Any woman would like to be taken to the altar by her father’s hand; well, at least that’s what Adilene wanted. When she got to the church, she did not see her parents. She was very upset. Her parents didn’t understand that Mauricio was her happiness. Her uncle Antonio would be the one to walk her down the aisle.

***

“Do you believe in love at first sight, because I do. I fell in love with you when I first saw you.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I couldn’t!”

It was true. At the time they met, Mauricio and Adilene didn’t know each other’s names. There was no communication between them. The first conversation was over Facebook. Adilene and Mauricio had a friend in common, which made Adilene excited because she knew it was him.

It went well. The two started dating, but in secret.

“My parents don’t support this,” Adilene said, upset. “They think I’m too young for a relationship.”

“We’ll find a way to work it out. I love you and I want to be with you,” Mauricio replied.

The only way they could be together was behind her parents’ backs. Adilene’s older sister, Cinthia, helped the couple meet in secret. When she found out Mauricio’s true age- twenty three years old- Cinthia was angry about being betrayed.

“I think we should end this,” Adilene said unsteadily to Mauricio. “We don’t get to see each other, we only facetime and call each other.”

“It doesn’t matter how much time we spend like this. We’re going to be together, no matter who is against it.”

After six months of secrecy, they decided it was time to tell her parents about the relationship. The results were mixed. While Adilene’s parents didn’t separate them, they did not support her relationship with Mauricio.

Five happy years together led Mauricio to propose. They went to a restaurant that was special for both of them.

“I’ve been preparing this for a few weeks,” Mauricio said excitedly.

“Preparing what?” Adilene was confused.

Suddenly Mauricio knelt on the ground before her. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box that contained a symbol of their future together.

“Will you marry me?”

***

“Having to keep our relationship a secret brought us closer, and I’m thankful for that,” Mauricio intoned. “We’re getting married tomorrow; we should focus on our future, like how many kids we want, and what names you like.”

Adilene laughed. He was right, they should be thinking of happy things.

The morning of the wedding, she wore her mother’s dress, but modernized. She hoped her parents would come, but she wasn’t sure. “That’s okay,” Adilene told herself, “Uncle Antonio will be here for me.”

Standing outside the church doors on her uncle’s arm, she could hear the organ begin to play “Here Comes the Bride”. Suddenly she felt a tap on her free arm. She turned to see the face of her father, and one single tear came out of her eye and rolled down her cheek.

She strode down the aisle between two of the most important men in her life. Seeing her mother sitting in the church pew made her think of how important parents are. She turned and realized that Mauricio was about to cry, and she knew it was because his mother, who had died of cancer, was not next to his father.

The ceremony ended, and it was time for them to take their first steps as man and wife. Adilene and Mauricio left the church for the reception. Once everyone had arrived, Adilene’s parents came up to them.

“Seeing the way you two walked down the aisle together made us realize how much you love each other. We’re sorry for not realizing it sooner.”

“It doesn’t matter now. You’re here and we’re together...”
“It’s time for the couple’s first dance as husband and wife!”

The lights dimmed, and a song that was important to them began to play. Mauricio pulled Adilene into his arms, and while they danced, nothing else in the world existed.