She thought about it, then said, ‘No.

But don’t forget the pancakes afterward.’ I added that last detail.

The story of our wedding day was no longer only about what had ended.

It was about the life that continued, the questions we were allowed to ask, and the small traditions we’d chosen to protect.

When I turned out the bedroom light, the bracelet was still on my wrist.

The elastic had loosened and one blue bead was chipped, but I wasn’t ready to put it away.