The Wedding Shop by @oushie12

for @littleone: just a huge thank you for being so devoted and lovely about my story, I know you'll always be a liker, even when it's really bad! ✨

Chapter 36:

"I'm home Matt." I called down the corridor. A sentence that used to excite me each evening, now seemed part of a boring routine.
"Soph, get changed, I want you to see something." He said from the top of the stairs.
"I am dressed." I replied in a monotone voice.
"In something, exciting." He responded, gesturing wildly towards me.

Half an hour later I came back down the stairs wearing a pale pink dress and sparkly pumps, my ever growing hair braided innocently around my head. The only jewellery I wore was my engagement ring, that shone beautifully every time I moved. It's gold band and petite diamond was exactly how I dreamed it would be.

I questioned Matt repeatedly in the car on what it was he had planned, but he continued to give me cheeky grins and winks, never revealing a thing.

We arrived outside a tall white building, that I had driven past a few times, but never gave it much thought. Pretty flowers blossomed outside the entrance that had a stair case leading up to the roof.
"Come on then," said Matt jumping out the car, "let's go."
I didn't have the energy to argue with him, and so followed his lead up the stairs.

Before I got the chance to look around, he quickly clasped his hands around my eyes.
"Wait a second, you can look in a minute."
I suddenly became very excited and desperately tried to take his hands away.
"Ok, you can look now."

Before me were two stools and a small table, candles lit in a heart shape around it, looking out onto the evening sunset. A bouquet of roses were laid on my plate, and flower petals spread across the edge of the balcony. I quickly turned to face Matt, but he immediately looked down to the floor blushing. I walked over and kissed his cheek softly.
"Thank you."

We ate a small meal, and for the first time in a while made decent conversation. Matt had lightened up, laughing and messing around like we used to. Things looked much better.
"So Soph, what do you think? Was it a nice evening?" He asked wiping his mouth.
"Lovely." I replied, "I'm very impressed."
"Good, I'm glad. And listen, I know I've been annoying recently; things are just too hectic at the moment, but it'll all be ok in the end, I promise."
I stayed silent, making my way over to the balcony.
"Sophia, what's wrong? Why aren't you happy?" He asked, stroking my hair the way I was so used to him doing.
" I don't know. Something's just not right. Not with you, with me. I'm still a baby, Mathew. I don't know if I'm rushing into things."
"Do you love me Sophia?" He said abruptly, stepping back slightly.
"What kind of a question is that?" I replied angrily.
"If you love me, you wouldn't say those things."
"It's got nothing to do with whether I love you or not, it's about me! It's about my life and yours! We can't just go back if things go wrong! I can see what this wedding has done to you, you've never been like this before. I want you to be happy, Matt."
"You're what makes me happy, Sophia. Only you."
"You make me happy too, but I just can't deal with all of this. It's too much."
"What are you saying?" He said with a tear.
"I'm saying sorry, for now. I'm saying: this isn't goodbye. We need a break Matt. I've broken you." I stroked his chest, as if to mend any harm I'd done to him.
"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have proposed so early. It's upset you."
"Proposing had nothing to do with it. It's about how ready I am for all of this. I'm just not, and that's ok, because one day I will be." I took his hand, his face sinking as he realised what I had passed onto him.
"Sophia," he said, staring at the ring.
"This doesn't mean I don't love you Matt, it means I love you enough to do what's best." And with that I hurried down the stairs, rubbing the tears from my face. Although it didn't seem like it now, I knew this was what was best.