(PRESENT TIME)
Zara blinked slowly.
The memory faded.
The music of the past, the laughter, the first meeting—it all slipped away as reality settled back in.
She was no longer at that wedding.
She was here.
Her own wedding.
Standing beside Tunde.
Her hand still in his.
The hall came back into focus—the guests, the lights, the quiet attention fixed on them. The officiant was still speaking, his voice steady, guiding the ceremony forward.
Zara adjusted her grip slightly, grounding herself.
This was real.
Everything that had started from that simple meeting… had led here.
Beside her, Tunde stood just as steady, his expression calm, focused on the moment. To anyone watching, nothing looked out of place.
They looked perfect.
Like everything was exactly as it should be.
"Marriage," the officiant continued, "is built on trust, patience, and understanding."
Zara heard the words clearly this time.
Trust.
She inhaled softly.
Her eyes moved briefly across the hall.
Her parents sat where she had seen them earlier, watching closely. Her father's posture was firm, protective even from a distance. Her mother remained composed, her expression calm but observant.
Then Zara's gaze shifted.
Tunde's mother.
Still seated, still watching.
There was something in her expression.
Not warm.
Not welcoming.
Just… controlled.
Zara looked away.
She focused back on the front.
On the moment.
On what was happening now.
"Let us continue," the officiant said.
Tunde's hand tightened slightly around hers.
A small gesture.
Reassuring.
Zara glanced at him.
He gave her a faint smile.
She returned it.
Soft.
Measured.
Everything felt steady again.
At least on the surface.
The ceremony moved forward, each step bringing them closer to the final moment. The hall remained quiet, the earlier excitement now replaced with careful attention.
Some guests leaned forward.
Some whispered quietly.
Most simply watched.
Waiting.
Zara stood still, her posture straight, her expression calm.
But inside, her thoughts moved.
Quick.
Unsettled.
She didn't know why.
Nothing had gone wrong.
Everything was smooth.
Perfect, even.
But that small feeling from earlier hadn't left her.
It was still there.
Quiet.
Persistent.
She pushed it aside.
This was not the moment to think too much.
This was the moment to be present.
To finish what had already begun.
Beside her, Tunde adjusted slightly, his focus still forward.
He looked composed.
Confident.
Ready.
Zara studied him for a brief second.
The man she had met at that wedding.
The man who had made everything feel easy.
The man she had chosen.
She exhaled slowly.
This was right.
It had to be.
The officiant continued speaking, his words flowing steadily as the ceremony neared its final stages.
The room felt still again.
Like everything was holding together carefully.
Like nothing could break it.
And yet—
Zara couldn't ignore it anymore.
That quiet feeling.
That slight tension beneath everything.
It didn't make sense.
But it was there.
And it wasn't going away.