THE BRIDE SHE LEFT BEHIND

ied in a fi

ater, I marrie

He needed someone to raise her son

ive in h

in h

re of h

ng here f

and got dressed. I found a soft green dress in the bac

know it

sh standing there. He's seven

cold. Why are you we

ow it was h

id. You want to be

fted the c

top him, he thre

et. It dripped into my eyes. I

pered, I wish it was you who

d walked away lik

her dress was ruined. Vanilla frosting clung to the delicate fabric, leaving stain

in. His eyes widened as he took in the scene. They destroyed my c

at. Not concerned, not angry. Just ti

m my eyes. Just a li

e registered the date

e had. In this house, only one woman's

ow. He set his keys down and walked past me

rom my skin, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window

he one who lit up rooms when she entered. I was just me. The quiet sis

nal mess. Taking care of her fam

years ago, after she'd saved me from the worst mistake of my life.

Never imagined she'd be gone at thirty, leaving

earing her wedding rin

on my own clothes. Plain jeans. A simple

wing set Clara had insisted on installing las

softly, sitting on the swing

is small hands gripping the chains so tigh

e swing creaking beneath me. But your mom asked me t

ou in her dress. In

rgue with it. Some days, I felt like an impo

It's not fair to any of us. Bu

ath his feet. The fire wasn

cold. "What

ething I couldn't read. "Dad says it was an accident. But I

wn my spine. K

ow. But the next day, she was gone. And thre

ogether. But the week before she died, she'd called me, sound

ad that co

rd James calling for

in, I said,

e attic yesterday. A box of mom's things. There's a letter in there with your na

ng me alone with the setting s

to tell me? And what did

ow, a small triangle of glass

d. Tomorrow I woul

learn the truth about the