I’m just beginning to scan the menu tucked into my napkin when a woman I don’t recognize approaches our table, scrunching down a bit to check the place cards. She looks like a beautiful Southern belle with a bright floral dress and voluminous red-blond hair styled flawlessly over her left shoulder. Her makeup is YouTube tutorial caliber, and I mean that as in she makes the tutorials, not watches them. Something about her looks familiar but I can’t place it. She still hasn’t found her name when she almost reaches my side.

I get up with a smile as we make eye contact. “Hey. I’m Kara.”

“Hi,” she answers, seeming relieved. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m sorry to walk around looking lost, but I’m trying to find someone. I originally couldn’t make it tonight, but I was able to move things around last-minute.”

“Well, you’re in luck because I can probably help you. I’m the maid of honor, so these seat assignments have haunted my dreams for weeks.”

“Aw, you’re such a good friend. I’m Madison.” She holds out her hand and I stand up to shake it. As I do, the world seems to slow down around me. My stomach twists and tightens to an excruciating point.

Her name rings out in my head, soft at first, then louder and louder until it’s deafening. Madison. Madison. Ryan’s Madison.

Madison is still shaking my now-trembling hand as she looks past me and flashes a radiant smile.

“There he is! Just excuse me for one second.”

Don’t turn around. If you don’t see it, it won’t be real.

I wish I could listen to my own warning, but I can’t. I turn around to watch Madison happily fling her arms around Ryan’s shoulders as he stares back at me with a look I’ve only ever seen the day I left him.

My insides lurch.

Ryan untangles Madison’s arms from around him and turns his eyes from me to her. “What are you doing here?” he asks.

“I cut my business trip short so I could surprise you. Did I?”

“Yeah, you did.” Ryan walks over towards me and Madison follows. My chest feels like it’s being stretched paper-thin. A million questions rush through me at once. “Kara, this is Madison.”

Madison. Madison. Madison. I’m getting a splitting headache. Madison reaches out to me again, this time with her left hand, and I almost collapse backwards.

“Wow,” I manage to force out, my voice shaking. “That is a beautiful diamond ring.”

She pulls her hand back to admire the ring herself before moving to rest it on Ryan’s stomach. I feel the world splitting in two and I want to fall into the gap.