Daniel couldn't believe this was really happening. He stood in front of a full-length mirror, dressed in a tuxedo. He didn't realize people wore those things anymore."We don't have time to have it tailored," Mr. Garrett said, walking around Daniel as if he were an exhibit. "But for not being custom fit, that tux fits you quite nicely. How does it feel?""Like I'm glad I'm only getting married once," Daniel said, smiling.Mr. Garrett shook his head, apparently not appreciating Daniel's attempt at humor. "If you aren't comfortable, you are going to remember your wedding day by how many times you wished you could rip your tie off and by the number of blisters on your feet. And from the way you were looking at my daughter

Daniel pulled into his apartment complex, then sat, staring out the windshield at the brick building in front of him. How could he have been so stupid to think that his past wouldn't matter to people? It didn't matter that he'd been doing everything in his power to make things right. It didn't matter that for the past two years, he had been working as a human resources employee in the mayor's office and volunteering at a nonprofit organization that helped the homeless during his free time. None of that mattered because someone had decided to search his name on the Internet, and for the rest of his life, only the mistakes he'd made would surface. Why even try?His phone rang and he looked down. It was Melinda.

Melinda looked in the long mirror. Her hair was pulled up off her neck, and she had decided to forgo the veil this time. It had taken a lot of time, and some scissors, to get the last one off.“You look beautiful,” her mother said, walking up behind her.Melinda spun around. “Thank you, Mom.”“From watching you two, I can tell you are perfect for each other. I’m sorry—”“No more of that,” Melinda said. Her mom had spent a lot of time apologizing over the last several months, and it was time they both moved on from their mistakes and on to a happier future. “I’ve had plenty to apol

Charles stared up at the night sky from the balcony off his bedroom, trying to clear his head. He always felt more at peace when he was outside. Maybe it had to do with his house being too big for one person. It was so much empty space that he felt claustrophobic, the silence pressing in on him from all sides. But all the other hedge fund managers said that if he wanted to be taken seriously, he needed to look the part. That meant the fancy car, expensive suits, and gigantic house that was nestled inside a gated community. Charles had drawn the line at hiring someone to cook for him. He was afraid that if he couldn’t even warm up his own burritos, he’d lose touch with reality—and himself.The email he had just received replayed in his mind. When he’d first heard of Galactic Enterprises, it had sounded like some rich person’s

“Welcome,” the woman in blue said, a bright smile plastered on her face. “My name is Julie Farnsworth. I have spoken to most of you already, but I am the vice president of tourist relations at Galactic Enterprises.” She glanced around, as if mentally counting everyone. “Perfect, you’re all here. If you’ll follow me, we will begin the hour-long drive to the spaceport, where your adventure begins.”“I paid all that money to spend an hour on a bus?” Candi complained, not bothering to keep her voice down.Julie paused mid-step and turned back. “I don’t know of another way to get you to our facility, Miss Hobbs, but you are more than welcome to secure an alternative form of transportation.”