"Are you ready?" a young woman asked the bride sitting beside her, dressed in a white wedding gown. Their car had just pulled up in front of the church, where friends and family were gathered outside, waiting with smiles of anticipation.
The bride clutched her bouquet so tightly that her hands trembled. Her sister gently reached over and held her hand, trying to calm her.
"Are you scared?" she asked softly.
"Weren't you excited for this day? Why do you look so tense now?" teased the young man seated in the passenger's seat as he turned toward them.
"Not scared," the bride answered with a shaky smile. "More like excited… and nervous. This isn't a dream, is it?" She looked from one sibling to the other.
"This isn't a dream," her sister reassured her, giving her hand a light squeeze. She noticed how cold her sister's skin was and glanced at her with concern. "You don't need to be nervous. You've been through so much to reach this day. It's yours—so embrace it."
Her brother nodded in agreement. "Exactly. This should be the happiest day of your life. No fear, no nerves. Everything will be fine." He reached for her other hand.
The bride let out a shaky laugh. "That's rich—coming from someone too scared of responsibility to get married himself."
"Hey, that's not true!" her brother protested. "The right woman just hasn't come along yet. Don't get me wrong, Ren," he added, looking at the bride. "But aren't you a little too young to get married? You're even beating Ash to it. Your older sister might end up an old maid at this rate." He chuckled playfully.
"Oh, shut up, Xander," Ash shot back, smacking her brother's arm. "My time will come. For now, let's just be happy that Ren found her person. Age doesn't matter when it's real love. Besides, she and Nat have been together since childhood."
Xander's smile softened. "If we didn't know him so well, I probably wouldn't have let you marry him at all."
Ash rolled her eyes. "There you go again with your overprotective streak. If Nat wasn't our childhood friend, no guy would have dared come near Ren because of you."
"Of course! Ren is my precious little sister. I—" Xander was cut off by a knock on the car window.
He lowered it and found himself face-to-face with Nat's father. "What's taking you all so long? The guests have been waiting," the man said before looking directly at the bride. "Are you ready?"
Ren gave a small nod.
"Let's go." He walked around to the back door and opened it for her. Xander and Ash stepped out first, then the bride carefully followed, accepting her father's hand as he helped her out.
"Your hands are freezing," he teased with a warm smile. "Nervous?"
"That's what I've been saying!" Xander muttered, crossing his arms. "Maybe this marriage is too rushed."
"There you go again," Ash sighed. She turned to their father. "See, Pa? He still doesn't like the idea of Ren getting married."
"I was trying hard to hide it," Xander admitted with a smirk. Ren only smiled at their bickering—it was so familiar, it actually comforted her. Their playful squabbles reminded her that, protective as they were, her siblings only wanted her happiness.
At last, she let out a genuine laugh.
"There it is," Xander said proudly. "I thought Papa would be walking you down the aisle while you scowled the whole way."
Their father gave her arm a reassuring pat. "Let's not keep your groom waiting any longer. He's probably more nervous than you by now."
Ren nodded with a grateful smile.
Still, as they stood before the great wooden doors of the church, her father's expression grew wistful. "Honestly… this makes me sad," he murmured.
"Why, Papa?" Ren asked, looking up at him.
"I'm not ready to give my little girl away," he admitted, voice thick with emotion.
"Papa," she said, feigning a pout. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm getting married today."
"You'll always be my little girl," he said firmly. "Just because I've agreed to this doesn't mean you'll stop being Daddy's little one. If I could have refused, maybe I would have—but I know it would've only kept you from happiness. And your happiness is mine too."
Ren giggled softly. "If people heard you say that, they'd never believe you're the famous General."
"They can think whatever they like. General or not, I'm still your father. And I have every right to be overprotective of my little girl."
"Careful, Papa. If you keep treating me like a baby, I might just move back into your house."
"I would love that," he said with a grin. "That way, I can still keep an eye on you. I'm not ready to let you go."
"You won't be losing me," Ren whispered. "You'll just be gaining another child."
Her father chuckled. "I don't think I'm ready for another son. Your brother Xander is already a handful—now I'll have two of him."
Ren laughed, the tension easing from her chest. Her father rarely joked, and she knew he was trying to lighten her nerves.
Then the church doors slowly swung open. The entire crowd turned, their eyes locking on the bride standing tall beside her father. Gasps of admiration swept through the hall as they took in her beauty, but more than that, they were moved by the fulfillment of a dream she had cherished for years.
Today, at last, she would walk down the aisle to the man she had loved since childhood. A love that had always seemed destined. A love no force could ever separate.