No Strings Attached

Clara walked slowly up to the portrait of her late mother, May. Her slender fingers caressed the image of her mother's cheek, her voice slightly hoarse. "Mom, it's me, Clara, the daughter you risked your own life to save. I'm here now."

At these words, tears that Marian had been holding back broke free, streaming down her cheeks.

"May," Marian said through her tears, "it must have been your guiding spirit that led us to find Clara. Rest assured, from now on, we will take good care of her. Rest in peace."

She handed Clara a flower, her voice choked with emotion. "Clara, give this for your mom and pay your respects. May she watch over you and your child and keep you both safe." Clara took the flower, and bowed several times in front of the portrait.

With a solemn face, lan addressed the portrait. "May, thank you for trusting me with Clara before she was even born. We're now lawfully wed, and she carries the future of the Hayes family. I promise to treat her well for all my days. Rest easy."

his pocket and placed it around Clara's neck. "Clara," he said in a deep voice, "this was the token of my commitment to you. Now, in front of May, I

kissed her forehead, solemnly vowing, "I will love

to see her daughter's wishes fulfilled, and the evident love between the young couple. She wiped away a tear. "I'm sure your mother's spirit is overjoyed and at peace. Once your wedding is complete, this matter

father

of the wedding immediately energized Marian. "The sooner, the better. Clara is showing more each day, and we wouldn't want her struggling in her wedding dress. As for the date, let

date soon,

building just in time to see Edwin arriving, looking utterly disheveled

you so late? You've arrived even after Clara and lan, not setting much of an example as a

stare and grumbled, "You might want to ask this guy here. He promised to let me come with them, but he gave me a time that was a full hour after the plane had taken off. I had to buy a new ticket at the airport and come