You had been in a secret relationship with your boyfriend, Zeide, for three years, hiding it from both of your families because of tradition: you weren’t allowed to have a boyfriend until your older sister got married.

Your relationship with Zeide was nearly perfect; he was everything you could have wanted in a boyfriend. But lately, you noticed something had changed. Zeide often went out without telling you where he was going, and he always seemed too busy to meet up. It felt like he was hiding something from you.

One morning, you woke up to the sound of voices downstairs. Curious, you went down to see your family setting the table for what seemed like a special occasion. Confused, you walked up to your mom and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, we forgot to tell you!” she said, smiling warmly. "Your sister is getting married! Today, she’s introducing us to her fiancé. He's the son of our new business partner."

You felt a surge of happiness for your sister and for yourself—now that she was getting married, you could finally reveal your relationship with Zeide to your family.

As everyone gathered in the living room, your sister arrived, beaming with excitement. She walked in with a man by her side. The moment your eyes met his, you froze. His eyes widened in shock, mirroring yours.

“Everyone, meet my fiancé, Zeide,” your sister announced.