“Now you’ll never marry my son!” my mother-in-law laughed, setting my wedding dress on fire. I wiped my tears, smiled coldly, and said, “Enjoy destroying that dress, because the wedding was never the real trap.” Her face went completely pale when I made one quick phone call…

the mundane over the dramatic. I vow to aggressively defend our peace. I vow to always laugh when we burn the soup.”

“I accept these terms,” I laughed, pulling him down by his lapels for a kiss that tasted of salt and survival.

Later that night, sitting on our living room floor surrounded by takeout cartons, I looked up at the wall. Framed in cheap black continue reading …