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I SWIRLED MY red wine in a glass, listening to the happy chatter of the guests atThe needs left about thirty o The entire bridal party had been asked to stay behind so the guests didn’t feel as if the party ended

It had been a si At the center of each table were tall silver vases filled with pale-pink cascading flowers Picking up one of the fallen petals, I caressed it withits softness

I secretly wished to have so like this one day, but more intimate Today, I had been the maid of honor Always a bridesmaid, never a bride That was -ter bells in my future

My boyfriend of five years, Harris Huntington the Third, didn’t believe in e—at least that seemed to be his outlook now When Harris and I first met, I had envisioned a different future for us, but as the days came and went—I knew that future was but a dreaht I did, and that’s why it was hard to walk away

I was a hopeless roh the door of our Manhattan condo and realize there wasmoney With the death of his father, Harris had inherited a business ee, but a slow erosion that I began to notice over the last year Part of me was scared to move on from Harris That’s why I held on to hope Maybe, just maybe, Harris and I would be able to find our way back to each other

Forever the eternal optimist, I hoped Harris would come back to me

While the red liquid continued to swirl around the glass, I watched the residue slowly come down the side wall

I was alone at this event since Harris had a business dinner that he dee to make my escape at the first acceptable moment

A slow song cahts of the dance floor I sighed toI wasout on this type of love I wanted to feel those butterflies and undeniable attraction to someone

The lights of the dance floor gave off a ro couples Bodies swayed back and forth I i each other like we used to Those days seeave s andlot My purple chiffon dress didn’t provide ust thanks to the unseasonably cool fall evening

To the right, I heard solanced over There was a couple all over each other as they fuer door of a car It was hard to pullthe need those two had for each other Hell, when is the last tier than I wanted to adive my body the attention it needed So, I faked that blissful euphoria I loved Before all of the et in the car would have been Harris and ht

Driving out of the parking lot, I looked at the ti nine PM My Aunt Leelyn, who raised ht that we didn’t say goodnight to each other, even if it was si the Bluetooth, I dialed her number

“Hello,” she answered I loved Aunt Leelyn’s sweet voice

“Hey, there I’ht”

A yawn caht the sando okay without Harris?”