TER

ND'S

g Gabriella ages to get to the church. I had spoken with her earlier and she conf

me more restless every time I checked the time. The guests

he's stil

oors with hope in my eyes. Every time the door o

ng to me but I barely heard i

y hands became clammy and my heart pounded as each second st

to mask the tremor in my limbs, my eyes were now permanen

cker at the edges of my anticipation. Was she coming? Or had something gone wrong? The si

way from the guest to call

l muttered, while I paced behind the altar and my voice tight with worry

heerfully fuels my dread. My fingers trembled as I tried again, pressing the call button w

ried shoving the phone away but remembering s

g the driver-somethin

d up on the

nded. "You were supposed to br

a pause on

Marco stated, sounding confused. "I

who?" I

patch told me I was no longer needed. Someo

lood drain f

e else drove her today? With

both knew. I'm

ing wasn't adding up. Gabriela wouldn't be late unless something was wrong

d Clarissa

h her voice sounding sweet. "Roland, wha

ped. "Why did you change

ilence on t

oke to Marco and he said you

wering his phone and I didn't want Gabriela to be lat

ehind mine and Gabriella's backs. And now she's not here. Something happened

I cut her short a

thing to do with the change you made..." I took a deep breath as I tried t

don't know what r

d. "But I'm goi

my side. The wind tugged gently at the ribbons tied to

s Rosa calling. At first, I frowned because Rosa never called me but when I thou

el

n the other end, an

.. it's

you have information on the

ed uneven, and her voi

here has been

f accident. "What? What do you me

happened on her way to the ceremony. The car she w

and gripping th

re is she? What h

e news, my breath was stolen from me for a second, as disbe

ling on the wheel, and I sped to the hospital. Each second w

resounded and they were

rried today. I-no. There must be some mistake."

heaving my eyes were wild with panic as I shoved past

face fell, and in a measured tone that felt like a death knell, he answered, "I'm sorry... she didn't ma

weight of those four words crushed my entire world. A s

scent of antiseptic mixed with the cold suffocated the finality of my grief bu