Chapter 145

• MALIA’S POV
• As she stood in front of me, adjusting the veil with the precision of someone who had done it many times before, I realized how much she had been there for me—like a second mother. Her hands were steady, but her eyes betrayed the emotions she was feeling. Her fingers, delicate and sure, fluttered over the edges of the veil, smoothing it down with a tenderness that made my heart ache.
• "You’ve always been such a beautiful girl, Malia," Lily said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "And now... you’re breathtaking." Her eyes misted as she stepped back to take in the full effect of the veil.