"Lucy, will you grant us this one wish?"
I stared at my former in-laws, and the air wouldn't come.
Even they had accepted Lucy without a second thought.
Neil's friends crowded around me too, telling me not to worry about his past.
"Neil's the loyal type. Once he falls for someone, he's all in. You never have to worry about him having a change of heart."
I stood rooted to the spot, dazed, the corners of my mouth twitching into something that wasn't quite a smile.
All in.
Never a change of heart.
Then why did he stop loving me?
My fingertips had gone numb with cold.
I knew I had to make a decision.
I held out my hand to Neil and forced the words out with everything I had.
"Yes. I will."
His eyes lit up. He grabbed my hand and slid the ring onto my finger.
It sat heavy on my ring finger.
But somewhere inside me, something had gone hollow. Completely, irreversibly empty.
The crowd around us clapped with tears in their eyes, offering their congratulations.
Kent ran circles around us, beside himself with joy.
"Yay! Mommy and Daddy are together! I have a mommy again!"
Neil pulled me into his arms, laughing and crying at the same time.
"Once you've fully recovered, we'll have the wedding."