Leo
My hands and legs were shaking terribly as I stood in the middle of the quiet dressing room.
Every few seconds, I had to take a long, measured breath to keep my chest from tightening. Within less than an hour, I was going to walk down the aisle and marry the love of my life.
The love of my life?
If someone had presented that phrase to me a year ago as a statistical probability for my future, I would have dismissed it as an irrational, scientifically impossible hypothesis.
Me? Having someone to call my own? Having a partner who accepted my biology, my dark family history, and my stubborn nature? I never expected a day would come when I would be standing in a tailored suit, preparing to become someone’s husband.
My heart was pounding at a rate well above my normal resting baseline of sixty-eight beats per minute. My sympathetic nervous system was firing on all cylinders, releasing a steady surge of adrenaline and norepinephrine into my bloodstream. My palm sweat glands were activating, and my tremors were a direct result of acute peripheral muscular stimulation.
I let out a soft, breathless laugh at my own thoughts. Even in a moment of pure, overwhelming emotion, my brain couldn’t stop analyzing the physiological mechanics of what was happening to me.
I didn’t panic. I wasn’t having second thoughts about marrying Miller. Not even for a fraction of a millisecond.
"It is simply an acute manifestation of wedding jitters," I whispered to myself, adjusting the cuffs of my suit.
I looked down at what I was wearing. Gerald had arranged for my attire to be designed by a master tailor on the mainland, and the result was remarkable.
While Miller was wearing a classic, structured coffee-brown suit, mine was a slightly more modern, stylish variation. It was a rich, warm terracotta-brown cut from soft Italian wool, fitted precisely to my frame. The double-breasted jacket featured sharp peak lapels and subtle copper buttons worn over a high-collared, cream silk shirt that felt weightless against my skin.
It felt elegant, unique, and entirely comfortable.
A sudden knock echoed against the heavy wooden door, cutting through my thoughts.
"Come in," I called out, turning toward the entrance as I smoothed down the front of my jacket.
The door swung open, and the moment I saw the people standing on the threshold, my breath caught in my throat. I froze, my eyes widening in absolute shock.
Walking into the room with wide smiles and arms full of fresh, vibrant flowers were my mothers. Rhoda and Gabriella And standing right behind them, leaning against the doorframe with a smug, familiar grin, was Kayden.
"You..." I gasped, my brain completely shutting down for a second. "How... How are you all here? The security protocols for the island’s airspace were strictly enforced by Gerald’s team."
"Oh, hush with the security protocols, Leo," Gabriella said with a bright, warm laugh as she stepped forward, setting a lush bouquet of white orchids and night-blooming jasmine on the side table. She reached out, pulling me into a gentle, motherly hug. "Did you really think we would let you get married on a private island without your family here to watch?"
My mother stepped up right beside her, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she looked at me in my suit. She reached out, her hands trembling slightly as she smoothed the lapels of my jacket. "Look at you, Leo. You look so handsome... so whole." She smiled softly, her voice thick with emotion and I could see the tears welling up her eyes. "I am so incredibly proud of you, my sweet boy. Seeing you standing here today, happy and safe, is more than I ever dared to pray for."
"Mother... Gabriella..." I murmured, my throat feeling unusually tight. I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure. "How did Gerald allow this? The retreat rules explicitly state that family visits require a three-month vetting process."
"Well," Kayden spoke up, pushing himself off the doorframe and walking into the room with his hands casually shoved into his trousers pockets. "It turns out Director Gerald is actually a huge softie when he isn’t running a secret Enigma sanctuary. He put in a very good word for us with the island board and personally authorized our transport charters late last night.’’
Kayden stopped a few feet away from me, scanning my stylish brown suit from head to toe before raising an eyebrow with a playful smirk.
"I have to say, Leo," Kayden teased, crossing his arms over his chest. "Out of all the crazy things that have happened this year, you beating me to the altar is definitely at the top of the list. I’m supposed to be the main character here, yet here you are, getting married before me."
I let out a genuine laugh, the anxiety in my chest completely melting away. "Statistically speaking, Kayden, your relationship timeline has been plagued by far more dramatic complications than mine. It was mathematically inevitable that Miller and I would reach legal stabilization first."
