My Wedding Went On Without Me

My boyfriend’s younger sister, Maisie, was born with a cognitive disability that left her perpetualy trapped in the mind of a child. To most people, she was cold and distant, a silent shadow in the corner of the room. But for some reason, she clung to me.

I was the only one she would talk to, the only one she’d share her secret stash of fruit drops with. Every night before bed, we had a ritual: a FaceTime call where I’d read her a story until she drifted off. Even when she was sick, she’d refuse her medication unless I was the one holding the spoon.