Tilly stood at the pool’s edge, acutely aware that she didn’t belong there. The rippling water displayed a distorted image of a familiar stranger in a wedding gown. She searched the flowing reflection, ever-changing it offered multiple perspectives.

Beyond the pool deck, they had erected a white tent where everyone waited. Suspended, her future felt eager for her arrival. But she lingered here, contemplating the divergence, she felt the despair heavy in her heart.

The blacktopped...