I had kept my secret for far too long, thinking I could manage everything without breaking James’s heart. But as the plane hit turbulence and the world seemed to shake around me, I realized I couldn’t stay quiet anymore. Facing the possibility of life or death, I knew I had to tell him the truth.
It all started a few days earlier in Stacy’s cozy kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee hung in the air as I held out my hand to show her the engagement ring James had given me.
It sparkled brightly under the soft light, and I felt a strange warmth in my chest as I looked at it. It was beautiful, and even though we had been together for four years, seeing it on my finger made my heart race.
“Olive, this is amazing! I’m so happy for you!” Stacy exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Thanks, Stacy. I’m happy too,” I replied, smiling, but I couldn’t ignore the knot in my stomach.
“So, when’s the big day?” she asked, leaning forward eagerly.
“Oh, we haven’t talked about it yet,” I said casually, trying not to give too much away. “But it won’t be anytime soon. Maybe in two years or so.”
“Two years? Really?” Stacy raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised.
“Yeah. James is really busy at work right now, and I have school to think about,” I explained. I had been accepted into a dream art program in Europe. It was an eight-month program that I’d been hoping for years to attend, but there was a big problem.
“Did you tell James about the program?” Stacy asked, her voice turning serious.
I shook my head, feeling the weight of the secret pressing down on me. “No, I haven’t. I don’t know how he’ll take it. What if he asks me not to go?”
Stacy frowned, looking at me like I was making a mistake. “That’s not going to happen. He loves you, Olive. He’ll support you, no matter what.”
“I want to believe that, but I’m not sure,” I said quietly.
“Olive, you need to tell him. He’s your fiancé. He deserves to know,” Stacy said, her voice firm.
“You’re right,” I agreed, just as my phone rang. It was James. “Speak of the devil,” I muttered, smiling as I stepped into the next room to take the call.
“Hello?” I answered, curious about what he had to say.
“Olive, you won’t believe this! I have incredible news!” James’s voice came through, full of excitement.
“I’m listening,” I said, trying to stay calm.
“Do you remember that place where you always dreamed of having our wedding?” he asked eagerly.
“Yes, but it’s not possible anymore,” I replied, confused. “They’re tearing it down at the end of the summer and stopped holding events there.”
“Well,” James said, his voice full of pride, “I’ve been talking with the owners for the past two weeks. We exchanged emails, had phone calls, and they finally agreed to let us have our wedding there!”
I froze, shocked. “But that’s so soon… Three months?”
“Actually,” James said, “it’s in two weeks. They only offered that date. But what does it matter when we get married, as long as we do?”
I felt my mind spin. “I… I don’t know…”
“Olive, I’m so happy I could make this happen for you,” James said, his voice full of love and joy. “I just want you to be happy.”
“Yes, yes, I’m very happy,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
“Great. I love you, Olive,” he added, his voice soft and loving.
“I love you too, James,” I replied, my voice quiet, my heart suddenly heavy with the weight of everything.
I hung up the phone, feeling overwhelmed, and walked back to the kitchen where Stacy was waiting. Her face fell when she saw my expression.
“James arranged for our wedding to be at the place I’ve always dreamed of,” I said, my voice shaky, barely holding back tears.
Stacy’s eyes widened in surprise. “I thought they weren’t holding weddings there anymore?”
“He made a deal with the owners,” I explained, trying to hold back the tears.
“That’s wonderful, Olive!” Stacy exclaimed, her face lighting up. “That’s amazing!”
But my smile quickly faded. “The wedding is in two weeks.”
Stacy’s expression shifted to concern. “But you’re supposed to leave for the art program in two weeks…”
“I know,” I whispered, feeling the weight of it all pressing on me.
“Did you tell him to cancel everything?” Stacy asked, worry in her voice.
I shook my head, the tears starting to fall. “I couldn’t. He was so happy, and he worked so hard to make this happen.”
“Olive, you have to tell him. You don’t want to get married right now. You want to go to the program. It’s your dream.”
“No, I can’t. He’ll be devastated. It looks like I’ll have to cancel the program,” I said, finally breaking down. Stacy quickly pulled me into a tight hug as I cried into her shoulder.
“Oh, Olive. I’m so sorry,” Stacy whispered, gently rocking me back and forth, trying to calm me down.
