My stepson begged me, “Don’t marry my dad.” The reason made me faint at the altar.

Persistent unease

Despite the excitement of the wedding, a deafening restlessness wouldn’t leave me. There was something wrong, like an essential piece of a puzzle that kept going missing. Sitting next to Jeff, going over lists and plans, my thoughts kept returning to Tim. His words echoed over and over again: “Don’t marry my father.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something fundamental, and that emptiness tormented me, leaving me on constant alert.

Persistent malaise