Brandon had repeatedly told Natalie that I wouldn’t mind being excluded. He claimed I’d personally offered to pay for Bali during a phone call while she was in the shower. He convinced her that removing me from the rehearsal dinner and aisle was meant to protect me from painful memories of Margaret. Natalie admitted she’d accepted his explanations because fighting during the wedding planning felt exhausting.

But after reading my letter, she asked Brandon to show her the message or call where I’d promised the honeymoon money. There wasn’t one. First he claimed he’d misunderstood me. Then he accused Natalie of being dramatic. Finally, he suggested that I’d always been cold toward her. She broke down in my hallway. “I looked for you, Dad,” she cried. “The whole walk, I was looking for you.” I held my daughter until her tears soaked through my shirt. Then I went into the kitchen, took Margaret’s ceramic jar down from the refrigerator, and placed it into Natalie’s hands.