She paused, concerned. “Ellios?”

The trance broke. He stepped forward and took her hands.

“I can see you,” he whispered.

“What?”

“I had the surgery two days ago. I didn’t want to say anything unless it worked. I wanted the first thing I saw to be you.”

A gasp rippled through the room. Bella’s eyes filled with tears.
“You idiot,” she sobbed. “You did this for me?”

“For us,” he said. “I wanted to see our life — your smile, you… in that dress, on this day.”

She threw her arms around him, and he held her tight. In that moment, nothing else existed — just love, light, and the future.

The priest cleared his throat, and the ceremony continued.

Ellios stood tall, never letting go of Bella’s hand. As they exchanged vows and rings, he couldn’t stop looking at her — memorizing every detail.

When it was his turn, Ellios pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

“I wrote this before the surgery,” he said. “I have to read it now.”

He began:

“Bella,
I’ve never seen the stars or the ocean,
But I’ve heard your laughter in the dark, and it lit up my soul.
I promise to love you with new vision, new wonder,
And the same old truth —
That I am yours. Always.”

Bella, crying, stepped forward and whispered:
“I loved you in the dark. I love you even more in the light.”

They kissed — eyes wide open.

That night, under strings of glowing lights, they shared their first dance. Ellios rested his head against hers.

“You’re not even looking at me,” she teased.

“I don’t need to,” he murmured. “You’re etched into me.”

“Do you regret the surgery?” she asked softly.

“Not for a second,” he replied. “I would’ve loved you in the dark forever. But now that I’ve seen you… I’ll be grateful for the light for the rest of my life.”