“I thought that was the point. You said you couldn’t turn things off. You couldn’t just get rid of it. I’ve been here. And I’m going to be here in the future. But you can’t make me be something I’m not.”

“I’m not asking you to be anything other than human and care for somebody other than yourself.”

Brian’s jaw dropped. He scowled and shook his head. “I’m not taking that. I’m out of here.”

He stalked out of the room and she heard his work boots clomping on the hallway tile. She had never felt so alone in her life.

PART 2

CHAPTER 11

The wedding was held in April at Brian and Melissa’s apartment and officiated by a justice of the peace.

Melissa had debated whether to invite her mother. On the one hand, she didn’t want any drama that could ruin the day for her and Brian. But on the other hand, she wanted her mother to see that she was an adult now and moving on with her life in spite of the family friction she left behind.

Surprisingly, her mother said she was coming, though there was tension on the phone when she learned that the wedding would be in a small apartment with little to no decorations. Melissa shoved aside any feelings of shame at the humble location. She was about to become somebody’s wife, and her mother would just have to accept it.

Brian’s mother agreed to come too, which shocked them both. Yet the guests that Melissa was the most honored to have in the room were members of Kelly’s family. It would be bittersweet, but they knew that Kelly wouldn’t have wanted to miss this day for the world.

Planning the wedding on a shoestring budget, Melissa had decided to buy a nice dress she could wear again. But a phone call changed that idea. It was Kelly’s mother, who said she had a gown she’d been saving for Kelly’s wedding. Melissa had said she couldn’t take the gift, but Kelly’s mom insisted.

“She would have been your maid of honor if she were here, wouldn’t she?”

“Yes,” Melissa said. “She wanted me to be the same for her.”

“Then let her do this for you. She would want that. I was saving this for her. But since she can’t be here, it’ll feel like a little of her is. I can’t wait to see you in this dress.”

That thought had convinced Melissa and when she tried it on, she couldn’t believe how it fit. She thought of how much the dress would have been shortened if Kelly wore it. That made her smile.

As they stood in the small living room, she looked at those gathered, knowing only one person there knew the truth about David. They had kept the secret well.