Pigmy Bean
My fiancé, Jim Smith, had always been the kind of older brother who spoiled his younger sister. Harriet Smith, his adopted sister, was the first person he thought of whenever anything happened.
When the craze for seasonal drinks swept through town, he was quick to buy Harriet the first one of the season.
When he bought his first car outright, he saved the passenger seat for her to try first.
Even when a fire broke out in our house in the middle of the night, his first instinct was to rush into Harriet's room and carry her downstairs. Only after he knew she was safe did he call to wake me.
After I was injured in that fire, I finally lost my temper and demanded that he choose between Harriet and me.
He looked genuinely confused. "Cecilia, Harriet and I have been through everything together since we were kids. She's just a kid. Why are you comparing yourself to her?"
Then, as if he were offering me some perfectly reasonable solution, he added, "How about this? From now on, I promise I will treat you both equally. Okay?"
I hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing.
I had no idea that, later, the first wedding ring Jim had custom-made would go to Harriet. Even the wedding dress was no exception.
Today was the day we had agreed to go to the county clerk's office and make our marriage official. Harriet came with us. The moment we arrived, she looked at Jim and said, "Jim, it's your first time doing this, so I wanna do it too."