Makeup brushes tickled her face as Emily tried to remember to breathe, waiting for her bridal look to be completed. She couldn’t wait to open her eyes and look in the mirror.

“You look like a real lady!” Pam commented. “Not that you normally don’t look like a lady.” She burst into laughter, the champagne kicking in and making her even more giddy than usual.

Emily found herself laughing too, much to the annoyance of the makeup artist, who had to pause so ...