He Gave Her Seat to His Childhood Sweetheart

Karl Henson and I had agreed: our island wedding would include both sets of parents.

The day we were supposed to leave, I waited a long time at the airport.

What I got instead was Karl arriving with his childhood sweetheart, Nellie Swanson, her whole family, and seven or eight of her relatives.

Every one of them held a boarding pass.

Every one of them except my parents.

I asked Karl, "Where are my mom and dad?"

He was pushing Nellie's mother's suitcase along, and he didn't even look up.

"There weren't enough plane tickets."

"I booked them a hard coach seat on the train."