Every kind gesture toward his mother meant something was supposedly being taken away from Claire.
To Claire, love wasn’t something two people could share with their families.
It was a contest she believed she had to win.
And instead of telling Daniel about her fears, she’d tried to remove his mother from their lives.
Daniel looked at Claire for a long time.
Then he quietly said something she clearly hadn’t expected.
“I did choose you.”
Claire’s expression softened.
For one brief moment, hope returned to her face.
But Daniel wasn’t finished.
“I stood in front of everyone we love today, and I promised to build my future with you.”
Claire moved toward him.
“Then don’t throw our future away.”
Daniel lowered his eyes to his wedding ring.
The gold band shimmered beneath the chandelier light.
He remembered how Claire had smiled when she’d placed it on his finger just a few hours earlier.
He remembered believing those vows were the beginning of a lifetime.
Then he looked toward his mother.
Her pale blue dress remained damp and stained.
Mud had begun drying around the hem.
She sat quietly at the edge of the ballroom, seemingly afraid that moving or speaking might cause even more pain.
This was the woman who had spent months helping them organize the celebration.
And now she seemed convinced that her presence was responsible for destroying it.
Daniel looked down again.
Slowly, he slipped the wedding ring off his finger.
Claire froze.
“Daniel?”
The ring rested in his open palm.
He stared at it.
A few hours ago, it had represented everything he thought he understood about his future.
Now he had to decide what its promises could possibly mean when the trust behind them had been broken.
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