This is a short story set in the future. I wrote it on December 9, 2017.
It's about a girl who attends the reception of her old classmate, the one with whom her love was unrequited.
There may be some confusion in the middle because there's a flashback to the night she got the wedding invitation. Just a fair warning so that you don't get confused.
RECEPTION NIGHT:
She sat on the outskirts, near the back of the hall, with a melancholic smile as the crowd slowly dwindled.
She sipped on her glass of champagne. She never favored alcoholic beverages, but tonight she was breaking all her rules. Well, she may have already broken them once before.
Her table was empty, save for herself and her purse - and a present. Atop the beautifully wrapped package, complete with a bow on top, was something even more important: a letter. Two letters, actually, contained in the same envelope. One for the bride, and one for the groom, of course.
From her seat, quite a distance from the dais, she watched him. The last she saw him in person was years ago. It was a miraculous, bittersweet moment when she received news of and an invitation to his wedding. Perhaps it was a show of courtesy on his part, to invite all his former classmates and not leave her out. Perhaps he knew she would find out soon enough, and would find a way to show up.
Perhaps, though, it was a show of mercy, by God's grace, for him to allow her to see him once before he's gone for good.
But that was the first time she broke all her rules and found solace with her wine glass in a corner of a pub. The girl who accompanied her friends on countless nights out, and stayed sober to look after her friends while they got wasted, needed to drown herself in the same alcohol she so strongly decried, and needed someone else to stay sober in her place.
It was then that she had decided to write.
A letter for each, short and sweet. Nothing anywhere near as long as the first letter she wrote out in a word document.
To him, she wrote she wished him happiness. She wrote she wished him love, success, and a sweet married life.
To her, she wrote a plea to take care of him, properly, and to love him and be patient with him. She wrote, words oozing with her love for him she wished the bride would shower on him in her place.
And tonight was the night she was to give those letters and the thoughtfully selected present she bought during her work and travels abroad in Japan.
She didn't know how she might react when went up to congratulate the couple whose lives will be joined together early the next morning. She didn't know if she'd smile or cry or be an awkward mix of both.
She took a deep breath and stood up.
She didn't know why she bothered to dress up tonight. But her hair was done, her makeup was flawless, her eyeliner on-point, perfect accessories, her dress accentuated her curves and her diets and workouts evident in her small proportions. As she made one high-heeled step at a time closer to the front of the hall, she wondered if perhaps in some dark corner of her mind she hoped - she hoped perhaps seeing her dolled-up, in person, after all those years, he would think twice, and perhaps she would linger in his thoughts for a while.
When she reached the front and climbed on to the dais, she smiled and congratulated the couple. A small corner of her heart twisted in pain as she glanced at him, searching for some hint of what he might have been thinking at the time. Till the end, she could never read him. Not even a little bit.
She snapped a photo - she made sure to give her best smile - and handed the couple their gift and letters. Congratulating them once more, she stole a final glance at him, and his beautiful eyes, before walking off the dais and taking her leave.
She wasn't hungry tonight. But she knew at last that he was finally gone for good. Her heart knew it, her soul knew it, and perhaps that is why it was a little more difficult to leave at last, biting back tears that threatened to ruin her eye makeup.
But she wished him happiness, from the bottom of her heart. She wished him the best and hoped his life is as happy with his bride as she had dreamed hers would be with him.
Perhaps now she could finally move on.
She sipped on her glass of champagne. She never favored alcoholic beverages, but tonight she was breaking all her rules. Well, she may have already broken them once before.
Her table was empty, save for herself and her purse - and a present. Atop the beautifully wrapped package, complete with a bow on top, was something even more important: a letter. Two letters, actually, contained in the same envelope. One for the bride, and one for the groom, of course.
From her seat, quite a distance from the dais, she watched him. The last she saw him in person was years ago. It was a miraculous, bittersweet moment when she received news of and an invitation to his wedding. Perhaps it was a show of courtesy on his part, to invite all his former classmates and not leave her out. Perhaps he knew she would find out soon enough, and would find a way to show up.
Perhaps, though, it was a show of mercy, by God's grace, for him to allow her to see him once before he's gone for good.
But that was the first time she broke all her rules and found solace with her wine glass in a corner of a pub. The girl who accompanied her friends on countless nights out, and stayed sober to look after her friends while they got wasted, needed to drown herself in the same alcohol she so strongly decried, and needed someone else to stay sober in her place.
It was then that she had decided to write.
A letter for each, short and sweet. Nothing anywhere near as long as the first letter she wrote out in a word document.
To him, she wrote she wished him happiness. She wrote she wished him love, success, and a sweet married life.
To her, she wrote a plea to take care of him, properly, and to love him and be patient with him. She wrote, words oozing with her love for him she wished the bride would shower on him in her place.
And tonight was the night she was to give those letters and the thoughtfully selected present she bought during her work and travels abroad in Japan.
She didn't know how she might react when went up to congratulate the couple whose lives will be joined together early the next morning. She didn't know if she'd smile or cry or be an awkward mix of both.
She took a deep breath and stood up.
She didn't know why she bothered to dress up tonight. But her hair was done, her makeup was flawless, her eyeliner on-point, perfect accessories, her dress accentuated her curves and her diets and workouts evident in her small proportions. As she made one high-heeled step at a time closer to the front of the hall, she wondered if perhaps in some dark corner of her mind she hoped - she hoped perhaps seeing her dolled-up, in person, after all those years, he would think twice, and perhaps she would linger in his thoughts for a while.
When she reached the front and climbed on to the dais, she smiled and congratulated the couple. A small corner of her heart twisted in pain as she glanced at him, searching for some hint of what he might have been thinking at the time. Till the end, she could never read him. Not even a little bit.
She snapped a photo - she made sure to give her best smile - and handed the couple their gift and letters. Congratulating them once more, she stole a final glance at him, and his beautiful eyes, before walking off the dais and taking her leave.
She wasn't hungry tonight. But she knew at last that he was finally gone for good. Her heart knew it, her soul knew it, and perhaps that is why it was a little more difficult to leave at last, biting back tears that threatened to ruin her eye makeup.
But she wished him happiness, from the bottom of her heart. She wished him the best and hoped his life is as happy with his bride as she had dreamed hers would be with him.
Perhaps now she could finally move on.
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