Margaret led me into a small records room and placed several enormous books on a table. She explained that Larry had been one of the kindest employees she had ever known. When people arrived nervous, alone, or without anyone to stand beside them, he always volunteered. Then she opened an old register. Page after page contained marriage records, and beside countless couples appeared Larry’s unmistakable signature. My eyes filled with tears. He had spent years being present for people whose happiness might otherwise have gone unnoticed. I finally understood why Margaret spoke about him with such affection.<\/p>\n
Then she turned another page and stopped. There was our marriage certificate. I leaned closer, expecting to see his familiar signature in the witness column. But something was different. Larry’s name appeared in a place I had never considered before. He wasn’t standing beside another lonely couple this time. He was the groom. Margaret gently touched the page and said, \u201cIn all those years, Larry helped hundreds of people begin their marriages. But this was the first time he allowed someone to stand beside him.\u201d I covered my mouth, unable to stop crying.<\/p>\n
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