Charlotte’s POV

The wedding took place four days later.

Charlie was right about one thing - when I had imagined what my wedding would be like earlier in my life, I would’ve thought of something far grander than this. In a large hall with decorations fit for a princess, with tables arranged for the hundreds of well-esteemed guests that would attend, and piles of the best food that money could buy. And, if I had still been alive and not consumed by Consumption, that would’ve likely been what would have happened. Before they had fallen on hard times, my family had been quite wealthy.

Come to think of it, May likely would’ve had that kind of a wedding. I felt that it was such a shame, even now, that I hadn’t been able to attend it. Funnily enough, I think that May would’ve preferred this kind of a wedding, as in a way, I was doing it without my parents’ consent, and so was Charlie, so it was almost as if we had run off and gotten married.

Almost. May would’ve found that concept to be quite exhilarating, she always went on and on about how the characters in some of the novels she read eloped and married off in secret, and how scandalous that was. I could tell that the concept really excited her.

Indeed, I was quite sure she would’ve preferred something like this.

As for my parents, I couldn’t imagine them approving of this really, though, it seemed that our financial and social situation was no longer the same after I died when I had still been alive. I liked to believe that they would've been content that I was happy, even if they wouldn’t have approved of my choice of partner.

We had decorated part of one of the larger rooms the best that we could. I didn’t push Charlie to do anymore given how tired he looked at times, but I had to hand it to him, when I walked into the room he looked like he’d never been diagnosed with cancer in the first place.

It was not ideal, but I had even gotten a bridal headset and veil for myself, though time was too short to get a full bridal dress. That was fine though.

“Than you for agreeing to this, Charlotte,” Charlie said.

“The pleasure is all mine,” I said, beaming, not letting a single tear show. I wanted to show the world, or at least, the few people this was being broadcast to, that this really was one of the happiest days of my life. “And I would do it all again in a heartbeat, Charlie.”

Aside from us, there were the two witnesses he had hired, the priest, and a public notary. They were from different parts of the country, which is why they were still working at this late hour and why I could see the sun shining out the window of one of them.

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“My, that’s quite some makeup you have on,” the notary said when she saw me. She didn’t seem to mean it in a degrading way, rather, her voice seemed to be filled with amusement.

“Thank you,” I said.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d have thought that you looked like a real doll,” she added.

“I get that a lot,” I said and smiled.

The ceremony was quite short, but I was disappointed to know that this was not enough to get married. We had to wait another twenty-four hours, reappear tomorrow, and then it would be official.

“Why can’t you declare us married now?” I asked, trying not to sound rude, though based on the way Charlie winced, I had not succeeded in that.

“Because we need to be sure that you really do want to be married.”

“I do though!”

“Indeed, and as a part of policy, we will accept it if you say the same tomorrow.”

“We understand,” Charlie interjected before I could get any angrier. “Thank you all so much, and have a nice evening!”

I sighed as he closed it. “That’s not what I expected.” I took a deep breath then. “Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound upset, it just…”

“...came out that way, I understand,” Charlie said. “But, we just have to wait until tomorrow night, and then…” he trailed off. I knew he would be leaving after that, but he didn’t seem to want to mention that fact right now.

“That being said,” I said, “I do have something for you tonight.”

“Oh, you do?”

“I finished my song!” I said, and dragged him to the synthesizer he had bought me.

I had made quite a few changes to my father’s melody, some of them had to be made because I didn’t remember the whole thing, and others were made because I wanted this to be something personal between Charlie and I, and so I had to add my own touch.

Ultimately, it had transformed into something almost entirely different from what my father used to play. But, I was fine with that. This was something for Charlie after all, and was meant to convey my feelings towards him. It started off with a hint of sadness and eerie suspense, before lightening up in tone until its mood lightened up to sheer ecstasy by the end.

And this time, I played it without a single mistake.

Charlie kissed me right then and there, lifting me up in his arms. “That was perfect!”

I smiled. “Charlie- I just want you to know that this is the happiest I can ever remember being. I regret every trying to throw you out of this house, but if I hadn’t tried that, we never would’ve met like this, would we? And yet, even when we’re at our happiest, I have to live with the fact that my happiness is as fleeting as the morning dew. Fate is cruel.”

“Fate is generous,” Charlie said while he shook his head. “I probably had this disease months before I met you, Charlotte. I would’ve passed away regardless around this time. And I would’ve died a bitter, broken man. But it’s not like that now - and the morning dew, no matter how short-lived it is, or how short a rainbow lasts, is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Though not as beautiful as you.”

There was an ancient legend of Zeus convincing the sun god not to rise so that he could spend more time with a mortal woman. If only I could make this night last forever and ever, and we could both be together, frozen in time, for all eternity.

If only.