I let the corner of my mouth curve upward, lifted my left hand so the diamond on my ring finger caught the light, and smiled with perfect ease.
"I'm already married. I owe him a debt of gratitude for not marrying me back then."
That night, the proudest man Harbor City had ever known stumbled toward me reeking of liquor, eyes bloodshot, and blocked my path.
"Adela Sullivan, who gave you permission to marry someone else?"
……
Even after five years of dating, when Jesse Swanson said he wanted to marry me, I still couldn't believe it.
We stood on a bustling Harbor City street, and I gripped his hand so tightly my knuckles ached, desperate to confirm I wasn't dreaming.
"Jesse, your mother... she really agreed to let me into the family?"
Something flickered across his face—a flash of unease—but in the next breath, his expression hardened with resolve, and he pulled me into the bridal boutique on the corner.
There it was, waiting behind the glass display: the pristine white wedding gown I'd fantasized about a thousand times. Tiny crystals covered the bodice like a scattering of stars, so brilliant they hurt to look at.