Epilogue
Garen
I stand at the front with my best man by my side.
Blossoms bloom around us as the late March breeze dances through my hair.
Pink petals drift over our guests as the music starts.
We chose this traditional Japanese garden for a reason.
The cherry trees here are some of the most beautiful in all of Japan, their branches heavy with sakura blooms that seem to glow in the afternoon light.
When Bellamy first suggested a destination wedding in Japan during cherry blossom season, I thought she was joking.
But the more we talked about it, the more it felt right.
A fresh start in a place neither of us had ever been, surrounded by the people we love most.
Olympia begins down the aisle, wearing her blush-colored maid of honor gown. She grins at me as she steps onto the platform and gets into position. Ruth blows her a kiss from the front row, and my sister's cheeks flush. The bridal processional begins, and our guests stand, turning toward the back.
A cottontail rabbit rounds the corner, hopping down the aisle and pausing midway.
I can't help but chuckle. Several guests gasp with delight, and I hear Ruth's soft laugh from the front row.
Then the rabbit shifts, turning into my gorgeous, curvy bride, smiling radiantly up at me.
Her white gown catches the light filtering through the cherry blossoms, and I feel my heart race under my ribs.
She is absolutely stunning. The dress hugs her curves in all the right places, and the delicate lace along the neckline frames her face perfectly.
I have never seen anyone more beautiful in my entire life.
Bellamy walks toward me, and I feel my heart pounding against my ribs. Every step she takes makes this moment more real. We're actually doing this. After all those years of thinking I'd be alone forever, here I am, about to marry the woman of my dreams under a canopy of cherry blossoms in Japan.
My bride steps onto the platform and hands her bouquet to Olympia. Then she turns to me, and I take her hands in mine. The warmth of her touch sends electricity through my entire body. Her hazel eyes are glassy with happy tears, and I'm pretty sure mine are too.
"You look incredible," I whisper.
"So do you," she breathes back, squeezing my hands.
"Let us begin," the officiant says in a loud, deep voice, looking out at our guests.
The petals continue to fall around us like pink snow, and I can't stop grinning at the woman I love.
In just a few minutes, she'll be my wife.
The thought fills me with a joy I didn't know was possible.
I spent so many years on that mountain alone, convinced that was all I needed.
But standing here now, holding Bellamy's hands as cherry blossoms swirl around us, I know I was missing something.
The mountain life is still what I want, but now I get to share it with her.
My sister was right all along. There actually was someone out there for me.
And she was worth the wait.