Chapter 4

Jasmine came back to visit three days later with her husband.

She held my hand, smiling warmly.

"Our Rosie is all grown up now. I can't be your bridesmaid next week, but I can walk you down the aisle myself and hand you off to Bruce. That's something too."

I lowered my eyes. "Really? You're not disappointed?"

She blinked, then laughed it off. "Not being a bridesmaid doesn't bother me. Mom and Dad are gone. As the oldest, it's my place to give you away."

I hummed and pulled my hand back.

She didn't seem to notice. She just said, "I'll go see what your future husband's cooking up," and went into the kitchen.

The meal was lavish. Bruce had actually been scheduled for surgery that day, and he was a man who put his patients above everything else.

But that morning, I'd heard him on the phone with his supervisor, swapping his shift. All so he could cook a meal for Jasmine with his own hands.

At the table, the two of them sat at opposite corners. The farthest distance possible.

"Rosie told me you like seafood, so it's a seafood feast today. Though don't overdo it; seafood runs cold."

I sat there and listened. Every detail he rattled off about her preferences, so effortlessly, landed on me like a slap. Because I'd never once mentioned any of it to him.

Jasmine gave a cool hum in response, then turned and put a large shrimp on her husband's plate.

Bruce's face fell, just for a moment. I saw it, but by then I felt too numb for it to stir up anything in me.

Everyone at that table, except for my sister's husband, ate with their minds somewhere else entirely.

In the afternoon, Jasmine's husband went to work. Jasmine and Bruce came with me to try on my wedding dress.

I looked at myself in the mirror, glittering, and went still for a second.

Bruce had designed this dress himself. It was covered in embroidered petals.

That day, he'd pulled out the finished sketch like he was presenting me with treasure, holding it up to me.

"Rosie, I want you by my side for the rest of my life. When we're old, I want to be the one holding your arm, taking you to see all the places you love. Walking every road we've ever walked, together."

I doubt I could have imagined, back then, that just six months later, the whole truth would come crashing down.

I lost my parents at eight. This year, at twenty-three, I was losing my sister and the man I loved.

I kept wondering if I was just cursed to lose everyone. Why did it seem like I could never hold on to anything?

The staff member arranging my skirt behind me laughed and teased, "This dress is called Pure Jasmine. I guess your name must have something to do with jasmine, Miss Ford?"

My whole body went stiff.

So that was what the dress was called.

I'd never noticed the little details. The petals weren't roses, the flower after my name. They were jasmine.

Self-mockery and absurdity crashed over me at once, and I yanked the veil off my head.

The staff member looked uneasy. "Miss Ford, is something wrong?"

I stared down at the veil on the floor, my voice gone hoarse.

"It's fine. Better than fine."

Then I took off the dress and walked out.

The two of them were standing far apart, like strangers.

Bruce looked startled. "Hm? Why didn't you come out and model it for us?"

I forced a smile. "What's the surprise if I show you before the wedding?"

Bruce smiled, doting as ever. Jasmine reached over and stroked my hair indulgently.

All I felt was a cold shiver run through me.

By wedding tradition, the bride and groom weren't supposed to see each other the night before, so Bruce went to stay at a hotel. When he left, he hugged me tight, his heart racing.

"Tomorrow I finally get to marry you, Rosie. I'm happy."

I nodded, my face blank.

In the middle of the night, I packed everything and headed for the airport.

The plane took off before dawn.

Right before boarding, I posted a photo of the little house that was their secret love nest to our group chat, the three of us. I didn't write a single word. Then I turned off my phone.

Twelve hours later, the plane landed. The wedding time had already come and gone.

I turned my phone back on, and a flood of calls and messages came pouring in like they'd lost their minds.