Kat's ceremony started at 6 p.m. After my hurried exit from the hotel, I went home, showered, and popped a nice bottle of wine for mid-afternoon Saturday to drink alone. I sat on the couch and thought. And looked at my watch. And waited. At 4 p.m., feeling a mild buzz settling in, I picked up my phone and sent a text, then took a shower to get ready for the wedding.

I took my time, shaving carefully, drying myself more thoroughly than necessary. I tried to delay looking at my phone, but finally I picked it up. My heart skipped a beat. My home screen had one text message...