Elias left the burnt mansion with a grin he couldn't quite suppress. He didn't try to, either.
Did he just… get married to Emma?
Yes. Yes, he did.
The thought echoed in his head, unreal and dizzying. Every step he took down the quiet road made it feel more real, and somehow even more absurd. He'd always known Emma was his family in his heart, but to have someone witness it, to say the words aloud… it felt solid now. Beautifully, terrifyingly solid.
But then…like a brick dropped from the heavens, it hit him.
He got married. Alone.
Shouldn't Emma have been there? Shouldn't they have shared that moment together? What would she think of him deciding something so important by himself? No betrothal gift, no ceremony, no question… just a man blurting out a vow in a burnt mansion, in front of one witness, like a fool in love.
