Page 32 of Christmas at Watson Memorial

But as I walk toward Selene, the tears come anyway. Because this isn't just about marrying the love of my life — it's about all the ways she's helped me become the best version of myself.

“Hey, beautiful,” she whispers when I reach her side. Her hand trembles slightly as we exchange rings. My fearless pilot who can fly through storms and gunfire but still gets freaked out by escalators.

The ceremony passes in a whirlwind of emotions and promises. After we kiss, the room erupts in cheers and whistles, mostly from Arya, while Holly throws her remaining rose petals into the air like confetti.

“Now comes the best part,” Selene whispers against my ear.

I smile as we head to the pediatric ward. What better way to celebrate our marriage than with the kids who brought us together?

“Last one there is a frozen stethoscope!” Arya shouts, racing Holly down the hallways and earning a disapproving glare from a group of nurses.

“Wow, it's like a princess wedding,” a little girl sighs, hands clasped over her mouth.

“It's even better than that,” I begin, surprising myself. “It's the story of a doctor who thought she had to be cold to save more people and-”

“That's you!” Holly exclaims, flashing us a gap-toothed grin. “Tell them about the giant pigeons and the snowstorm!”

While I talk, Selene moves among the children, distributing carefully chosen gifts we bought for each of them.

“Did you really fly with Selene through a storm to save Holly?” asks a girl who's been in the hospital for a month, clutching her new teddy bear.

“We sure did. And we'd do it again, for each and every one of you,” I assure them.

“Dr. Winters, can we eat Marco's chocolate cookies now?”

“Those are for after dinner,” I start to say, but Selene's hand on my shoulder reminds me that it is our wedding day, after all.

“Come on, cookies for everyone!” Arya yells, grabbing a box and starting to hand them out before I can protest. “And while we're at it, let's have Selene tell us some stories. Dr. Winters' ones are kind of boring,” she suggests, earning unanimous applause from the kids.

Selene sits cross-legged on the floor as the children and their parents form a circle around her.

“I'll tell you a secret,” she begins. “When I first met Dr. Winters, I didn't believe in magic. Not even a little bit.”

“But she has a magic lucky pen!” Holly protests, having become practically family over the past year.

“Yes, because sometimes the most powerful magic hides in unexpected places. In a lucky pen or a helicopter. Let me tell you about the time I saw a nighttime rainbow while flying.”

“That's impossible!” a twelve-year-old girl objects, though the wonder in her eyes suggests she wants to believe.

“I know it sounds impossible,” Selene continues, “but it was like all the stars decided to paint the sky in colors to show me the way. These things happen when someone very brave fights something very difficult, like when you have to go into surgery even though you're scared, or stay in the hospital instead of playing with your friends at the park.”

“What did the rainbow do?” Tommy asks, rolling a toy truck across the floor.

“That's the best part,” Selene nods. “Each color has its own special power. Red makes you braver. Yellow helps you smile, even on the hardest days. Blue helps you sleep when you're worried. And green… green's my favorite because it gives you hope that everything will be okay.”

“What about purple?” interrupts Lisa, who's starting to lose her hair to chemotherapy.

“Purple is extra special. That color is for superheroes like you because you keep fighting even when you're tired.”

She stands and walks to the window as the children's eyes follow her.

“See those snowflakes? Each one is a tiny piece of that magic rainbow. That's why they sparkle so much. Now, whenever it snows, you can remember that up there, somewhere in the clouds, there's a rainbow watching over you.”

“Like it watched over Holly last year when she needed a new heart?” one of the younger children asks.

“Exactly. And you know what else?” Selene pauses for dramatic effect, and all the kids shake their heads in unison, eyes wide. “Every time one of you is brave, even when you're scared, every time you don't give up even though you're tired or hurting... the magic rainbow grows stronger.”

Some parents discreetly wipe away tears. It's heartbreaking watching your little one sick in a hospital room while trying to stay strong and positive.