DAVE
WEDDING DAY
I stood by the altar, Damien beside me, both of us staring intently at the entrance, waiting for the bride.
Damien leaned in close, his voice barely a whisper. “There’s still time to stop the madness.”
I shot him a quick glance, my eyes narrowing slightly. “There’s no madness in marrying Elara,” I corrected him. If anything, it would be interesting—fun, even. She always knew how to make life feel less ordinary.
The violinist raised his bow, and the soft, first note of the melody rang out, signaling the bride’s arrival. The few guests seated in the small room stood in unison.
I scanned the faces of the crowd, taking in Elara’s parents. Her mother seemed disinterested, her eyes distant, as if she were physically present but emotionally somewhere else. Her father, on t
