“‘Walk Yourself,’ My Mom Mocked at My Wedding — So I Walked Alone… Until the Mayor, a Senator, and My Superintendent All Stood Up for My ‘Nobody’ Husband.”

There was a knock, and the photographer poked her head in, camera already around her neck. “Hey! Ready for some family photos before the ceremony?”

No one answered for a beat.

My father checked his watch. “We need to talk about the aisle walk,” he said.

A tiny ember of hope sparked. Maybe this was it—the compromise, the gesture, the moment where they’d continue reading …