At the reception, I sat at a table in the back with distant cousins I’d never met.
Melissa and Brendan had their first dance.
My father gave a toast about how proud he was of his perfect daughter. My mother cried happy tears.
Then the DJ announced it was time for open toasts.
My mother stood up. She spoke for 5 minutes about Melissa’s beauty, grace, and bright future.
She didn’t mention me once.
Brendan’s best man went next. Then Melissa’s college roommate.
Then I stood up.
My mother’s face went pale. She whispered something to my father. He shook his head, confused.
I walked to the front, took the microphone from the DJ, and smiled at the room.
“Hi, everyone. I’m Amanda, Melissa’s older sister. I wasn’t supposed to speak today. Nobody asked me to, but I thought it was important to share a few things about growing up with Melissa since so many of you have heard about her incredible life.”
