Three Months Later...
The little bell above the door chimed as another customer stepped into Fictional Escapes. The familiar scent of fresh coffee and books filled the air. Amy smiled to herself as she carefully arranged a stack of newly arrived novels on one of the display tables.
It's been three months.
Three months since Christmas.
Three months since New Year's Eve.
Three months since Jace had slipped a ring onto her finger beneath a sky bursting with fireworks.
A smile found its way onto her lips almost instantly.
"You're smiling again"
Amy looked up to find Candace leaning against a nearby bookshelf with an amused grin.
"I am not." Amy defended.
Candace raised an eyebrow. "You literally just stared at your hand."
Amy glanced down. "...Okay, maybe I did."
Candace laughed. "I don't blame you, I still haven't recovered from the news, don't get me wrong, we all knew you and Jace were end game but the proposal came sooner than expected."
Mrs. Thompson looked up from the register with a knowing smile. "When you know it's right, there's no point waiting"
Amy smiled warmly at that. "I think everyone has recovered except Sophie"
Both women laughed.
"Oh, that girl," Mrs. Thompson chuckled. "Every time she comes in here she talks about flowers, dresses or wedding venues."
Amy covered her face with one hand. "Sophie and Rebecca are literally overseeing everything"
Candace folded her arms. "So... have you finally settled on a date?"
"Not yet." Amy replied.
"What?" Mrs. Thompson exclaimed.
Amy laughed. "I know. Everyone keeps asking."
"So when is it?"
"We're leaning toward June."
Mrs. Thompson's face lit up."Perfect."
Amy smiled and added. "If everything goes according to plan."
Mrs. Thompson pointed a finger at her. "I don't care if I have to cancel every appointment I have."
Amy laughed.
"I won't miss your wedding for anything." Mrs Thompson said.
"Mrs. Thompson..."
"I'm serious."
Candace nodded dramatically. "I'm already mentally shopping for my outfit."
"You've been mentally shopping since January."Amy teased.
"Exactly, it needs to be perfect" Candace said looking into nothingness.
The three women burst into laughter.
The bell above the door chimed once more. Amy turned toward the entrance with her usual welcoming smile.
"Good afternoon. Welcome to Fictional Escapes." She said.
Two girls entered hand in hand.
"We're looking for a romance novel," one of them said.
Amy smiled. "I think I can help with that." And led them to the romance section talking them through some love stories they might prefer.
Few hours later, the afternoon rush had settled. Amy placed the last purchase into a paper bag before handing it across the counter.
"Enjoy."
"Thank you." The customer smiled before leaving.
Amy stretched slightly. "My feet officially hates me."
Candace laughed. "You've been saying that since lunchtime."
"They're killing me" They laughed.
Mrs. Thompson closed the ledger she'd been working on. "Any plans for evening girls?"
Amy nodded."Actually..."She glanced at the clock. "I was hoping to leave a little early today."
Mrs. Thompson looked up."Everything alright?"
"Yeah." Amy said. "I just need to stop by my apartment."
"The one downtown?"
Amy nodded. "I haven't been back there since Jace and I returned from Virginia."
Mrs. Thompson blinked. "Not once?"
Amy laughed."I know. We've just been busy."
"Wedding planning," Candace guessed.
"And work." Amy added.
Mrs. Thompson waved her hand dismissively."Go."
Amy tilted her head. "Really?"
"We've got this covered." Mrs Thompson said.
"Go do what you have to do bride to be" Candace added.
Amy smiled gratefully. "Thanks."
She grabbed her handbag before slipping on her coat.
"I'll see you both tomorrow."
"Drive safely," Mrs. Thompson called.
"I will."
....
Almost an hour later...
Amy pulled into the familiar parking garage beneath her apartment building. She switched off the engine and looked up at the building she'd once called home.
It felt different. Home wasn't really here anymore.
Home was wherever Jace was and he has already started talking about buying a bigger house for them but she tells him to wait till after the wedding.
The realization made her smile as she climbed out of the car.
A few minutes later she stepped into the lobby,walked straight to the elevator, pressed the open button and went in, just as the elevator doors began sliding shut.
"Hold it!"
Amy looked up. A woman in a navy-blue suit hurried across the lobby, balancing a handbag, laptop case and two takeaway coffee cups.
Amy held the door open. The woman slipped inside with an exhausted sigh.
"Oh, thank goodness." She leaned against the wall. "You just saved my life."
Amy laughed."I think that's giving me a little too much credit."
"No, really."The woman held up one of the coffee cups. "If I'd missed this elevator, these would've ended up all over the floor."
Amy smiled. "I'm glad they survived."
"So am I." The woman smiled.
The elevator began moving. The woman let out another tired breath.
"What a day!."
"Long one?"
"I'm a banker."She answered as though mentioning her occupation explained everything.
Amy nodded sympathetically low-key reminding her of Rebecca who used her pregnancy as excuse for everything.
"I've heard banking can be pretty stressful."
