I hated what she’d done.
But at least now I understood what she’d done and why she’d allowed the lie to keep growing.
Then another question struck me.
“If Danny chose Margaret, why is he in my house now?”
Helen hesitated.
“I don’t know everything.”
She wrote a number on a piece of paper and slid it toward me.
“But he does.”
I looked down at the number.
“Who is he?”
“Call him.”
My mind immediately returned to Danny turning his phone facedown.
“Someone from my old life.”
Suddenly, I wondered how much of that old life he had been desperately trying to keep away from me.
The phone conversation lasted twelve minutes.
When I hung up, Helen looked at me.
“Are you canceling tomorrow?”
“No.”
“What?”
“I’m not canceling anything.”
“Sis…”
“If Danny wants his happy ending so badly, I’m going to give him one he’ll never forget.”
The next afternoon, my backyard filled with guests.
Danny looked delighted when he saw me.
“You look beautiful.”
“So do you.”
Helen offered me her arm.
Danny smiled when he saw my sister walking me down the aisle.
“I’m glad you two worked things out.”
“Oh,” I said. “We’re working on it.”
The ceremony began.
Danny cried during his vows.
Then came my turn.
“Do you take Danny to be your husband?”
I looked directly at him.
“No.”
Silence.
Danny blinked.
“What?”
“No.”
His face reddened.
“Helen got to you.”
“Actually, your son did.”
Danny’s expression collapsed.
My nephew blurted, “Wait – you have another family?”
I continued.
“Margaret wasn’t your nurse.”
“Please, Claire.”
“She was your partner for almost fifty years. The mother of your children. The woman you built an entire life with while I thought you were dead.”
“You’ve twisted the whole thing.”
“You never married her because you were still married to me.”
Danny said nothing.
“And now suddenly you wanted another wedding. Funny how important our marriage became once Margaret was gone.”
“It’s not true.”
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