Margaret found love again ten years after her first husband’s death. But just as she thought her problems were behind her, an unexpected twist arose. As the officiant at her wedding asked if anyone objected, her four children stood up and declared their objection. Margaret’s heart sank as she wondered what had gone wrong and why her supportive children were now opposing her marriage. What had happened?

The late afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows as I sat in my favorite armchair.

“Oh, James, I miss you every day,” I murmured, my fingers tracing the edges of an old photograph.

The photo album lay open on my lap, filled with memories of a life that once was.

I looked at a picture of James, his smile so vivid, almost as if he was still here with me. Oh dear! We met in college, young and full of dreams.

Our first date was at a small café near campus, where we talked for hours about everything and nothing. He had this way of making me feel special, as if I was the only person in the world who mattered.

As I flipped through the pages, each photo brought back a flood of memories. There was our wedding day, a beautiful sunny afternoon in June.

I could still hear the laughter of our friends and family and see the joy in James’ eyes as we said our vows. We were so happy, so full of hope for the future.

We had our share of adventures, traveling to places we’d always dreamed of. There was the trip to Italy, where we got lost in the winding streets of Rome and ended up having the best pizza we’d ever tasted.

Or the time we went camping in the Rockies, and James insisted on making a campfire despite the pouring rain. We laughed so much that night, huddled together under a makeshift tent, feeling like nothing could ever go wrong.

But then life happened.

When I was 42, James fell ill, and despite our hopes and prayers, he passed away. The day I lost him was the hardest day of my life. The house felt empty, and my heart ached with a loneliness I couldn’t escape.