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I Lost My Daughter Last Year – Five Minutes Before I Walked Down the Aisle, the Coordinator Whispered, ‘Your Daughter Is Here, and She Wants to Speak to You Immediately’
The shape of her face was wrong.
Her eyes were brown.
Emily’s had been gray.
This wasn’t my daughter.
Of course it wasn’t.
I pressed a hand against my chest.
Of course it wasn’t.
“Who are you?”
The young woman wiped her face.
“My name is Sophie.”
I froze again, but for a different reason.
“Sophie? Emily’s Sophie?”
She nodded.
I froze again, but for a different reason.
Emily had talked about a Sophie for years.
They met during their first year of college through some student volunteer program.
Sophie had transferred schools and moved three states away, but the friendship continued through calls, texts, and long weekend visits.
Emily used to say, “Sophie knows all my embarrassing secrets, so if she ever shows up here, don’t believe anything she says about me.”
They met during their first year of college
I had laughed every time.
I had never met her.
“You were Emily’s friend.”
Her face crumpled. “Her best friend.”
My throat tightened.
“Why are you here?”
I had never met her.
Sophie looked toward the door.
“Can you close it?”
I did.
She took a shaky breath.
“Emily sent me.”
Every hair on my arms lifted.
“Emily sent me.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She died a year ago.”
“I know.”
“Then explain what you mean.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
Sophie reached into the bag beside her chair but stopped when she saw me tense.
“Before she died, Emily made me promise something.”
I couldn’t speak.
Sophie continued.
“She said that if… when you married Charles, I had to find you on the wedding day.”
“Before she died, Emily made me promise something.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
“She wanted me to give you something before you walked down the aisle.”
The room seemed to tilt slightly.
I sat down because my legs didn’t feel reliable anymore.
“She wanted me to give you something.”
“You’ve had something from my daughter for a year?”