Tall.
Perfectly dressed.
Confident.
Six months ago, Sophia had known every expression on that face.
She had known how he smiled when he was nervous.
How he rubbed his jaw when he was thinking.
How he held her when she cried.
She had once believed she would grow old with him.
Now he looked at her as if she were a stranger.
Until his eyes dropped to her stomach.
His entire expression changed.
The color disappeared from his face.
Sophia saw it.
Shock.
Fear.
Recognition.
The bride beside him noticed too.
Maxwell whispered something to her.
She looked at Sophia.
Then back at Maxwell.
Sophia stepped up to the microphone.
“Good evening.”
The room quieted.
“My name is Sophia Williams, and I’ll be performing three songs for you tonight.”
She didn’t look at Maxwell again.
She couldn’t.
The pianist began.
Sophia sang.
Her voice was steady.
Beautiful.
The room slowly became silent.
People stopped talking.
Even the waiters paused.
Sophia had spent years learning how to make people feel something through music.
Tonight, she needed that skill more than ever.
She finished the first song.
Applause filled the room.
Then she started the second.
Halfway through it, she saw Maxwell leave his place beside the bride.
