The doors flew open and the bride turned. Her face fell from a smile to a twist of pain. Everyone turned to look at the door. There stood an officer with a grim look on his face. Everyone sat silently as he moved swiftly up the aisle. The bride stood still til he reached her. Then she fell to the ground and broke into tears.
Everyone knew the story. They had been young lovers. Had been drafted and promised when he returned they would be married. He had written her a few months ago to tell her he had been released. They started planning the wedding right away. They had planned it so that he would walk in the door and they would be married.
But here stood an officer with a grim look on his face her to tell he had been killed in the line of duty two days before. The bride fell to the floor and cried. She stayed there and cried for hours. Until there were only a few people left. That was not the first time these lovers had been separated. It had happened many times in thousands of years.