laughed.
Ethan took his job very seriously.
He practiced walking slowly in our hallway.
Practiced holding the ring pillow.
Practiced his serious face.
On the wedding day, he looked so grown up in his suit.
"You look very handsome," I told him.
"Thanks Mom. Do I look professional?"
"Very professional."
The wedding was beautiful.
Small church. About fifty people.
When it was time for the rings, Ethan walked perfectly.
He didn't drop anything.
I cried watching him.
My baby was growing up.
At the party after, Marcus talked to us.
"I want to thank you both. For everything."
"You don't have to thank us," Damien said.
"Yes I do. You gave me a family. You let me into your lives when you could have said no."
"You deserved to know Ethan," I said.
"Not everyone would have done what you did."
Marcus looked at Ethan dancing with Sarah.
"He's a great kid."
"He is."
"You raised him well."
"We tried our best."
"It shows."
That night at home, I sat outside with Damien.
"Today was nice."
"It was."
"Are you okay with everything? With Marcus?"
"You mean with Marcus being in Ethan's life?"
"Yes."
Damien thought about it.
"In the beginning, I was scared. I thought maybe Ethan would like Marcus more. That I would lose him."
"And now?"
"Now I know Ethan has enough love for both of us. And that's okay."
"You're his dad, Damien. Always."
"I know. And Marcus knows it too. That's why this works."
We sat quietly.
Just listening to the night sounds.
A few months later, Damien came home early.
"I want to propose. The right way. With a ring."
I laughed. "We've been engaged for three years."
"I know. But I never did it properly. I want to do it right."
"Damien—"
"Please. Let me do this."
"Okay."
"Really?"
"Really."
He smiled so big.
"Don't tell anyone."
"I won't."
Two weeks later, he took me to my father's old house.
The one he'd been fixing.
"Why are we here?"
"You'll see."
He took me through the house.
It was beautiful.
Everything looked like it did when my father was alive.
Maybe even better.
We went to the garden.
The sun was going down.
Everything looked golden.
"Damien, what's happening?"
He got down on one knee.
Took out a small box.
"Lara, I've loved you for ten years. From the day I saw you in that yellow dress at your father's funeral."
"Damien—"
"Wait. Let me finish. I asked you to marry me before. But this time I want to do it the right way. In your father's house. Where you grew up."
He opened the box.
A simple gold ring with one diamond.
"Will you marry me? For real this time?"
I was crying.
"Yes. Of course yes."
He put the ring on my finger.
Stood up and kissed me.
Everything felt right.
We decided to get married at my father's house.
Small wedding. Just close friends and family.
Marcus and Sarah too.
We took six months to plan it.
The garden looked amazing.
White flowers everywhere. Lights in the trees.
Fifty chairs.
Simple. Beautiful.
The day before the wedding, my book publisher called.
The book was doing really well.
They wanted me to travel to different cities to talk about it.
"Ten cities. Starting in three months. Are you interested?"
I thought about it.
Ethan would be in school. Damien could handle things.
"Yes. I'm interested."
"Great. We'll send you the details."
My book was helping people.
That's what I wanted.
Wedding day came.
I woke up early.
Too excited to sleep.
Sarah came to help me get ready.
"You look beautiful," she said.
"Thank you. For everything."
"For what?"
"For being good to Marcus. For accepting our complicated family."
She laughed. "This isn't complicated. This is just family."
"A very unusual family."
"The best families are."
At 4pm, the wedding started.
I stood at the back of the garden with Marcus.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Ready."
"Thank you for letting me be part of this."
"Thank you for saving my life. Twice."
"Twice?"
"Once with the bone marrow. And once by giving me Ethan."
He squeezed my arm.
The music started.
We walked down together.
Past all our friends and family.
Toward Damien waiting at the front.
Ethan stood next to him.
Smiling so big.
Marcus kissed my cheek.
"Be happy."
"I will."
Damien took my hands.
The minister started talking.
The vows were simple.
We promised to love each other.
To always be honest.
To build a life together.
To be partners and best friends.
When the minister said "you may kiss the bride," everyone clapped.
Ethan cheered the loudest.
In that moment, everything felt perfect.
We'd been through so much.
Pain. Fear. Confusion.
But we made it.
We survived.
And now we were building something beautiful.
A family that worked even when it seemed impossible.
A love that was real and honest.
And that was enough.
More than enough.
It was everything.