Chapter 1
Ethan Hayes and I had been secretly together for 8 years. Our daughter was 7, yet we'd never had a wedding or gotten legally married.
It was all because Isabelle Morgan, one of the four people in our close-knit group, had severe depression.
Ethan always said, "Izzy can't handle anything upsetting right now. She still depends on me. Once she's better, we'll get legally married."
Around Christmas, Isabelle seemed to be doing better, so I got everyone together and planned to propose to Ethan in front of them.
Just then, my phone buzzed. My daughter's teacher had sent over her essay Who I Want to Be.
I want to be my godmother. Dad treats my godmother better than anyone else. He always gives her lots of presents, and he says he loves her the most. Dad has never told me he loves me. I'm so jealous.
I stared at the screen, dazed. When I finally looked up, Isabelle was smiling at me.
"Dani, didn't you say you had something to announce?"
The words I'd rehearsed stuck in my throat. I touched the silver engagement ring in my pocket and suddenly found the whole thing absurd.
After a moment of silence, I slipped the ring onto my own middle finger.
"Everyone," I said, raising my hand. "I'm getting married."
*****
For 2 seconds, the private dining room went completely silent.
Ryan Cole was the first to react.
"Look at you, Dani! You've kept him hidden all these years. Your kid's already 7, and you're finally going to bring him around and let us meet him?"
He grinned so broadly his eyes nearly disappeared, then turned to Ethan.
"Ethan, did you hear that? You used to say Dani would never get married. Looks like you spoke too soon, huh?"
Ethan didn't answer. His hand froze halfway to his mouth, his wineglass suspended in midair. He stared at me as if looking hard enough might reveal what I was thinking.
"Danielle," he finally said. "You're joking."
Ryan noticed nothing and kept laughing. "What joke? She's already wearing a ring! Come on, Dani. Who's the groom? You've kept your mouth shut for years. You never even showed us a picture."
Isabelle's gaze fell on the ring on my middle finger. She gave a soft little gasp.
"It's beautiful. Who gave it to you? You've hidden him for so long. What suddenly made you decide to get married?"
Her smile was gentle, but I could see her hand trembling.
The red wine sloshed in her glass. She reached to steady it, but missed, and the glass hit the floor with a sharp c***k.
Glass and wine splattered across the hem of her white dress.
Ethan shot to his feet and grabbed her hand.
"Did you cut yourself?"
He lowered his head and turned her hand over, checking her fingers again and again. His brow was furrowed, and concern filled his voice.
Isabelle shook her head. "I'm fine. It was just so sudden. I'm happy for Dani, and my hand slipped."
"Be more careful."
Ethan crouched to pick up the broken glass, then looked back at me.
I knew that look too well. It was a warning. The message was clear: I'd said something I shouldn't have.
Scenes like this had played out more times than I could count over the past 8 years.
"I'm going to the restroom."
I stood.
Ryan called after me, "Hey, Dani, hurry back! You still haven't told us who the groom is!"
I didn't turn around.
The moment the door closed behind me, I heard Ethan's voice from inside.
"Izzy, let me see your hand again. I want to make sure you didn't cut it."
The hallway was quiet. I leaned against the wall, and my phone suddenly lit up.
Ethan: What was that supposed to mean?
Ethan: Who are you marrying? When did I ever agree to marry you?
Ethan: Izzy almost fainted just now. You know she can't handle this kind of shock.
Ethan: Come back. We need to talk. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said.
I typed back.
Danielle: You can pretend you didn't hear it, but everyone else did.
Danielle: I am getting married.
The "typing..." indicator lingered for a long time.
Finally, his reply came through.
Ethan: You're insane.
Maybe I was.
I had spent 8 years of my youth waiting for a man who would never give me a real place in his life. Even our daughter wasn't allowed to call him Dad in public.
I didn't reply. I closed the chat and tapped another contact's profile picture.
Danielle: Does what you said before still stand?
Danielle: I've thought it through. I'll marry you.
