DEAR ABBY: You recently published a letter I wrote signed "Distraught Middle Child." I told you I didn't know what to do about inviting my brother and sister to my wedding since both had threatened not to come if the other was invited. I thought you and your readers, some of whom were concerned enough to write to you about my problem, might like to know how the story ended:
I took your advice and invited neither "Victor" nor "Sarah" to my wedding. However, at the last minute, complications took the situation out of my hands.
My husband's best friend from college had a sudden emergency and was unable to attend. My husband very much wanted Victor to round out the wedding party. Feeling that I had no other option, I re-invited both Victor and Sarah. Victor accepted immediately, but Sarah snapped, "I'll send you a present!" and hung up on me.
The wedding went beautifully. However, during the reception, the door suddenly burst open and Sarah entered! She walked straight up to our brother, hugged him, and through her tears told him how sorry she was for the way she had treated him for the last three years.
He accepted her apology gracefully; then, he, too, began to cry.
Sarah then begged my forgiveness for missing my wedding, to which my wonderful husband jokingly remarked, "Don't worry, she'll have more; no one can put up with me for very long."
I cannot imagine a wedding present more wonderful than the one I received from my brother and sister. -- NO LONGER DISTRAUGHT
DEAR NO LONGER DISTRAUGHT: Neither can I. Thanks for a delightful upper.