ASTRID
May 2, 2026, 5 AM
8th Floor, Bridal Suite
Aston House, Grand Walkerhill Seoul
Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
The morning of my wedding was supposed to be the best feeling in the world, but here I am… throwing up whatever little food I managed to eat last night at five in the freaking morning. I only had salad for dinner because I didn’t want to risk my gown not fitting.
I felt horrible. My eyes watered as my throat burned, and my knees were already aching as I waited for the nausea to pass. This feels like a punishment! I don’t remember my morning sickness being this bad before, and now that I think about it, I’ve been feeling nauseous quite often lately. The food cravings, the headaches, the sudden exhaustion...
Could I actually be pregnant?
But that would mean... Art and I got it on the first try?
Oh my gosh. Art really is... No, wait… hold on. Does this mean I’ll be getting pregnant every year?
When I was finally done, I stayed there for a while. So many thoughts were running through my head, and somehow, each one was fighting for attention.
I might be pregnant.
Art and I won’t even get a year to ourselves.
What if it’s food poisoning?
What if I throw up at the altar? What if I throw up on Art?
I haven’t even walked down the aisle yet!
Why did I agree to get married?!
No, I want to get married!
Gosh, I was really getting married today.
I’m getting freaking married today!
My mind still couldn’t quite wrap itself around the fact that today was my last day of being single. I clutched my stomach, trying to make sense of it all. Was it really just last night’s dinner, or was there a possibility that Art had been right all along? I almost got up to look for a pregnancy test, but seriously, who does that at five in the morning on their wedding day?
I finally stood and looked at myself in the full length mirror.
When I saw my reflection, I almost felt sorry for myself. This was even worse than the time I thought Art had cheated with me. I was getting married today, and I looked absolutely horrible. My eyes were still watery and puffy, and my lips were as pale as snow.
My stomach gave another unpleasant twist. I lifted Art’s shirt just enough to expose my belly and ran my palm over it. It was still flat, but somehow, it didn’t look quite as flat as before… or maybe I was just imagining things.
Between the morning sickness, the unusual sleepiness, and the unreasonable cravings I’d been having lately, I couldn’t help but wonder if there really was a little life growing inside me. I’d already taken a pregnancy test, but my mother had sent me into such a panic that I never got to check the result.
Now, staring at my reflection, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if there really was a baby. Our baby.
I imagined Art’s reaction. He’d probably cry tears of joy. I looked down at my flat stomach, suddenly wishing I could already see a little bump. “Our little Olive, if you’re really there… could you please let me have one day without feeling sick? Today is really important.”
I shook my head, a ridiculous laugh escaping my lips. I sounded delirious. What if I wasn’t even pregnant and had been talking to myself this whole time?
Still, I couldn’t help rubbing my palm over my stomach one last time before letting my shirt fall back into place. I figured it was better to solve this mystery with Art later. For now, I needed to refocus on what really mattered most today.
I brushed my teeth with my Red Seal toothpaste, rinsed my mouth with TheraBreath, and slowly made my way out of the bathroom.
The bridal suite was still dim. Pen was asleep, while Eli was curled up under the blankets beside her. My wedding dress was on a mannequin near the window, and all my shoes and accessories were neatly placed beside the vanity table where I’d be getting my hair and makeup done later.
I glanced at the clock. It was already 5:19 AM. I wondered if Art was awake by now. Should I check on him? Maybe send him a quick text?
Oh my gosh, what if he was getting cold feet?
No, no.. I needed to stop overthinking. We were getting married today!
In a few hours, we’ll finally see each other for our first look and get to say our vows in private, and here I was, stressing myself out over everything.
I trust Art just as much as he trusts me. There’s no way we’d have gone through everything we’ve been through only to not show up for each other now.
I sighed. I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at my shaking hands. Does every bride feel like this? I wasn’t afraid of marrying Art. That was the thing I kept trying to remind myself of.
I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. For better or for worse. I wanted all of it, but couldn’t stop thinking about everything, especially his supposed first wedding.
I wanted him to stand at the altar and feel excited, not anxious. I wanted him to wait and know that I was coming, that he didn’t have to wonder whether the person he loved would disappear all of a sudden.
But what if something went wrong?
What if I got sick before the ceremony? What if I get stuck inside the elevator? What if I forgot my vows and needed more time to practice?
What if…
I pressed my palms against my face. “Stop overthinking,” I whispered to myself.
My mind was exhausting. It seemed so determined to find something new to worry about every five minutes. Maybe that happens when the one person who always knew how to calm me down wasn’t around.
“Astrid?”
I turned to find Pen sitting up in bed. The moment she saw my face, she immediately asked what was wrong. “Nothing,” I said, but she motioned for me to come over anyway. “Cold feet?”
I shook my head, then eventually nodded.
“Oh, babe…” She brushed my hair away from my face. Eli eventually woke up and joined us, looking just as concerned. They both asked if I needed anything, but all I could manage to tell them was that I was getting nervous about the wedding.
Pen pulled me into a hug. “He’ll be the happiest man on Earth. You don’t have to make everything perfect. He’s already marrying you. What more could he ask for?”
“Plus, this is your wedding too. You’re supposed to enjoy it just as much as he will,” Eli added.
