The ceremony was beautiful, thought Melora. Just beautiful. Better than any of her previous marriages. And the wedding night was… . Well the ceremony had been beautiful. All her maids of honor dressed in the traditional honeybee costume, and Bob’s groomsmen in their best pine tree suits. She had cried. Too bad her youngest son couldn’t have been there. She’d invited him, whatever his name was, Jimmy or…Jonas, maybe. Jason? No, that was what she and Bob had talked about naming their son, should the trees be so kind. Anyway, what could she do? She remembered a big fight, she thought, or maybe he had just left? And what kind of way was that for a son to treat his mother, screaming and cursing. He’d even taken his best vest and thrown it out into the backyard for her to clean up later. She’d found it before it had gotten too dirty and donated it to the indigent, but she had a feeling the maternal link was well and truly broken. There was no more bond with her beautiful baby boy…J..e…remy? It didn’t matter. After the things he’d said, and now skipping her wedding, he was dead to her. It was time to start her new life with Bob- he appreciated her. She made him sandwiches. It was a fulfilling life, finally. Of course she’d quit her job at the spaceport. Soon she’d have a son to raise, and he had to be made better than that mother-abusing J child. He had hit her too, she remembered it vividly. In that final, confrontational battle. She remembered it all so well. ‘J’ had just charged and pummeled her with a feral abandon she had never imagined possible. Fortunately Bob had been there. It was clear as crystal in her mind. She looked lovingly at Bob, who sat with his hand charmingly tucked in the waistband of his shorts. The perfect husband. They’d really make a go of it, them and their future son Jason. It would be glorious, just like her wedding. The ceremony really had been beautiful.