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Ileana felt her heart tighten as she watched Rex completely collapse at her feet.
Those eyes — ones that had always watched over her with unwavering loyalty—were beginning to lose their shine. Her father, Mihai, knelt beside her.
“Darling, I think we should take him to the vet,” he whispered, but Ileana already understood. She already knew what Rex was trying to tell her.
“He waited,” she murmured, her voice choked with emotion.
“He waited to see me in my wedding dress.”
Meanwhile, Constantin, the groom, descended the church steps and walked toward them.
Despite his elegant suit, he knelt beside Ileana and Rex.
“What’s going on?” he asked, concerned.
“I think he’s saying goodbye,” Ileana replied softly, as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Constantin understood immediately. He took Ileana’s hand and, with his other hand, gently stroked Rex’s head.
The guests watched in silence, moved and astonished. No one dared interrupt such a sacred moment.
Then, to everyone’s surprise, Rex summoned his last strength and, trembling, managed to stand.
With great effort, he approached Constantin and licked his hand, as if giving him his blessing.
Then he turned back to Ileana, curled up next to her one last time… and slowly collapsed.
Tears flowed freely down the faces of the guests.
No one had imagined that the wedding day would also become a day of farewell.
But in that moment of sorrow, something truly extraordinary happened.
A white dove, bright as snow, descended from the sky and gently landed on Ileana’s shoulder.
The dove looked at her with eyes so soft, so much like Rex’s, that Ileana felt a shiver run through her.
“Ileana,” whispered her mother, Elena, slowly approaching. “This is a sign.”
The dove remained still for a moment, then took flight, traced a perfect circle over the church, and finally disappeared into the blue sky.
The ceremony continued, but it was no longer just an ordinary wedding.
It had become a celebration of love in all its forms: the love between bride and groom, but also the unconditional love that only an animal can give.
Father Adrian adapted his words to honor the role Rex had played in Ileana’s life.
And when Ileana and Constantin exchanged their vows, everyone felt that Rex was still there, watching over them, as faithful as ever, loving even beyond death.
