The Seat Saved at the Wedding That Nobody Claimed

The white chair had a small bunch of yellow flowers on it. It was in the front row, next to an old man named Harold. People walked past it. They looked at the flowers. They looked at Harold. But they did not sit down.

"Is someone sitting there?" a young woman asked.

"Yes," Harold said. He did not look at her. He looked at the door.

Harold's daughter, Rosie, was getting married that afternoon. The garden was full of green trees and soft music. Friends and family sat and talked. The sun was warm and yellow.

His son, David, came and sat beside him.

"Dad," David said quietly. "She is not coming. Margaret died two years ago."

Harold was quiet for a moment. "I know," he said. "But she wanted to see Rosie get married. She talked about it every week. She said, 'I want to see my girl in a white dress.' So I saved her a seat." He touched the flowers with one finger. "It felt wrong not to."

David did not speak. He put his hand on his father's arm.

The music changed. Everyone stood up. Rosie walked slowly through the garden in a long white dress. She looked beautiful. Harold stood up too. His eyes were wet, but he smiled.

Then Rosie stopped walking. She saw the empty chair and the yellow flowers. Yellow flowers were her mother's favorite. Rosie looked at her father. Harold nodded slowly.

Rosie walked to the chair. She took the flowers in her hand. She held them against her white dress. She did not put the flowers down for the whole ceremony.

After the wedding, a guest asked David, "Who was that seat for? Did someone not come?"

David thought for a moment. "Someone came," he said. "Just not in the usual way."