Even the aisle was scattered with fresh white petals.
But all that beauty only made Mom’s absence more obvious.
Near the front row was a strange gap, wide enough for a wheelchair.
Beside it was another empty space where a chair looked as though it had been removed.
Every other seat had been positioned perfectly.
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Those two empty spaces looked like pieces missing from a picture.Music Equipment & Technology
When I looked toward Ashley, I wondered if she’d noticed them too.
She looked beautiful in her wedding dress, almost unreal beneath the soft lights and white roses.
But she didn’t look completely happy.
There was a tension in her face that didn’t belong there.
Twice before the ceremony started, I caught her looking toward the doors.
Then William, her fiancé, approached me.
“Your mother definitely isn’t coming?”
“Liam told me not to bring her.”
William’s face changed.
“He told you that?”
Before I could ask what he meant, the music started.Special Occasions
An hour later, William and Ashley were married.
At the reception, Liam looked happier than I’d seen him in years.
