Chapter 14
After graduation, I started my own company and moved Grandma to a warmer city.
Zack and I had been together since our school days, and now, in a grand seaside hotel, we held a wedding as magnificent as the ocean itself.
The wedding was on my birthday. My future mother–in–law carefully braided my hair into an elegant princess style, while my soon–to–be sister–in–law helped me pick out the most exquisite gown.
Zack gave me a candy store as a gift.
I froze, staring at him in disbelief.
His eyes lowered slightly, the corners lifting just a little. His slender, warm hands wrapped around my cold fingers. “A birthday gift,” he said. “From now on, you won’t have to envy other kids for having candy.”
A lump formed in my throat. I buried myself in his embrace feeling an unexpected sense of security.
A memory surfaced.
A long time ago, drenched from the rain, I stepped onto a bus. A boy wanted to offer me something but hesitated, so he asked his friend to hand me a packet of tissues. When no one was looking, he quietly pressed a hand warmer into my frozen palm.
The wedding was extravagant, packed with guests. But Mom was not among them.
