Two pages of the same book

The music softened. Lights dimmed, leaving behind a warm golden hue cast by the setting sun.

The ceremony had ended. Kalix and Rose were finally married—hands entwined, rings shimmering, laughter echoing as guests clinked glasses and snapped candids. But the smile on Rose’s face faltered the moment she noticed a woman at the far end of the garden. A stranger. Watching. Still.

Clara Rivera.

She wore black — stark and sharp against the soft pastels of the wedding theme. Her eyes were locked on Rose, not with jealousy, not with hate. But something heavier. Something unresolved.

She approached slowly.

“Rose Vaz?” she asked, her voice cool yet brittle. “I’m Clara. I was Elle’s best friend.”

Everything froze for a beat.

Kalix’s shoulders tensed, his grip on Rose’s waist tightening. Rose straightened.

Clara took a breath. “I don’t think you should’ve married him.”

The words dropped like thunder on a clear day.

Gasps. Eyes darted. Music paused.

“Excuse me?” Kalix said, jaw tight. “This isn’t the place—”

“No, it’s exactly the place,” Clara said. “Because this is where you’re celebrating a lie.”

“Clara,” Rose’s voice was calm but firm. “I know everything.”

Clara blinked. “What?”

“I know what happened with Elle,” Rose continued. “I know Kalix was driving. I know she pushed me away and… took my place.”

Kalix’s eyes watered. He had stood strong all day, but hearing it again — Elle’s name, her sacrifice, his guilt — cracked him.

“I knew it before I ever fell in love with him,” Rose said.

Clara’s lips parted. “Then why… how could you still—”

“Because Elle…” Rose smiled softly, heart aching. “She’s the one who brought us together. She saved me, and I’ve carried her with me every single day. Her light… it lives in us. I see it in Kalix’s eyes when he looks at me. I feel it in the quiet moments. Elle’s not gone. She’s with us. She always has been.”

Kalix stepped closer. “She’s the reason I changed. The reason I’m standing here. Alive. Fighting for Rose. For us.”

Tears welled in Clara’s eyes.

“She loved deeply,” Rose said gently. “And we honor that love by carrying it forward.”

Silence.

Then… Clara nodded. “She would’ve liked that.” She inhaled shakily. “You two… found peace in each other.”

Rose smiled. “We did.”

Clara gave them a teary smile. “Then… congratulations.” She turned, quietly leaving — this time with closure.

The guests exhaled. Conversations resumed. Music picked back up — this time a slower, intimate melody.

Later, on the open lawn decorated with fairy lights and rose petals, Rose stood with the bouquet.

Jessie whistled from the crowd. “You better throw that thing like your life depends on it!”

Rose laughed and turned around.

“Three… two… one!”

She tossed it back with a little twirl. It soared through the air, spinning like fate itself.

Caught.

Jessie squealed. “YES!” And without missing a beat, she turned and shoved the bouquet into Nick’s chest.

Nick blinked. “Wait, what?”

Jessie smirked. “You better start planning, Doctor Heartthrob.”

Nick looked at her, and then the bouquet, grinning. “Challenge accepted.”

Laughter erupted around them as Kalix pulled Rose close from behind, pressing a kiss on her cheek.

“Wife,” he whispered.

“Sounds hot,” she smirked.

As stars began to sprinkle the night sky, love lingered — in memories, in promises, in what remains and what begins.