Actually, they genuinely liked each other.
Rick helped her prepare for college interviews. He listened to her practice answers and gave her advice when she was nervous.
Anna, in return, constantly teased him about his terrible taste in music.
One evening, she laughed and said,
“Mom, you finally made a great choice.”
Rick laughed.
I remember smiling at both of them.
At that moment, I thought everything was going to be okay.
Then Rick proposed.
And for the first time since losing Daniel, I allowed myself to imagine a future that didn’t feel like something I had to be afraid of.
I said yes.
The wedding was supposed to be a new beginning.
Instead, something changed about three weeks before the ceremony.
Anna changed.
It happened gradually at first.
She stopped joining us for dinner.
When Rick spoke to her, she barely looked at him.
If he entered the kitchen, she suddenly remembered something she needed to do upstairs.