"Leave it to Doctor Ackerman to bring his usual medical jargons into a wedding joke," Kayden laughed, shaking his head. But the humor in his eyes quickly shifted into a warm, grounded sincerity. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me in a firm, solid embrace. "I’m really happy for you, Leo. Seriously. You deserve every bit of this."
I hugged him back tightly, feeling a deep wave of gratitude for the people surrounding me.
My biological mother, the woman who had helped raise me, and my closest friend—the very person whose father had ended mine—were all standing in this room, bound not by the dark trauma of our past, but by love and forgiveness.
’’You look amazing by the way,’’ I said to Kayden pointing towards his bump that I had felt when he hugged me. ’’I know things are going on well with how radiant you look.’’
Kayden chuckled lightly and nodded. ’’Doctor amara has been a huge help and that is all thanks to you.’’
I smiled back In response and then started talking to my mother who wouldn’t stop talking about how great everything had turned out for me.
After a few minutes of laughter, quiet tears, and last-minute adjustments to my hair, the quiet chime of the villa’s clock signaled that it was time.
My mother stepped close, adjusting the white floral boutonniere pinned to my lapel. "It’s time, my love. Miller is waiting for you. Today is your day.’’
My heart gave a sudden, rapid flutter at the mention of miller and I had to take a deep sigh to lessen the burden I felt in my chest.
Kayden walked over to the door, opening it wide and gesturing for us to step out into the warm, sunlit hallway. As we walked down the stone corridor toward the coastal pathway leading to the pavilion, my nerves threatened to return.
My head lowered instinctively, my gaze fixed on the polished stone floor as my breathing hitched.
I was so focused on controlling my internal physiological panic that I almost didn’t notice the gentle warmth stepping up right beside me.
Suddenly, a firm, comforting hand slid through my arm, offering steady support. I lifted my head quickly, my eyes widening when I saw Kayden walking right alongside me on my left, while my mother walked on my right.
I almost gasped aloud. "Kayden? What are you..."
"I’m walking you down the aisle, doc," Kayden said softly, glancing sideways at me with a warm, reassuring smile. "You didn’t think we were going to let you walk down there alone, did you? We’re family and We do this together."
A hot tear spilled over my lower eyelid, tracking down my cheek before I could stop it.
"Look at that," Kayden whispered loudly, a teasing glint returning to his eyes. "The great, unshakeable Doctor Leo Ackerman is actually crying. I need to make sure someone gets a high-resolution photo of this."
"The moisture in my eyes is a natural lacrimal reflex triggered by heightened emotional stimuli," I sniffled, wiping the tear away with the back of my finger, though a helpless smile broke across my face. "It is a completely normal biological response."
"Right, right," Kayden chuckled softly, squeezing my arm reassuringly as we turned the corner. "Just keep breathing, Leo. Look straight ahead."
We stepped out of the covered walkway and onto the open-air wooden deck of the coastal pavilion. The scene before me was so breathtaking it literally took the air out of my lungs.
The pavilion was set right on the edge of the water, framed by white silk drapery that fluttered gently in the warm ocean breeze. Clusters of white roses, night jasmine, and fresh greenery lined the aisle.
The bright morning sun danced over the turquoise waves in the background, casting a radiant, golden light over the small gathering of guests.
Sitting right at the front was my cousin Nico park, my uncle Anderson park and the incredible Alaric de villier.
My inner fanboy wanted to scream that moment at the sight of him but the moment my eyes traveled to the end of the altar, everything else in the world blurred into absolute insignificance.
Standing beneath the floral arch was Miller.
He looked so extraordinarily handsome in his coffee-brown suit that my heart skipped a full beat. Rhys was standing right behind him as his best man, leaning over to pat Miller on the back as they watched me approach.
Miller’s green eyes were locked onto mine as I headed towards him.
When our gazes met, his lips parted in a breathless smile, and I felt my entire soul settle into a deep, absolute peace.
Kayden and my mother guided me up the short wooden steps to the altar. Then, Kayden gently placed my hand directly into Miller’s waiting palm.
"Take good care of him, Miller," Kayden said softly.
"With my life," Miller promised, his voice thick with emotion as his fingers closed around mine.
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