Nana hadn't slept.
She'd tried—lying in the hotel room she shared with Mina and Jisu, watching the city lights through the window, listening to her friends' peaceful breathing. But every time she closed her eyes, her mind raced.
Tomorrow I'm getting married.
Tomorrow I become Zayne's wife.
Tomorrow everything changes forever.
At 4 AM, she gave up and sat by the window, watching the sky slowly lighten, feeling everything at once—joy, terror, disbelief, overwhelming love.
"Can't sleep either?" Jisu's quiet voice came from her bed.
"Too many feelings," Nana admitted.
"Same." Mina sat up, hair a mess. "Our best friend is getting MARRIED. To a literal prince. This is—this is—"
"A fairy tale," Jisu finished. "A real one."
They're sat together in the pre-dawn quiet, three village girls who'd come to the city chasing dreams, never imagining one of them would end up here—about to marry the most eligible bachelor in Linkon's medical community.
"Do you think Grandpa Li knows?" Nana whispered. "Wherever he is. Do you think he can see this?"
"He knows," Mina said firmly. "He planned this. This was always his plan. And he's watching from heaven, probably crying happy tears and being insufferably smug about being right."
Nana laughed through her own tears. "Yeah. Yeah, he probably is."
The makeup artist arrived at 6 AM—sent by Zayne, of course, along with a hairstylist and two assistants whose only job was to make sure Nana had everything she needed.
"Dr. Li was very specific," the makeup artist said, studying Nana's face.
"Natural, glowing, enhancing not masking. He said—" She checked her notes. "—'She's already perfect. Just help her see what I see.'"
Nana burst into tears immediately, ruining the bare skin the artist was trying to work with.
"NANA!" Mina grabbed tissues. "NO CRYING YET! You'll mess up your face!"
"I can't help it! He's so—he's—"
"We know," Jisu soothed. "He's perfect. You're perfect. Everything is perfect. Now STOP CRYING so we can make you pretty!"
It took three hours. Hair styled in soft waves with delicate flowers woven through.
Makeup that made her look like herself but somehow more—eyes brighter, skin glowing, lips soft pink. And then—dress.
The dress
Zayne had commissioned it secretly, working with a designer for months. He'd described Nana in such specific detail—her height, her coloring, her style, what would make her feel beautiful—that the designer had said she felt like she already knew the bride.
The dress was a dream. White with the softest tulle overlay, delicate lace sleeves that covered her arms (modest, exactly what she'd want), a fitted bodice with intricate embroidery, and a flowing skirt that made her feel like a princess.
The veil was sheer and delicate, attached to a small crystal tiara that caught the light.
When Nana saw herself in the mirror, she couldn't speak.
"You look—" Mina's voice broke. "—you look like an angel."
"Zayne is going to DIE," Jisu said. "Like, actually die. We'll have to resuscitate him."
Nana mother appeared in the doorway and immediately started sobbing. "My baby. My beautiful baby girl."
The aunties crowded in, all talking at once:
"SO BEAUTIFUL!"
"Like a princess from a drama!"
"Dr. Li is a lucky man!"
"Give us grandbabies soon!"
"AUNTIE!" Nana protested, blushing furiously.
Lili pushed through the crowd, wearing her flower girl dress, and gasped. "Nana! You're a REAL princess now!"
"Not a princess, sweetheart. Just a bride."
"Same thing!" Lili insisted. "You married a prince, so you're a princess. That's how it works!"
.
.
.
.
.
The wedding was held on a private yacht—Zayne's idea. "Something between the village and the city," he'd explained. "On the water. Neutral territory where both worlds can meet."
The yacht was decorated simply but beautifully—white flowers everywhere, gauzy fabric draping elegant arches, chairs set up on the deck with the city skyline as backdrop.
Zayne stood at the altar with his cousins beside him, trying to control his breathing. His hands were shaking. His heart was racing. He'd performed countless surgeries, made life-or-death decisions under pressure, but nothing—NOTHING—had ever made him this nervous.