"It absolutely is."She laughed. "Some days I get home and I'm too tired to even make dinner."
"I have a friend with a corporate job."
"Oh?"
"She doesn't fail to let me know about impossible deadlines."
The woman laughed knowingly. "Then your friend understands my pain."
"She definitely does"
A comfortable silence settled between them. The elevator chimed. Both women stepped out.
Amy looked sideways in surprise. "You live on this floor too?"
The woman blinked. "You do?"
Amy nodded. "I haven't been around much lately."
"That explains it."The woman smiled warmly."I moved in about a month ago."
Amy extended her hand. "I'm Amy."
The woman shook it. "Olivia."She smiled. "It's nice to meet you." She added.
"You too." Amy replied.
Amy gestured toward the hallway. "I guess we're neighbors."
"I guess we are." Both women laughed softly before heading toward their apartments.
Amy unlocked her door and stepped inside, not noticing which apartment Olivia entered.
The quiet dim room greeted her instantly. Everything was exactly as she'd left it. It felt a little strange coming back here knowing she was already building another home elsewhere.
She went to bed room packed a few books, some clothes she still hadn't collected, a framed photograph of herself and a handful of keepsakes she wanted in the apartment she now shared with Jace.
Once everything was packed, she took one last look around. Then she switched off the lights, picked up the box and headed for the door.
.....
Sophie tucked her phone between her shoulder and ear as she wandered around her apartment, absentmindedly watering the potted plants by the window.
"So..." Darren's voice came through the speaker. "Have the wedding generals reached a decision yet?"
Sophie laughed. "The wedding generals?, where did that come from?"
"You, Rebecca... and whoever else has somehow been recruited."
"Oh, trust me, Rebecca doesn't recruit people." Sophie shook her head with an amused smile. "She does everything herself"
Darren chuckled. "Sounds about right."
Sophie set the watering can down on the kitchen counter.
"Well, after weeks of debating and approximately a million voice notes from Rebecca..."
"Only a million?"
"Don't interrupt me."
"My apologies."
She smiled. "The wedding's happening here."
"In Manhattan?"
"Yep."
"I actually think that's the right choice."
"So do I." Sophie leaned against the counter. "It just makes sense you know. Most of Jace and Amy's friends are here. Fictional Escapes is here. Amy's whole life is here."
"And it means I don't have to fly across the country twice."
"Exactly." A second of silence hits as Sophie goes through her phone and sighed dramatically.
Darren laughed. "What happened now?"
"Rebecca happened."
"Oh dear."
"She just texted and has officially decided that one wedding isn't enough."
Darren already knew where this was going. "I'm almost afraid to ask."
"Apparently..." Sophie scratched her head."...there needs to be a second wedding."
"A second wedding?"
"In Aspen."
Darren blinked."...Colorado?"
"Yes. Colorado."
"But....why?.."
"I know!" Sophie threw one hand into the air. "I've asked her why."
"And?"
"'The Manhattan wedding is for everyone else. The Aspen wedding will be intimate, romantic and surrounded by mountains.'" Sophie read from her phone.
Darren laughed. "That's... actually not terrible."
Sophie gasped dramatically."Don't encourage her!"
"I'm just saying, it sounds kind of beautiful." He said still laughing. "I like her vision"
She pointed accusingly at absolutely no one. "You're part of the problem."
"I didn't even say yes."
"You thought it."
"I did."
Sophie groaned. "I swear, if she gets one more idea, she'll have them getting married on a yacht afterwards."
Darren pretended to consider it. ".A yacht wedding would be nice too."
She stared at her phone. "I can't believe I'm dating you."
"You love me."
"I ask myself why every day."
"Yet you're still here."
"I haven't recovered from my poor decision-making."
Darren laughed softly. "You know..."
"What?"
"I think Rebecca's just excited."
Sophie smiled to herself."I know."
"She really loves Amy."
"She does."
"And she adores Jace."
"She does."
"So naturally, she wants everything to be perfect." Darren explained.
Sophie nodded. "I know she's coming from a good place." She smiled fondly. "She just has... very expensive ideas."
"How expensive are we talking?"
"She sent me a six-page document yesterday."
Darren nearly choked laughing. "A document?"
"A color-coded document."
"Oh no."
"With headings, rows, columns and shit"
"A table?"
"I don't think Rebecca is planning a wedding anymore, I think she's organizing an concert at this point." Sophie said.
Darren burst into laughter and She joins in too
He sighed after the long feat of laughter. "Well... for what it's worth..."
"Hmm?"
"I think Amy and Jace are going to have an incredible wedding."
Sophie smiled softly."They are."
"And knowing those two.....they'd probably get married in a grocery store if it meant they were together."
Sophie laughed. "You're honestly not wrong."
"See? The venue doesn't matter."
She nodded, her smile lingering. "It doesn't."
"Because at the end of the day...they're marrying each other," Darren finished.
Sophie smiled warmly. "Exactly."