Chapter 21 Nora's guess was confirmed the moment Elliot was wheeled onto the stage . Ever since the accident , Nora hadn't really heard any news about Elliot . She never would have guessed that when they finally met again , he would have ended up in a wheelchair . She couldn't see if there were other injuries , but even without any medical background , she could . tell that Elliot would never be able to return to being a doctor . She felt a strange kind of heaviness in her chest . In just three months , everything had completely changed . Onstage , Elliot's expression was gloomy , with none of the joy one might expect from a groom on his wedding day . In fact , he looked like someone who'd just lost everything . It was Beatrice who walked Claire down the aisle , but on her face wasn't the bittersweet pride most mothers showed when giving away their daughters . Instead , she was filled with worry . When Beatrice first found out Claire was pregnant with Elliot's child , she was shocked . Her first instinct was to tell Claire not to go through with it . After all , even though Elliot and Nora had already broken up , Beatrice could see that he still loved her . In this situation , Claire's plan to use a child to hold on to Elliot would only end in heartbreak . And now that Elliot was disabled , Beatrice was even more concerned about what might be going on in his mind . But what truly surprised her was that Elliot had actually agreed to go through with the wedding . Standing in the wedding venue now , Beatrice did her best to keep her face neutral , hiding any misgivings . She placed Claire's hand in Elliot's , just like any parent would when entrusting their daughter to the groom , hoping Elliot would take good care of Claire . However , Elliot didn't even lift his hand , nor did he say anything in response . Beatrice's smile faltered , her expression growing more and more strained . Eventually , it was Claire who saved the moment . She quickly stepped over , pushing Elliot's wheelchair with her , and took her place next to him in front of the officiant . There were a few awkward hiccups , but everyone just followed through as planned . Given Elliot's physical condition , many of the usual wedding rituals had been skipped . Still , exchanging rings was something they couldn't leave out , The flower girl brought up the wedding bands . When Elliot took the ring and reached out to slide it onto Claire's finger , he suddenly froze , staring at the diamond ring . This ring was the one Elliot and Nora had picked out together for their wedding . Now , the ceremony was finally happening , but the bride wasn't her . Chapter 21 2/2 Claire held out her hand , her smile growing stiffer by the second . Just as she felt she couldn't keep up the act any longer , she heard him softly say a name . " Nora , will you marry me ? " Claire's smile faltered , but with so many eyes on her , she had no choice but to hold it together . She forced a bitter smile and quietly reminded him , " Elliot , it's time for the rings . " Elliot finally snapped back , sliding that ill - fitting ring onto her finger . From her seat , Nora caught the whole exchange and just couldn't understand Elliot anymore . Maybe it was true what people said the things one couldn't have were always the most desired , while the things already in hand were often overlooked . When she loved Elliot , she never felt any love in return . He took her care for granted and gave all his tenderness to Claire . Now , he had finally gotten what he wanted . Nora was gone , and he was marrying Claire . So , why was he acting heartbroken now ? Thinking about it , Nora suddenly remembered the tarot card she'd drawn at the reunion to steer the conversation away . " Let go of your expectation . Hope unfulfilled brings sorrow . Trust in the unknown , and life shall reveal its gifts . "