"You okay?" Caleb whispered. "You look like you might pass out."
"I'm fine," Zayne lied.
"You're terrified," Xavier corrected, amused.
"She's going to be beautiful," Rafayel said knowingly. "And you're going to cry. It's okay. We brought tissues."
"I'm not going to—"
The music started.
Everyone stood.
And then Zayne saw her.
Nana stood at the entrance, alone—she'd insisted on walking herself down the aisle. "My father isn't here," she'd said. "And I don't need someone to give me away. I'm choosing this. I'm walking to you on my own."
She looked ethereal. The white dress caught the morning sun, making her seem to glow. The veil floated around her like mist. Flowers in her hair. Face radiant with joy and nerves and love.
And she was looking at him like he was the only person in the world.
Zayne's vision blurred. He tried to blink away the tears. Failed completely. They spilled down his cheeks as he watched her walk toward him—this woman who'd crashed into his perfectly controlled life and taught him what it meant to actually live.
"I got you," Rafayel whispered, pressing tissues into his hand.
Zayne didn't care that he was crying in front of everyone. Didn't care that his hospital colleagues were witnessing their stoic chief of cardiology completely breaking down.
All he cared about was her—walking toward him with tears on her own face, clutching her bouquet with shaking hands.
When she reached him, they just stared at each other for a moment, both crying, both overwhelmed.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Hi," he managed. "You're—you're—"
"You're crying."
"So are you."
"I can't help it. You look—you look like you stepped out of a dream."
"You look like the dream itself," he said. "Like every dream I didn't know I was allowed to have."
The priest cleared his throat gently, smiling at them. "Shall we begin?"
The ceremony was beautiful. Traditional but personal. The priest spoke about love as choice, as daily commitment, as two people building something neither could build alone.
Then came the vows.
"Zayne," the priest prompted. "Your vows to your bride."
Zayne took Nana's hands, and his voice shook as he spoke:
"Nana. I spent my whole life believing I wasn't meant for this. For love, for family, for—for happiness. I thought I was meant to be alone, to focus on work, to exist but not really live. And then you—" His voice broke. "You appeared. Making soup that tasted like home. Climbing trees to escape swans. Seeing me—really seeing me—when everyone else just saw Dr. Li."
He wiped his eyes, not caring anymore.
"You taught me what family means. What home feels like. What it's like to be loved not for what I achieve but for who I am. You made me believe I deserved this. Deserved you. Deserved happiness." He squeezed her hands. "I promise to love you with everything I am. To choose you every single day. To make you laugh. To hold you when you cry. To believe in your dreams. To be your home the way you've been mine. I promise to spend the rest of my life proving that your grandfather was right—we were meant to find each other."
Nana was openly sobbing now, and half the guests were crying with her.
"Nana," the priest said gently. "Your vows."
She took a shaky breath, looking up at Zayne through tears:
"Zayne, I—I don't have fancy words. I'm not good at speeches. But I—" She swallowed hard. "You saved me. Not from danger or anything dramatic. But from a life where I thought I wasn't allowed to want more. Where I thought I had to stay small, stay in my place, never dream of anything bigger."
Her voice grew stronger.
"You showed me I was worth more than I believed. You saw value in me when I couldn't see it in myself. You loved my family like they were yours. You made me feel like I mattered—not just for what I could do for others, but for who I am." She smiled through tears.
"I promise to love you forever. To see you—really see you—every single day. To remind you that you're worthy of love. To be your family, your home, your safe place. I promise that wherever we go, whatever we face, you'll never be alone again. Because I'll be there. Always. Choosing you. Loving you. Forever."
There wasn't a dry eye on the yacht.
"The rings," the priest said, voice thick with emotion.
Caleb handed Zayne the ring—platinum band with delicate engraving inside: You are my home.
Zayne slid it onto Nana's finger with shaking hands. "With this ring, I choose you. Forever."
Mina handed Nana the ring—matching band engraved with: "You are my heart" Nana slid it onto Zayne's finger. "With this ring, I choose you. Forever."
