Holding her father’s arm, she began her slow, graceful walk down the aisle, beaming at the guests.
But as she advanced, she began to realize something was deeply wrong. The guests weren’t looking at her. They were whispering furiously, their heads turned toward the front row where I sat. Even the wedding photographer’s lens seemed to drift away from the bride, snapping rapid-fire photos of my children.
Madison’s smile faltered. She looked up at the altar, expecting to find comfort in her husband-to-be’s eyes.
Instead, she saw Ryan staring blankly at the front pew, pale as a ghost, sweat actively dripping down his temple. He wasn’t even looking in her direction.
When Madison finally reached the altar, her father handed her over, but Ryan didn’t take her hand. He couldn’t. His arms were stiff, his knuckles white.
“Ryan?” Madison whispered fiercely under her breath, trying to maintain her radiant smile for the cameras. “Ryan, what is wrong with you? Take my hand!”
Ryan didn’t move. He was staring at Liam, who was currently playing with the button on his mini-tuxedo.
Following her fiancé’s catatonic gaze, Madison turned her head slowly toward our pew. Her eyes scanned me first, flashing with instantaneous, burning hatred. But then, her gaze dropped.
She saw the boys. She saw Ella.
She saw the undeniable, irrefutable evidence of Ryan’s genetics multiplied by three. The resemblance was so uncanny, so striking, that it required no explanation, no DNA test, no introduction.
The bouquet of white orchids and lilies in Madison’s hands began to shake. The delicate lace of her bodice rose and fell with her ragged breathing.
“Who… who are they?” Madison hissed, her voice cracking, abandoning all pretense of the perfect, poised bride. She turned to Ryan, her eyes wild. “Ryan! Who are those children?!”
The priest cleared his throat, looking incredibly uncomfortable. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today—”
“Shut up!” Madison snapped at the priest, her face flushing a deep, angry crimson. She whipped back around to face Ryan, her veil shifting violently. “Ryan Caldwell, you look at me right now! Why do those kids have your face?!”
