There was a lot of gentle talking at the wedding venue.
The tall windows let in golden sunlight, which made the rows of gleaming chairs full of visitors in their best clothes look cozy.
Some people whispered with excitement, while others raised their phones to record the occasion.
A mix of happiness and nerves filled the air, and it felt like everyone in the room was holding their breath.
Sara, the bride, stood next to Gabriele, the groom, with her fingers tightly entwined with his.
She looked beautiful in her sleek mermaid gown that fitted her body and a long veil that fell gracefully behind her.
She smiled brightly, but her eyes showed that she was worried.
Gabriele moved closer and whispered, “Are you okay?”
She nodded slightly, but before she could say anything—
—something changed.
Not next to her. Not behind her. Right underneath her.
A small twitch in her gown that was hard to see. It looked like something or someone was hidden behind the tulle.
Sara took a small step back because she was surprised. Gabriele noticed the sudden tightness and asked, worried,
“What’s going on?” What is going on?
But she couldn’t say anything. The movement got stronger.
The hem of her dress shook a little, like if it were struggling to come to life.
The visitors stopped moving.
Adele, one of the bridesmaids, gasped and put her palm over her mouth. An old aunt crossed herself and said a prayer.
The feeling changed very away; happiness transformed into fear.
Gabriele’s face lost all its color.
Sara stood still, her heart beating and her eyes wide.
Then…
A quiet sound.
There was a faint, distinct noise coming from under the robe.
“Is this a joke?” Tomás, one of the witnesses, murmured as he looked around uneasily.
But no one laughed.
Instead, it felt like everyone in the room was holding their breath.
Then—
The bottom of the dress moved around a much.
Sara screamed, leaped back, and automatically raised the hem of her dress.
Everyone gasped at the same time.
Gabriele got nervous, and the registrar stopped moving, stamp in hand.
A flash of black and a hiss sprang out from behind the flowing cloth.
A blur that was moving quickly surged ahead.
There was a scream. A glass of champagne broke on the floor and spilled upon a clean tablecloth.
Sara held on to Gabriele’s arm for dear life.
“What in the world is that?”
The black form, which was now plainly visible, jumped awkwardly across the glossy floor and stopped in the middle of the room.
It looked around, blinked, and…
…meowed.
A pause in the sound.
Gabriele looked. Sara blinked in shock.
In the midst of the aisle…
…sat a little black cat.
“Wait, is that a cat?” someone said without thinking.
Gabriele looked at his bride in shock. “Why was there a cat under your dress?”
Sara opened her mouth but couldn’t say anything.
Then, a small voice came from the front row.
“Um… maybe he’s mine…”
Everyone turned around.
Little Lucia, Sara’s younger sister, stood there with her stuffed bunny, looking very guilty.
“I didn’t want to leave him home alone,” she said softly. “He jumped into the veil box.” I believed he went before we did.
The crowd looked for a time.
Then, like a wave, laughter spread through the room, breaking the tension.
Gabriele let out a long breath. Sara, who was still shaking a little, bent down and picked up the kitten.
It purred happily and curled up in her palms like it had always been there.
“Well, well,” she said with a laugh as she stroked the kitten’s head. “Looks like we have a surprise witness.”
Judith, the registrar, smiled kindly. “Do you have any other problems with this union?”
There was laughter in the room again.
Gabriele and Sara looked at each other and then laughed together.
Sara kept holding the kitten, which had now snuggled into the folds of her dress, until the noise died down.
Gabriele tickled the kitten’s head and said, “If this is how we start, our marriage is going to be very interesting.”
Sara said, “I think it’s off to a purr-fect start,” and smiled.
Lucia tiptoed closer with her bunny in her arms as the guests moved closer.
She muttered to Sara, “I’m so sorry.” “I didn’t mean to screw anything up.”
Sara knelt down next to her while still holding the kitten. “It’s all right, Lucia. But next time, just let me know if you’re putting someone in my veil, okay?
“Okay…” Lucia nodded in agreement and said, “Bogi was just scared to be alone.”
“Bogi?” Gabriele asked with interest.
Lucia said, “That’s his name.” “He’s been with me for two weeks.” I saw him by the school gate.
Sara lifted her eyebrow. “And you didn’t tell anyone?”
Lucia said, “Mom said we couldn’t keep him.” “So I gave him food in secret. This morning, he hid under the basket of veils…
With a smile, Judith cleared her throat. “Can I keep going with the ceremony, or are there any more guests hiding under dresses?”
The crowd laughed again.
Sara gave the kitten to Lucia and went back to Gabriele.
She said, “Do you still want to do this?” before grasping his hand.
He chuckled. “I can get through anything if I can get through a cat attack at my wedding.”
The ceremony went on. The vows were explicit and genuine. When the “I do’s” came, the crowd went wild.
Lucia happily waved her toy bunny while holding her cat.
Judith gave them the wedding registration to sign and joked, “No need for animal control to sign, right?”
Sara and Gabriele smiled as they signed their names with calm hands.
After the ceremony, guests went to the courtyard for beverages and sweets. The story of the kitten spread like crazy.
The videographer was already thinking on a special edit called “Top 10 Wedding Fails or Wins?”
Adele, the maid of honor, saw Sara by the dessert table. “Honestly? That kitty made the day special. This wedding will always be on my mind.
Sara looked at Gabriele and said, “And it’s only the beginning.” “Who knows what’s next?”
Later that night, couples danced under fairy lights and music played in the background. Lucia pulled on Gabriele’s jacket.
“Uncle Gabriele… Can we keep Bogi?
He got down on one knee to look her in the eye. “Only if I can visit.”
Lucia’s eyes brightened up. “Deal!” She put her arms around him.
And that’s how a little black kitten that came to visit became a treasured member of the household.
People talked about the wedding for years. Someone would repeat the story again every year with joy and astonishment.
What about the wedding album? There wasn’t a kiss or a first dance on the cover; instead, there was a picture of Sara holding Bogi with her eyes sparkling and the words ”
“Behind every wedding you won’t forget is a little furry surprise.”