The tension in the civil affairs bureau was quite thick. A young couple stood at the counter, signing their marriage papers, while a handful of relatives beamed with joy at the union. Autumn kept her gaze averted from the bride, not wanting her glance to betray the bitterness she felt. She had been married once herself, and seeing the bride in that simple white dress, smiling blissfully in her husband’s arms, stirred old memories she’d rather forget.

Why couldn't the couple marry in a church? She knew they likely had their reasons, though deep down, she realized she was projecting her own insecurities onto them. Her own wedding had also...