Two weeks later, James and I were walking down the long corridor to board the plane that would take us to where our wedding was supposed to happen. My heart was pounding, and my hands were shaking.
I tried to steady myself, but the doubt was overwhelming. Was I making the right choice? I couldn’t help but ask myself over and over.
James glanced at me, concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, his voice full of care.
I forced a small smile and nodded, but inside, I felt hollow. The truth was, I had been pretending for the past two weeks. Each day, it got harder to convince myself that everything was fine. Inside, I was anything but fine.
As the plane took off, James started talking non-stop about the wedding. He went on about the flowers, the music, the vows, and how perfect everything would be. His voice was full of excitement, and I could see how much this meant to him.
But all I could think about was the art program I had given up. My dream. It felt like a heavy weight pressing on my chest.
I loved James, I really did. But everything was moving too fast. The rush to get married had thrown me completely off balance. I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
James didn’t seem to notice my silence. He was too caught up in planning our future. I wanted to scream, to tell him to stop talking about the wedding. But I kept quiet, biting my lip and nodding as if everything was fine.
Then, the turbulence hit.
The seatbelt sign lit up, and the pilot’s voice came over the speakers, warning us of rough air ahead. My heart skipped a beat. The plane started to shake violently. The flight attendant’s cart flew across the aisle, crashing into the seats with a loud bang. The overhead bins rattled, and I felt my stomach drop as the plane dipped.
It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Nervous whispers filled the cabin, and a few gasps of fear echoed around us. I squeezed James’s hand, trying to stay calm, but my mind raced. This felt like the kind of situation where we could die, and I would never get the chance to follow my dream.
“I don’t want the wedding!” I shouted, my voice louder than I intended. As soon as I spoke, the turbulence stopped, and the plane leveled out. The pilot’s voice came over the intercom, reassuring everyone that we were okay.
James turned to me, his eyes wide with surprise. “What did you say?”
I hesitated, wanting to backtrack. “Nothing… I was just scared,” I said, hoping to brush it off.
But James wasn’t listening. He stood up, his face tight with hurt, and walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. I watched him go, my heart sinking.
Tears filled my eyes as I realized how badly everything was going. I didn’t want to lose him, but I couldn’t just sit there either. I stood up and followed him, my heart pounding.
“James?” I called softly through the bathroom door.
There was silence for a moment before I heard his voice, muffled but clear. “When, Olive? When do you want to get married?”
I took a deep breath. “Later, in about two years.”
“Two years?” His voice was full of disbelief. “What’s the difference when we get married if we love each other?”
“I got accepted into an art program,” I said quietly. “In Europe. It’s for eight months.”
There was a long pause. “When are you supposed to leave?”
“Today,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “But I canceled everything. I couldn’t refuse you after all the work you did to make this wedding happen.”
“And now you think you made a mistake,” he said softly.
“Yes,” I admitted, feeling the weight of my confession.
“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” he asked, his voice full of hurt.
“I was afraid of how you’d react,” I admitted.
“I love you, Olive. What reaction did you expect from me?” he asked gently.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, feeling lost.
“Just… leave me alone. I need to think,” he said firmly.
I nodded, though my heart broke. “Okay. I love you too, James.” I returned to my seat, feeling the distance between us grow.
After some time, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom again. “Olive, your fiancé James asked me to deliver a message to you. He said he loves you very much and wants you to know that when we land, he will put you on the first flight to Europe or wherever you need to go.
He’s ready to be your fiancé for as long as it takes.”
Confused, I turned around just as James walked back to our seats. His face was calm, but his eyes were serious.
“James?” I asked, trying to understand.
“Olive,” he said, looking straight at me, “I want you to be happy. I don’t want our marriage to feel like something you have to do. So, we’re canceling everything. You’re going to the art program, and I’ll join you later when I can.”
I blinked, surprised. “But what about your job?”
“I’ll try to arrange to work remotely,” he said with a calm smile. “I don’t want you to give up your dreams for me.”
“Would you really do that for me?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes.
“Yes,” he replied simply.
Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms, holding him tight. “I love you, James.”
“I love you, Olive,” he whispered back.
In that moment, everything felt right. Maybe the future wouldn’t be easy, but together, we could face anything.
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