Chapter 14 - THE WEDDING WITH THE GREEN TRENCH COAT
Our wedding took place in a garden overlooking Puget Sound.
It was small.
Warm.
And filled with people who had stood beside us through difficult years.
Lucia walked beside me down the aisle.
Her recovery had progressed well, though she continued regular transplant follow-up care.
She wore a pale blue dress.
Her smile was radiant.
Margaret sat in the front row.
She wore an elegant ivory outfit.
And across her lap rested Thomas's old military trench coat.
Before the ceremony, she asked me to come closer.
“Maya.”
I knelt beside her.
She touched my face.
“You saved me.”
Tears filled my eyes.
“I just did my job.”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
She smiled.
“You did what was right when doing it could have cost you everything.”
Then she placed a small silver medal in my hand.
It had belonged to Thomas.
“I want you to carry this today.”
I began crying.
“Mrs. Vance—”
“Margaret,” she corrected.
I laughed through tears.
“Thank you, Margaret.”
At the altar, Marcus waited.
He looked handsome.
Nervous.
And happier than I had ever seen him.
We exchanged vows.
He promised honesty.
Partnership.
Respect.
And a life where I would never have to choose between love and independence.
I promised patience.
Truth.
Courage.
And the willingness to remind him when he forgot what mattered.
When the officiant pronounced us married, Marcus kissed me.
The guests applauded.
Margaret stood slowly.
Then raised her cane.
“To my son and the woman who taught him how to listen!”
Everyone laughed.
Later, Marcus and I danced beneath strings of warm lights.
He looked at me.
“Happy?”
I smiled.
“More than I ever thought possible.”
He kissed my forehead.
“Good.”
Across the garden, Margaret sat beside Lucia.
The old green trench coat lay folded over her chair.
No one mocked it.
No one tried to remove it.
May you like
It belonged there.
Just as Margaret did.
