The chapel was glowing with spring sunlight, colored beams spilling through stained-glass windows onto rows of polished pews. White roses lined the aisle, their perfume mixing with the soft notes of a string quartet. Guests sat dressed in light pastels, leaning forward in quiet anticipation as the ceremony began.
I stood at the altar, tugging nervously at my cufflinks, my best man Mike beside me. But the one who mattered most at that moment was Leo — my nine-year-old nephew — proudly holding the velvet box with our rings. Leo wasn’t just in the ceremony.
He was part of me. Years earlier, he had survived a brutal dog attack, leaving scars across his cheek and arm. Those marks told his story, but they never dimmed his spirit.
That day, in his little tuxedo, he stood tall and proud. My sister Sophie, a single mother who had poured everything into raising him, sat in the front row, tears shining in her eyes as she watched her son being honored instead of hidden. The music swelled, and everyone rose as Emily, my bride, appeared at the chapel doors in her white gown, radiant as ever.
My chest tightened as she walked toward me. But halfway down the aisle, I noticed her parents, Patricia and Gerald, gesturing frantically. Their smiles were gone.
Confused, I leaned toward them. “What’s wrong? The ceremony’s started.”
Patricia’s eyes flicked toward Leo.
“Get that boy out of here before she gets to you. He’s frightening the other children.”
I froze. “Excuse me?”
“He can’t be in the photos with our daughter,” Gerald hissed.
“He’ll ruin them. Jack, do the right thing. Send him away.
Make up some excuse later.”
The words felt like a slap. My nephew, the boy holding those rings with so much pride, was nothing to them but an imperfection on their perfect day. “He’s my nephew,” I said firmly.
“He belongs here.”
Patricia’s lips tightened. “Either he leaves, or we do.”
My fists clenched, anger burning in my chest. But then I felt a tug on my sleeve.
Leo had overheard. His big brown eyes looked up at me, filled with hurt. “Uncle Jack… did I do something wrong?”
My heart broke.
I knelt to his level, meeting his gaze. “No, buddy. You did nothing wrong.
You’re perfect.” I hugged him close, shielding him from their stares. Then I straightened and faced my in-laws. “He stays,” I said, my voice ringing louder than I expected.
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