Is this what they mean by being overwhelmingly busy?

Days flew by in a whirlwind of preparations.

Now I understood why people plan their weddings months in advance.

We suffered a lot, thinking we could just hold the wedding without any preparation.

Fortunately, with everyone's help, it all came together perfectly in the end.

"...There, all done."

"Hmm, you look beautiful. He might not even recognize you."

"Don't be silly."

"I'm serious. You don't know how stunning you look."

I chuckled at Dorothy and Amelia's excited voices.

There’s no way that could be true.

They're exaggerating.

"You don't believe me? Fine. If Siwoo faints later, it's not our fault."

"Yeah, yeah."

"...How do you feel, Arte?"

Amelia asked as she adjusted the veil on my head.

How do I feel?

"I don't know. What should I feel?"

Honestly, I didn't think a wedding held much significance.

Siwoo and I were already living together as common-law partners.

We decided to have a wedding because of its symbolic meaning.

It felt right to hold a ceremony if we were going to spend our lives together.

I didn’t think I’d be nervous at all.

...But the reflection in the mirror told a different story.

A woman in a pure white dress, holding a bouquet with slightly trembling hands.

"I didn’t think a wedding would mean much to me."

"Are you nervous?"

"...Yes."

It was a mix of emotions.

Anticipation, excitement, joy.

All these feelings swirled in my mind.

I thought it was just a typical event everyone does.

I didn’t expect to be this nervous about a wedding I took lightly.

"Of course you’re nervous."

"...I suppose."

"Sure. This is the day you announce to the world that this man is yours."

"..."

Declaring to the world that Siwoo is my man.

Thinking that made me feel lighter.

Siwoo being mine is a given.

"Wah, wah..."

"Hold on. What’s wrong, sweetie? Need the bathroom? Hungry?"

In the middle of getting ready, my baby started fussing. I quickly put down the bouquet and picked her up.

No bathroom... is she hungry?

It was about time for her to eat.

Babies need to eat more often than you’d think.

I loosened the top of my dress and brought Irene to my breast.

Her fussing stopped, and the room was filled with the sound of her nursing.

I don't know how much time passed.

Irene pulled away and started making small, content noises.

"All done? Good girl."

I patted her back until she closed her eyes, full and sleepy. I gently placed her back in her crib.

She was still young.

She fell asleep quickly after being put down.

...So adorable.

I proudly turned to the two women who were now staring at my daughter.

"Isn't she cute?"

"...She’s adorable."

"She gets cuter every time I see her. Must be because she takes after her mom."

Oh, more nonsense.

I quickly cleaned up and adjusted my dress again, not wanting to get sidetracked.

"...You’ve gotten good at this."

"Well, it’s been months."

I wasn’t always this good.

I spent many sleepless nights because of a fussy baby.

After many trials and errors, I could now confidently say I was a capable mom.

I could understand why Irene was crying after just a bit of fussing.

I’d grown as a mother.

Feeling proud, I straightened my shoulders.

See? I’ve got this.

But instead of complimenting me, Amelia and Dorothy just exchanged glances between me and Irene with strange looks.

"Isn’t this backwards?"

"Backwards?"

"Most people don’t calm a baby at their wedding."

"...Let's not talk about that."

Even I thought it was a bit strange.

A mom bringing her baby to her wedding.

It was unusual, but it was my reality.

Ignoring my plea, they continued their conversation.

"I was so shocked when I heard she was pregnant with a second child already."

"Me too... How strong must their relationship be?"

"At least she’s not showing yet. We’d need a new dress otherwise."

"Stop it! Don’t make fun of me...!"

"Wah, wah..."

We all froze and looked at the crib.

...Did we wake her? Were we too loud?

This was bad.

If she started crying, she wouldn’t stop easily.

We were almost ready, but there were still a few things left to do.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, we all stared tensely at the crib.

Thankfully, Irene didn’t wake up and drifted back to sleep.

"Phew... That was close..."

"...Let’s be quieter."

"Yeah, let's. The wedding’s about to start. We can’t wake her."

We continued our preparations in silence.

Fixing my dress and adjusting the decorations for a few more minutes until there was a knock on the door.

"The ceremony is about to start! Are you ready? Amelia, come quickly! We need to check the equipment!"

"Oh no, it’s time already."

"We’ll be going now. Good luck!"

"Hey, don’t forget Irene!"

"Oh, right."

They hurriedly left the room, heading to their respective places.

Dorothy went to where the guests were seated.

Amelia went to the place where the wedding officiant stood.

"All set."

"Great. When the doors open, walk slowly as we practiced. Remember?"

"Yes."

The wedding planner stepped out, and soon the music started, and the ceremony began.

...The nerves that had subsided while chatting with them came rushing back, making my bouquet shake.

I was nervous.

But it wasn’t just nervousness mixed with fear.

It was joy.

The joy of making unforgettable memories with Siwoo.

That joy made my hands tremble.

"Now, let’s welcome the beautiful bride!"

The once noisy wedding hall was now filled with soft music as I took my first steps in my white shoes.

Step by step.

As I walked, I saw the guests looking at me.

Dorothy, holding Irene, smiling from above.

Hayeon and Professor Claire, watching me in their formal suits.

Spira, not paying attention as she eyed the drinks on the table, with Laira trying to stop her.

Classmates gathered in one group, front-line heroes in another.

All the connections I’d made were here, looking at me.

But I couldn’t focus on them.

Siwoo, waiting for me by the groom's room, was in front of me.

"...You look beautiful."

Siwoo murmured, staring at me.

"You look handsome too, Siwoo."

Everything we practiced for the ceremony vanished from my mind.

Whoever said practice makes perfect lied.

Siwoo’s suit, which I had seen many times, looked incredibly handsome.

And Siwoo seemed as mesmerized by my dress as I was by his suit.

Because we had been staring at each other for too long, Amelia took over.

"It seems the groom and bride are so taken with each other that they’re in a daze. This wasn’t in the plan!"

Laughter erupted from the guests at Amelia’s half-serious joke.

That snapped Siwoo and me back to reality, and we were horrified.

...We messed up.

Amelia, deciding the script was useless, tossed her paper aside.

"Alright, let’s ask the bride and groom directly!"

Thump, thump.

My heart pounded so loudly it felt like I could hear it in my ears.

If the author were still inside me, they might have passed out from the excitement.

"Do you pledge eternal love to each other?"

"...Of course."

"I do."

"Then, seal it with a kiss."

Chaos.

Our carefully planned ceremony was ruined by our mistake, leading to an impromptu kiss.

But I didn’t mind.

I tossed the bouquet and embraced Siwoo, kissing him deeply.

Let the world know of our love.