I sat in Stacy’s cozy kitchen, the familiar smell of coffee filling the air, holding out my hand for her to see. The engagement ring James had given me sparkled under the soft light.

It felt strange on my finger but in a good way. We had been together for four years, and while getting married wasn’t something I had been in a rush for, seeing that ring made my heart skip a beat.

“Olive, this is amazing! I’m so happy for you!” Stacy said, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Thanks, Stacy. I’m happy too,” I said, smiling.

“So, when’s the big day?” she asked, leaning forward.

“Oh, we haven’t talked about it yet. But it won’t be anytime soon. Maybe in two years or so,” I replied, trying to sound casual.

“Two years? Really?” Stacy looked surprised.

“Yeah. James is really busy at work right now, and I have school to think about,” I explained. I had applied for an art program in Europe. It was an eight-month program, something I had dreamed of for years. But there was a problem.

“Did you tell James about the program?” Stacy asked, her tone serious.

I shook my head, feeling a knot in my stomach. “No, I haven’t. I don’t know how he’ll take it. What if he asks me not to go?”

Stacy frowned. “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 so sure,” I said, feeling the weight of the situation.

“Olive, you need to tell him. He’s your fiancé. He deserves to know.”

“You’re right,” I admitted, just as my phone started ringing. It was James. “Speak of the devil,” I said, smiling as I stepped out of the kitchen to take the call.

“Hello?” I answered, my voice curious.

“Olive, you won’t believe this! I have incredible news!” James sounded thrilled, his excitement almost jumping through the phone.

“I’m listening,” I said, wondering what could be so amazing.

“Do you remember that place where you always dreamed of having our wedding?”

“Yes, but it’s not possible anymore,” I replied, confused. “They’re tearing it down at the end of the summer, and they stopped holding events there.”

“Well,” James began, 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 was stunned. “But that’s so soon… Three months?”

“Actually,” James corrected, “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…” My mind was racing, but I couldn’t find the words.

“Olive, I’m so happy I could make this happen for you. I just want you to be happy,” James said, his voice full of love.

“Yes, yes, I’m very happy,” I replied, trying to match his enthusiasm.

“Great. I love you, Olive.”

“I love you too, James,” I said, my voice soft.

I hung up the phone, tears filling my eyes, and walked back to the kitchen where Stacy was waiting. She looked up at me, concerned.

“James arranged for our wedding to be at the place I’ve always dreamed of,” I said, my voice shaky.

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, smiling.

I nodded, but my smile quickly faded. “The wedding is in two weeks.”

Stacy’s smile disappeared. “But you’re supposed to leave for the art program in two weeks…”

“I know,” I whispered, the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

“Did you tell him to cancel everything?” Stacy asked, her voice full of concern.

I shook my head. “I couldn’t. He was so happy, and he worked so hard to make it 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 into tears. Stacy quickly pulled me into a tight hug, holding me as I cried into her shoulder.

“Oh, Olive. I’m so sorry,” Stacy whispered, gently rocking me back and forth.

Almost 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 I could feel my hands shaking.

I tried to steady myself, but the doubt was overwhelming. Was I making the right choice? Not just for me, but for James too? I kept asking myself over and over.

The decision had been made, though, and I felt like I was on a path I couldn’t step away from, even if every step felt heavier than the last.

James glanced at me, his eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice gentle, trying to reach me.

I forced a small smile and nodded, but it felt weak and 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 and that I was happy. Inside, I was anything but.

As soon as we took off, James talked non-stop about the wedding, going 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 as he spoke, all I could think about was the art program I had given up. My dream. It felt like a heavy weight on my chest.

I loved James, I really did, but everything was moving too fast. This rush to get married had thrown me completely off balance. I wasn’t ready, not yet.

James didn’t notice my silence. He was too busy 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.

After a while, the seatbelt sign lit up, and the pilot announced that we were entering strong turbulence. My heart skipped a beat.

I quickly buckled up and grabbed James’s hand, squeezing it tightly. I wasn’t afraid of flying, but I didn’t do it often, and this sudden turbulence made me uneasy.

The turbulence hit hard and the plane was shaking 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 suddenly dipped.

It was nothing like I had ever experienced before. The entire cabin was filled with nervous whispers and a few gasps of fear.

James tried to calm me down, his hand gently rubbing mine, but I couldn’t focus on his words. All I could think about was that we might die right now, 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. Just then, the plane came out of the turbulence, and the pilot announced that everything was okay.

James turned to me, his eyes wide with surprise. “What did you say?”

I hesitated, trying to backtrack. “Nothing… I was just scared,” I said, hoping to brush it off.

James looked at me, confused. “You don’t want the wedding?”

I sighed, feeling the weight of the truth. “James, it’s not that simple…”

But he wasn’t listening to me. He got up from his seat, his face tight with hurt, and headed straight to the bathroom. I watched as he locked the door behind him.

Tears filled my eyes, spilling over as I realized how badly this was going. I didn’t want to lose him. I couldn’t just sit there, so I stood up and followed him, my heart pounding.

“James?” I called softly through the bathroom door, hoping he would answer. But there was only silence.

“James, please. It’s not what you think. I do want to marry you. Just… not right now.”

His voice came through the door, muffled but clear. “When, Olive? When do you want to get married?”

I hesitated, then said, “Later, in about two years.”

“Two years?” His voice was filled with disbelief. “What’s the difference when we get married if we love each other?”

I took a deep breath. “I got accepted into an art program. In Europe. It’s for eight months.”

There was a pause, then he asked, “When are you supposed to leave?”

“Today,” I admitted, 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 quietly.

“Yes,” I confessed, feeling the truth weigh heavily on me.

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” he asked, the hurt clear in his voice.

“I was afraid of how you’d react,” I said honestly.

“I love you, Olive. What reaction did you expect from me?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, feeling helpless.

“Just… leave me alone. I need to think,” he said firmly.

“Okay. I love you too, James,” I replied softly and returned to my seat, feeling the distance between us grow.

After some time, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom. “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.”

I was confused and not sure if I heard correctly. I turned around just as James walked back to our seats, his face calm but his eyes serious.

“James?” I asked, trying to understand what was happening.

“Olive,” he began, looking right 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, his voice steady. “I don’t want you to give up your dreams for me.”

“Would you really do that for me?” I asked, my heart swelling with emotion.

“Yes,” he replied simply.

Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms, holding him tightly. “I love you, James.”

“I love you, Olive,” he whispered back, and I knew everything would be okay.

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