One by one, the conversations stopped.
Sophie straightened in her seat.
Marianne raised her eyebrows.
Isabelle folded her arms, expecting another emotional speech about poverty.
But Gabriel didn’t look embarrassed anymore.
He stood tall, rested one hand on the lectern, and looked directly at the congregation.
“I know what many of you think about me,” he began.
Nobody answered.
“I know some of you believe Elise is making a terrible mistake by marrying a man who doesn’t even own a home.”
A few guests looked away.
“And I know you’ve been laughing at my clothes, my shoes, and my circumstances.”
He paused.
“But there’s something you should understand.”
His voice became firmer.
“Seeing someone at the lowest point of their life doesn’t mean you know their entire story.”
The church grew completely silent.
Elise watched him with growing confusion.
Gabriel continued.
“A few months ago, I arrived in this town under circumstances none of you know about. I had lost far more than a place to sleep.”
He looked down briefly.
“And during that time, I learned something important about people.”
He lifted his head.
“When you have nothing, you discover who will still treat you with dignity.”
His gaze moved toward Elise.
“She was one of those people.”
Elise felt her heart begin to race.
“But I didn’t ask for this microphone simply to thank my future wife,” Gabriel said.
He hesitated.
“There’s something about my past that I haven’t told her. Not completely.”
A ripple of whispers passed through the congregation.
Elise frowned.
