John helped her keep the memory of Rowley alive at every turn, and that’s why she fell in love with him so quickly. *** On the day of her wedding, Jennifer felt more emotional than ever. She was on the verge of tears many times, although she never knew if it was happiness or sadness that her son was not there.
But she had her parents, the rest of her family, and tons of friends to support her. Moreover, Rowley would be there in spirit. The wedding march came on, and she started walking with her father, her hand on his arm, trying to hold herself steady. As she approached the end of the aisle toward John, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that jolted her.
She tried to be discreet, but she couldn’t help reacting when she noticed someone sitting on Rowley’s spot.It was a young man, possibly in his early or mid-20s, and she didn’t recognize him. “Dad, who is that?” she whispered as quietly as she could. “Hush, darling. Look at John and smile,” her father responded, and Jennifer couldn’t understand. “Do you know who he is?” “Focus, Jen,” her dad said, avoiding her question again as he continued walking.
When they arrived at the end, she kept herself from asking so as not to ruin the occasion. But she was insanely angry that someone was sitting on the seat she reserved for Rowley. How dare him! But it was time to get married and act happy for her future husband, who was smiling at her, and she melted like an ice cube. The minister carried on with the ceremony, the couple said their vows, and everyone cheered when they kissed at the end.
