Elena
Kathy and Ana tried their hardest to lift my spirits in the days leading up to the wedding. Despite the reality of what I’m walking into, they planned a “bachelorette” party for me—bittersweet, given that this is my second marriage. But Kathy wouldn’t hear any arguments. “You deserve one last night,” she’d said with quiet determination, “a few hours to just be Elena before you belong to someone else.” Her words, though well-meant, had sent a shiver through me, but I’d agreed. It was as good an excuse as any to escape the looming shadows of my future.
That night, for a brief, fleeting moment, felt almost magical. We visited my favorite places—dining at the Asian fusion restaurant where I could recite the menu by heart, sipping wine at the bar where I’d once spent countless carefree