"By the power vested in me," the priest said, smiling through his own tears, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may—"
Zayne was already moving. He cupped Nana's face in his hands, bent down to her height, and kissed her softly, reverently, like she was something precious and fragile and infinitely valuable.
Nana rose on her toes, kissing him back, and for a moment, everything else faded—the guests, the yacht, the city skyline. Just them. Just this moment. Just the beginning of forever.
When they pulled apart, the yacht erupted in chaos:
"CONGRATULATIONS!"
"FINALLY!"
"THEY'RE MARRIED!"
Lili was crying happy tears. The twins were cheering. The aunties were already planning the reception. Mina and Jisu were sobbing while recording everything, barely able to hold their phones steady.
Zayne's colleagues applauded with genuine happiness—many had never seen him smile, let alone cry, let alone look at someone with such complete, unguarded love.
His cousins were grinning, relieved their stoic cousin had finally found happiness.
The village had brought the city to its feet with their enthusiastic celebration.
And in the middle of it all, Zayne held Nana close and whispered in her ear: "Thank you. For saying yes. For choosing me. For making me the happiest man alive."
"Thank you for seeing me," she whispered back. "For believing in me. For loving all of me—my family, my world, everything."
"Always," he promised. "Always and forever."
The reception was beautiful chaos. Food from both worlds—fancy catering and homemade village dishes. Music ranging from classical to the folk songs the aunties insisted on. Dancing that started elegant and devolved into the twins teaching everyone village games.
But the moment everyone remembered was the first dance.
Zayne extended his hand to Nana, and she looked terrified. "I don't know how to dance. Not like this. Not fancy city dancing—"
"I'll teach you," he said gently. "Just follow me. Trust me."
"Always," she promised.
He led her to the center of the deck, and as the music started, he guided her carefully, one hand at her waist, the other holding hers, showing her the steps with patience and love.
"You're doing perfectly," he murmured as they swayed.
"I'm stepping on your feet."
"I don't mind." He pulled her closer.
"You could step on my feet for the rest of our lives and I'd consider it a privilege."
She laughed, tears still falling. "You're ridiculous."
"I'm yours," he corrected. "There's a difference."
They danced slowly, carefully, finding their rhythm together. Around them, others joined—Caleb dancing with Meimei, Xavier with one of the twins, Rafayel with Jisu (much to Mina's delight and Jisu's mortification).
The aunties danced with each other.
Lili danced with anyone who would hold her hands.
Two worlds, dancing together on a yacht between the city and the sea.
And somewhere—somehow—both Nana and Zayne felt it at the same moment. A warmth, a presence, a certainty that Grandpa Li was there with them. Watching with pride and love and overwhelming satisfaction that his plan had worked.
That his two lonely children had found each other.
That they'd built something beautiful from their broken pieces.
That they'd created a family from nothing but choice and love and stubborn determination to deserve each other.
"Do you think he's watching?" Nana asked quietly.
"I know he is," Zayne said with certainty. "And he's probably being insufferably smug about being right."
She laughed. "He would be. He definitely would be."
They danced until sunset painted the sky pink and gold. Until Lili fell asleep on a chair, exhausted from excitement. Until the aunties had gossiped about everyone. Until the colleagues had offered all their congratulations. Until it was just the two of them, standing on the deck of the yacht, watching the city lights come on one by one.
"Mrs.Li," Zayne said, testing the name.
Nana smiled. "That's me. Mrs. Angelina Li."
"How does it feel?"
"Perfect." She leaned into him. "Like everything finally makes sense. Like I've finally come home."
"You are home," he promised. "You've been my home since the moment you served me soup that tasted like love. Now I just get to keep you forever."
"Forever," she agreed. "I like the sound of that."
And as the yacht sailed slowly through the harbor, carrying two people who'd found in each other what they'd been missing their whole lives—
Somewhere above, Grandpa Li smiled.
Well done, my children. Well done.
The end of one story.
The beginning of everything else.
Together.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued __