PART 2
For a second, I thought grief was playing another trick on me.
Then she turned.
It was definitely her.
I almost called out.
Then she saw me.
Her expression shifted—not into sadness or surprise, but something closer to fear.
She immediately turned and disappeared down a side hallway.
That made no sense.
Colleen and I had barely spoken since Adrian died, but why would she hide from me?
I followed.
“Colleen?”
She stopped and stared at me.
“Meredith?”
“What exactly are you doing here right now?”
She looked uneasy.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I’m working. I’m the florist.”
“Here?”
“Yes. Why?”
Before she could answer, a wedding coordinator rushed toward us.
“Ms. Colleen, we’ve been looking everywhere for you. The groom needs his mother.”
I stared at Colleen.
For a moment, everything seemed to make sense.
Adrian had an older brother, Julian.
Of course.
It had to be Julian’s wedding.
Julian and I had always gotten along. He was quieter than Adrian, but kind. At family gatherings, he was usually the one helping me carry dishes while everyone else argued over football.
I won’t pretend it didn’t hurt that I wasn’t invited.
But after Adrian’s death, I had barely spoken to his family.
Maybe they assumed a wedding would hurt too much.
Maybe Julian thought watching him stand at an altar would remind me of everything I had lost.
I tried not to take it personally.
Then I noticed Colleen’s corsage.
I had made it that morning.
It belonged to the groom’s mother.
Colleen glanced at me, then hurried after the coordinator.
I watched her go.
Something still felt wrong.
I told myself she was simply uncomfortable seeing me.
Maybe she thought I would be upset.
Maybe she felt guilty that Julian was marrying only three months after Adrian’s funeral.
I forced myself back to work.
The arrangements needed finishing. Candles had to be placed. The ceremony flowers needed one final check.
A few minutes later, I saw Colleen near the groom’s room.
This time, I almost ignored it.
Of course she was there. Her son was getting married.
Still, the way she moved bothered me.
She checked the hallway before slipping inside.
Then I heard Colleen’s voice.
“You need to hurry. The ceremony starts in 20 minutes.”
A man answered.
I froze.
That wasn’t Julian’s voice.
But I knew it.
I had heard that voice half asleep in the morning.
I had heard it whisper beside me in movie theaters.
I had heard it arguing about cake.
But that was impossible.
I moved closer to the partly open door.
Colleen stood inside.
Then the man stepped into view.
My hand flew to my mouth.
Adrian.
Alive.
And he was wearing the same suit he’d bought for our wedding.
I couldn’t move.
For one terrible second, my mind rejected what my eyes were showing me.
“Does everything look okay?” he asked.
Colleen adjusted his tie.
“You look perfect.”
Adrian smiled.
“Good. I don’t want anything going wrong today.”
I stumbled backward before either of them noticed me.
My heart was pounding hard enough to hear.
Three months earlier, I had stood at Adrian’s funeral believing I would never hear his voice again.
Now he was alive.
His mother knew.
And both of them had let me mourn him.
I turned and ran.
I barely reached the restroom before I started crying.
I locked the door and cried until breathing hurt.
Then my phone rang. My assistant was calling.
“Meredith? The coordinator’s looking for you. They’re about to start.”
I stared into the mirror.
My eyes were swollen. My mascara had streaked.
“Meredith? Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to take over?”
I thought about Adrian.
Alive. Smiling.
Preparing for another wedding while I had spent three months grieving him.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
I wiped my face and picked up my florist badge.
And suddenly, I knew what I needed to do.
I stood before the mirror for a few more seconds, hands still trembling.
Part of me wanted to leave.
Another part wanted to find Adrian and demand answers.
But neither felt possible anymore.
He had watched me bury him.
His mother had held my hand while I cried.
Someone arranged a funeral.
Someone buried a coffin.
People brought food to my apartment and sat beside me while I stared at walls.
Adrian allowed all of it.
And now he was 20 minutes away from marrying another woman.
I washed the mascara from beneath my eyes and left the restroom.
My assistant, Kendra, found me near the service hallway.
She frowned at my face.
“What happened?”
“I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“Stay with the flowers. Don’t let anyone move the arrangements.”
She studied me.
“Meredith, you’re scaring me.”
“I know.”
“Should I call someone to come help us?”
“Not yet.”
I headed toward the ceremony space.
Guests were already sitting down.
I recognized almost no one.
That hurt more than I expected.
