My best friend married my sister, who has Down syndrome — while she was fighting for her life, he gripped…

My best friend married my sister, who has Down syndrome — while she was fighting for her life, he gripped my hands and said, “”Now it’s time for you to understand WHY I REALLY MARRIED her.””

My sister, Rosie, is one year younger than me. Some children stayed away from her or thought she was strange because she had Down syndrome.

But not my best friend, Ben.

“”Rosie, you’ll always have me and Ben,”” I used to tell her.

Ben always looked out for her. He made sure to pick her for his team at recess, and in fourth grade, he even promised to take her to prom someday.

Everyone assumed Ben and I would get married. Instead, years later, he proposed to Rosie.

I cried harder than she did. My best friend became my brother, and my sister had the life strangers had always insisted she could never have.

Then Rosie became pregnant with twins. We were overjoyed.

But the pregnancy was difficult.

At thirty-four weeks, Rosie was rushed to the hospital. The doctors’ prognosis was grim. They were fighting to save Rosie and the babies.

Ben stayed beside me the entire time, as pale as a sheet. But suddenly, he grabbed my hand and hurried me into an empty corridor.

“”What’s going on?”” I asked.

“”Before surgery, Rosie made me promise to tell you this if she didn’t wake up.””

Ben looked as though he was about to cry.

“”Now it’s time for you to understand WHY I REALLY married her,”” he said, squeezing my hands tightly.

My stomach dropped.

“”Ben, why would you say something like that?””

The most horrifying possibilities flooded my mind.

Had he done it for money? For our parents’ inheritance? Or… had he married her just to stay close to me?

Ben studied my face carefully and said,