Month had passed since Mia returned to the cottage by the sea, and life had unfolded with quiet beauty in the time since. What once felt uncertain was now rooted in love, in partnership, and in the kind of peace that only came when someone finally stopped running from themselves. And now, on a warm spring afternoon, she stood beside Ethan on a grassy hill overlooking the ocean—the place that had witnessed their healing, their reunion, and now, their union.
The hill was tucked just beyond the cliffs where they had taken countless walks. It was surrounded by wind-tossed wildflowers, their colors bursting in purples, yellows, and whites, dancing softly in the breeze. A narrow stone path had been laid out between the rows of chairs where their closest friends and family sat. There was no grand venue, no towering altar, no glittering chandeliers—just nature, just the sea, and just love.
The ceremony was intentionally simple. Mia and Ethan had agreed that they didn't want a spectacle; they wanted something real. Something intimate. The people gathered around them were the people who had supported them through everything—her sister, who had held her through heartbreaks and breakdowns; his childhood friend, who had always believed in their story even when they didn't; neighbors from the small coastal town who had become like family.
As Mia stood beside Ethan, sunlight filtered through the trees behind them, catching the edges of her lace gown and giving it an ethereal glow. Her dress was soft, flowing—nothing extravagant, just something that felt like her. Her hair was pinned loosely, strands curling freely in the sea air. She held a small bouquet of wildflowers, picked from the very cliffs they now stood upon.
Ethan looked at her like she was everything—like he still couldn't believe she had come back, that she had chosen him. He wore a linen suit, light gray, with the sleeves rolled slightly, his signature calm confidence wrapped in every line of his posture. His eyes were locked on hers, not wavering, not blinking, as if the world would disappear if he looked away.
Mia's heart swelled with happiness, a deep, grounded kind of happiness that filled her chest and made her fingertips tingle. She remembered the woman she had been before—the one who carried doubt like armor, who let her past dictate her future. That woman was still part of her, but she no longer defined her. Today, Mia was something new. Something whole.
Their officiant, a friend from town who had seen their story unfold from the beginning, smiled as he looked between them.