Dahlia and the Garden of Light - Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Six Weeks Before the Wedding – Edge of the Forest Clearing
Christian balanced a beam on one shoulder while inspecting the carved heart initials etched into the bark of a nearby tree. “Jack, you sure this place isn’t already married to itself?”
Jack, lugging a bag of lantern oil, smirked. “That’s between the tree and its history. I’m just borrowing the altar.”
Theo grinned as he hammered wooden stakes into place. “I swear, you and Amy are the only couple I know whose wedding is being planned by squirrels, fireflies, and sentient moss.” Derek and Orchid doing.
“Don’t forget Dahlia,” Eliot added from the top of a wooden scaffold. “She’s the main contractor. The rest of us are just the comedic relief.”
Below, Dahlia twirled her hand once, and a circle of flower petals lifted from the forest floor like a delicate cloud. Amy stepped into them, twirling slowly, the petals catching on her veil and shoulders.
“You know,” Dahlia said, brushing stray moss from Amy’s hem, “this place is going to remember you. The trees already do.”
Amy glanced around the clearing. “I think for the first time… I want to be remembered.”
—
Near the Entry Arch
Elise tiptoed between scattered tools, unsure of where to stand. Blake and Daniel paused in their measuring to notice her hesitance.
“You’re really helping?” Daniel asked, eyebrow raised.
Elise nodded, fiddling with the edge of her lace sleeve. “I owe her more than a few apologies.”
Blake studied her. “You mean all those violin strings you ‘accidentally’ snapped?”
“I was jealous,” Elise admitted quietly. “She was quiet. But she always had this… light.”
Daniel looked toward Amy, laughing now as Jack chased a runaway paper lantern. “I guess we were too loud to notice it.”
Elise picked up a stray floral ring and began threading it with tiny white blooms. “Not too late, is it?”
Blake handed her a ribbon. “Not if we shut up and tie knots instead.”
—
The Decor Tent – Midday
Inside a white canopy strung with fairy lights and vines, Dahlia and Mrs. Smith worked over the seating chart.
“I still think putting Elise near the altar is too much,” Mrs. Smith muttered.
“She’s her sister,” Dahlia said evenly. “And she’s trying.”
“She’s also spilled candle wax on the bridesmaid robes.”
Dahlia smiled faintly. “So did Christian, and we still let him light things.”
Christian, passing by with a plate of wild berries, raised a hand. “Hey! That was a one-time thing. And the sleeves were flammable.”
Mrs. Smith looked up. “Why are there berries in the napkin rings?”
Eliot poked his head in. “Because fairies love snacks. Basic woodland etiquette.”
Mrs. Smith blinked. “You Andersons are all strange.”
Antonio appeared beside her, holding a tray of sparkling cider. “And yet, here you are — letting us marry your daughter into our peculiar forest garden.”
She sighed, relenting. “She’s never been this happy before.”
—
At the Firepit – That Evening
Amy sat beside Dahlia, both wrapped in mismatched shawls, watching the dancing glow of the fire reflect off lanterns above.
“I never thought my whole family would show up,” Amy said softly.
“You brought them here,” Dahlia replied. “With honesty. With growth. With Jack.”
Amy looked toward Jack, who was helping Orchid tie a flower crown on a slightly annoyed Theo. “He sees the best in everyone. Even when I couldn’t see it in myself.”
Dahlia leaned her head on Amy’s shoulder. “You helped me believe in the garden again. You remind people how to stay.”
Amy turned, eyes shimmering. “And you remind people how to bloom.”
—
Final Details – Last Light
Jack and Blake bent over a map of the forest aisle.
“Think she’ll cry?” Blake asked, not quite looking at Jack.
“She’ll shine,” Jack replied. “Amy doesn’t cry when she’s moved. She glows. Watch for it.”
Elise peeked around a tree stump with a shy smile. “Can I still walk with her? Down the aisle?”
Blake nodded. “She’d like that.”
“I hope she feels… chosen,” Elise said softly.
Jack looked toward the clearing where Amy stood with Dahlia, watching the lanterns sway.
“She is,” he said. “And this time, everyone will see it.”