e bridal suite. I was looking at my wedding dress, a cloud of whi

phone. It was

, professional. "A

es

en an accident. A car accident." He paused. "It

ed. The white

't survive

. The sound was distant, like it happened in another room, to an

have is Mark, my fiancé, standing in front of me. His face was tight, his jaw cl

oice cold and unfamil

him, my mind a bl

hink it's for the best if

dn't make se

e was no sympathy there, only annoyance. "A tragedy like this, right before the w

ing. "My parents are dead, Mark. A

re contagious. "But we have to be practical. My family can't be a

e alone with the ghost of my wedding dress and the crushing weight of my loss. I sank to the floor, the sobs I'd

expecting, hoping, that Mark had come back, tha

t Mark. It w

been close for years. He stood in th

rushed to my side, kneeling on the

me, stroking my hair, not saying anything. For the first time since t

ed after a long time. "I came as s

He fielded calls from relatives, shielding me from their prying questions and empty condolences. He sat with me through the

s my

et living room of my parents' house. The house was filled wi

know this is the worst possible time. But I

or years. Since we were kids. Seeing you with Mark, it broke my heart,

er me, a soothing b

anger. "Leaving you like that, at a time like this. He's

just tears of grief. They were tears of gratitude. I felt

"After the funeral. Let me take care of you. Let me give you the

meone, anyone, to hold onto, I heard mysel

he nightstand. I wandered through the silent house, my parents' ghosts in every room. I dri

wasn't the soft, caring tone he used with me. It wa

sound I had never heard from him before, a cruel, mocking s

my stomach. I pressed my

ou mean, 'it's too much'? It's not enough! After what her parents did to me? Trying to force my hand i

caught in

oe's idea, you know. She's brilliant. Tomorrow, after the cremation, I'll switch the ashe

n let out another

to a paste. And the night before our wedding, I'm going to cover her with it. Tell her it's some exotic beaut

floor seemed to drop away, plungi

s comfort a performance. He hadn't pulled me from the abyss

ifle a scream. Every kind word, every gentle touch, every promis

oke. And something else, something col

There would be no more tear

g he thought I was. And I