Tessa walked straight down the center aisle, past her smiling mother, past two hundred puzzled guests, until she reached my pew. The whole church held its breath. She took both my hands and pulled me to my feet. “Gloria,” she said, her voice cracking, “you were never supposed to sit back here. You were supposed to be beside me.” I could not speak. Tears poured down my face.

Behind us, Vanessa stood up, and her smile vanished. “Tessa, sweetheart, what is this?” she called. Tessa turned halfway and said, “Vanessa, tell everyone why you really came today.” Vanessa went rigid. Ethan stepped forward with a small envelope in his hand, and a murmur rolled through the pews. Then Tessa looked at me and whispered, “I called you Gloria for most of my life. Please let me fix that.”