I watched as the hands around me moved every strand of hair perfectly into place. I had no control over anything that was happening to me, a recurring feeling. My mother and Niya seem to have everything planned down to the hairstyle, and while it was nice not having to think about my wedding day, it was also unfortunate. No child dreams of an arranged marriage or their mothers controlling the whole day. Maybe I didn’t mind them controlling it because this wasn’t a marriage to me as much as it was a business deal. I could barely think about the wedding right now as my mind kept wandering to Mason. I hadn’t seen him in weeks, I looked everywhere, and it was like he never existed. If nobody else mentioned his name, I’d believe I imagined his existence.
Ever since that day, our family hasn’t
