I wake up and look at the calendar; November 16, 2019. Tomorrow is my 6th anniversary with David Alvarez. Tomorrow is the second anniversary of our engagement. Tomorrow is our wedding day. I still remember David’s proposal. We were watching movies in his house the night before our 4th year together. I fell asleep at around midnight and he slipped the ring on my finger. It wasn’t until I was driving home, at around 3 a.m., that I noticed the huge diamond sitting on my left hand. I immediately turned back towards David’s house, warm tears of happiness streaming down the sides of my face. When I got there the door was open, so I rushed inside to find David next to the couch, down on one knee with a big smile on his face. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!” I manage to say this before he had a chance to open his mouth. He walks up to me and we kiss. I can truly say that November 17th is my favorite day.

Here I am two years later, staring at the beautiful Vera Wang wedding gown that I will wear tomorrow when I look into David’s chinky, dark brown eyes and say “I do.” David is all I had ever dreamed of. He’s funny, sweet, understanding, and he has an amazingly big heart that could stretch out for miles. He says that I am all he could’ve ever imagined. He says that my hazel eyes penetrate into his soul so deeply that it hurts. We have a lot in common. I love David more than words can describe. And after tomorrow we will have something else in common, his last name.

David and I promised that we wouldn’t hear each other’s voices until the ceremony. We kept sending texts back and forth saying “Baby I can’t wait, I’m so excited.” I spend the day running last minute errands with my best friend/ maid of honor, Valentina. She helped me relax, because according to her, a bride should never feel stressed the day before her wedding day.

I decide to buy David a surprise “Just Married” gift. I don’t expect anything from him. He knows that for me, his love is enough. The rest of the day goes by relevantly quickly. Before bed I kneel down and pray that my big day turns out to be everything I had ever dreamed of.

November 17! It’s finally my wedding day. The house is filled with hair and makeup people running everywhere. I haven’t received a single text from David and I’m starting to get very anxious. “Don’t worry,” Valentina says, “he probably just turned off his phone, trying to calm the nerves.” I feel slightly at peace but it doesn’t last long. We are running late, and I didn’t want my Groom to have to wait for me.

We rush out of the house and finally arrive at the church. John, the best man, approaches me with an apprehensive look on his face. “David is still not here,” he says.
“What do you mean? Where is he?!” I start to panic.
“He told me that he wanted to get something, but he didn’t say where, and that was early this morning. I’ve been trying his cell; no luck.”
The tears try to escape my eyes. Valentina walks towards me and puts her hands on my shoulder. “He’s probably just running late. You know he loves you too much to do anything that would hurt you.”
At that same moment, two sheriff cars pull up to the church. They step out in their navy uniforms and a look of pity flashing across their faces. One man walks directly to me. “Excuse me ma’am, we’re going to need you to come with us, immediately.”
“Are you out of your mind?! I’m about to get married! I am not going anywhere!”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry to say that a man was found dead at the scene of a horrible car crash early this morning. We need you to help us identify him.”

“I’m positive that I don’t know this man. So can you please, just leave me alone?”

“He had this on his lap.” The sheriff hands me a small black box. I open the box and find a diamond necklace. There is also a note. My hands tremble uncontrollably as I reach to open it. My eyes are tearful as I read:



‘My love,





You are finally my wife. This is my first gift to you as Mrs. Alvarez. I LOVE you with all my heart and I promise you that I will never dream of leaving you.






-David ?’
Trying desperately not to break down, Valentina and I climb hesitantly into the back of the sheriff’s car. I grip her hand tightly throughout the ride. I never pictured myself in the back of a cop car as a part of my dream day. I am hoping that this is not the same David. I am hoping that this is someone that I don’t know, someone that I don’t love.
We are taken to the morgue, into a cold room with a big window. I hear the sheriff’s raspy, deep voice. “Do you recognize this man?” I look into David’s chinky, dark brown eyes, once again, and I say the words that I have been dying to say all day; “I do.”