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with a west side and an east side. The main downtown area was dotted with businesses, government buildings, and restaurants. As the city trickled out, it became more populated with houses than businesses. If you kept going you would eventually run into miles and miles of farmland.
    Ava’s apartment sat on the east side near downtown. Her school was also on the east side, but out of the city, smooshed among neighborhoods. Rockford didn’t have a history as an exciting city or drenched in historic events, but it was home. She enjoyed the river and all the events and activities that took place around it.
    At the end of each summer Rockford hosted a music festival called “On the Waterfront.” It drew in many tourists and music fans. Ava usually stayed at her parents’ house that weekend to avoid the enormous crowd. Sometimes she and her friends would go to the festival and listen to the bands play and walk the streets that were blocked off for the big event. The city took pride in making it an annual success.
    Ava arrived at the church right before the ceremony started. Once the wedding party made its way down the aisle, the doors closed after them and the music changed to the wedding march. The doors reopened and there stood Kate. Ava looked over at Kyle. He beamed. Her heart sank. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to walk through those doors and see the love of her life look that excited to see her, to want to make her his wife. She pushed the tears back. This day wasn’t about her.
    Once pronounced husband and wife, everyone clapped as they headed down the aisle arm in arm. The pastor announced that the couple would greet everyone at the reception and to stay seated until the ushers dismissed them.
    Ava walked out to her car, relieved. She had done it. She’d made it through the ceremony without any panic attacks and even looked forward to the reception.
    The reception building overlooked the river. The open room had circular tables everywhere. The tables were covered in a purple cloth and seated eight guests each. The front of the room displayed a long table for the wedding party, a dance floor in front, with the DJ off to the side. Along the back of the room, a wall full of windows exposed the river below.
    The seating chart assigned Ava to Table 10. She found her name tag and smiled across the table at a couple she didn’t know. She sat for a short time observing more of the room and the guests that entered until she grew curious about whom her fellow table mates would be. The name to her left was a colleague from school. She gasped out loud when she read the name at her right : M atthew Thompso n .
     

     
    Matt came to a halt in front of Table 10. Someone ran into him from behind because of his sudden stop. He quickly apologized, but still didn’t move forward. He enjoyed watching her from a distance. Matt could only see her from the side, but that was the face he’d been unable to get out of his mind all week. Not believing the opportunity that had just fallen into his lap, he approached hopeful.
    “Ava.”
    “Matt.”
    They both laughed while she pointed to his seat. “This is such a good surprise.” He took his seat beside her. “Do you know Kyle or Kate?”
    “Kate and I work together. How about you?”
    “Kyle. We grew up together at the same church. We attend different churches now, but we still keep in touch.”
    “So where do you attend church now?”
    As he told her about his church, he couldn’t believe how quickly this topic came up. It would be the deal breaker as to whether or not he pursued her. He took his faith very serious and this was something he would not waver on, despite his attraction toward her.
    When he was younger faith did not rank quite as high as a priority for him. He had a handful of serious relationships, but only a few were worthy to bring home to meet his family. Sadly, he could only think of one that he knew for sure had a relationship with the