Watching himwatch me.
Her expression pinches with every step I take, like she’s personally being tortured by the sight of him looking at me like that.
And I can’t help it.
I smile.
On purpose. Unapologetic.
Her jaw ticks.
By the time I blink again, I’m at the top of the aisle, triumphant, glowing, and maybe just a little petty.
Tyler steps forward to meet me, holding out his arm like we’re in a period drama, leaning in just enough that his voice is barely audible…
“You look beautiful.”
No smirk. No teasing. Just soft, sincere truth, no costume, no performance.
My stomach flips so hard I nearly miss the celebrant’s opening words.
I take my place, and the ceremony begins.
For the next twenty minutes, I do everything in my power not to cry.
But something about it, the gentle vows, the golden light, the way Lily and Ben look at each other like the world’s just been made new, it dawns on me.
Like the air after a rainstorm.
Clean.
Calm.
Full of possibility.
Like hope.
I glance up at the flower-strewn arch, the silk ribbons swaying lazily in the breeze, the guests beaming from the second row.
And I think, maybe I want this one day. Not just the dress. Not just the setting.
But the certainty. The steadiness.
And even as that longing bubbles in my chest, I don’t feel bitter. Or jealous. Or small.
I feel… warm.
Seen.
Held.
Maybe not by Tyler.Not yet.
But by something bigger.
Something that whispers, you’re not the jester today.
You’re the heroine.