I looked away, trying to hold back my tears. I knew they were right, but I couldn’t help worrying. After everything Art had been through, I wanted today to be a good memory for him. “Just let things be. And if anything goes wrong, we’ll fix it before you even notice,” Pen reminded me.
I managed a smile at her reassurance. I almost forgot that before Art came along, I already had these two to help me through my endless overthinking and emotional meltdowns.
Eli gave my hand a squeeze before Pen suggested to find something light for my stomach. “Don’t overthink things now, okay?” they both said.
By the time the clock reached past five, the three of us were properly awake. Pen had tied her hair into a loose bun and was already on the phone with the makeup artist and the rest of the glam team. Eli was talking to the coordinator over the phone, while I had managed to drink a little more water.
I was already sitting in front of the vanity mirror when something suddenly came to mind. “Oh, wait. My notebook!”
Pen looked over as she turned off her phone. “The one you’re giving Art?” I nodded and immediately got up to search through my luggage. I’d packed everything while Art wasn’t with me, but somehow, I couldn’t remember where I’d put the one thing I needed most.
I moved a few clothes around before finally finding it tucked beneath Art’s hoodie. I gently picked it up, careful not to damage its already burnt edges. It’s already a miracle that this survived the fire, the least I could do is be careful with it.
I hadn’t managed to write as much as I’d planned over the past few months, but I hoped he’d appreciate every little memory I’d managed to put down, both the good and the bad.
I ran my thumb along the notebook’s worn edges. I wasn’t expecting some grand reaction from him. I just wanted him to know how much those memories meant to me. I carefully tucked it into my handbag before I could misplace it again. “You two are witnesses to where I put it now.”
Eli laughed. “I think you’ve worried enough for one morning.”
“Oh, trust me. She’ll find something else to worry about,” Pen teased.
A loud knock echoed through the room. That must be the glam team.
Eli got up to answer the door, already looking ready to complain. “Hey! Why are you here so early?”
I hurried toward the door, expecting to find Art standing there and getting an earful from Eli. But to my surprise, it was only Chase, holding an oversized bouquet of ivory garden roses, white lilies, and baby’s breath.
“Early morning delivery for the bride!” he announced as he walked into the room.
I moved closer, my eyes immediately landing on the little note tucked among the flowers. I reached for it and carefully pulled it out.
To my beautiful bride,
I just wanted to make sure your day started with a little reminder of how lucky I am to be marrying you. Enjoy your last bouquet as Miss Mercer.
See you later, my love.
—Art
My lips instantly formed a pout. I’d spent the entire morning spiraling over every little thing, and here he was, sending me the sweetest message I’ll ever need. I couldn’t help but smile as I read it again.
Last bouquet as Miss Mercer.
“You’re calmer than Art,” Chase said as he carefully placed the huge bouquet near the window. “He almost choked me when I accidentally played that new viral song, you know, the one with the ‘stop the wedding’ thing?” he said, chuckling.
“Oh, she’s a nervous wreck too,” Pen commented, shaking her head.
“Really?” Chase asked, looking genuinely surprised. “She doesn’t look like it. I swear, Art spent more than half an hour just staring at the wall. He kept checking the time and fidgeting with his phone. He wasn’t even sure if he’s allowed to call or text you, so he sent me over this early just to check on you.”
Oh, my love…
“By the way… Congratulations, my concert buddy!” Chase said, opening his arms for a hug. “Now, calm down, okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”
I laughed and stepped into his embrace. “Hug Art for me, will you?” I said, giggling. “And don’t ever play that song again.”
He scoffed. “It was an accident! Besides, the best man has everything under control now.”
I laughed and stepped away from Chase’s embrace, but as I turned, my knee accidentally hit the edge of the center table. Before I could even react, the glass sitting on top tipped over and fell to the floor.
It shattered into small, sharp pieces. For a moment, I froze.
Chase caught me by the waist and slightly lifted me off my feet, moving me away from the scattered pieces before I could take another step.
“Shit. Are you okay?” Chase muttered as he carefully set me back down.
“Stay there, Astrid,” Pen immediately said. “There’s glass everywhere.”
Eli quickly moved my things away from the edge of the table while Chase made sure I was standing far enough from the broken pieces. “Are you okay?” Eli asked.
“I’m fine.”
“We’ll have housekeeping take care of it,” Pen calmly said.
I nodded, still looking at the floor. It was just an accident. That was all… except my brain had already started making its own narrative.
Isn’t breaking glass supposed to be bad luck?
I pressed my lips together as the thought lingered. “Astrid?” I looked up to find Pen watching me.
“It’s just glass.” she added.
I nodded, although I wasn’t entirely convinced.
“Don’t let this ruin your wedding day. This isn’t a sign. If something doesn’t go according to plan, we’ll deal with it when it happens. No point worrying about things that haven’t happened yet,” Pen reassured me.
“She’s right,” Chase agreed. “Besides, if broken glass meant bad luck, Art and I would have a lot more to worry about after all the things I’ve accidentally broken around him.”
“Could you not tell him about this, though?” I whispered. I didn’t want to pull him into my overthinking.
Chase looked at me for a moment, seemingly unsure of what to say. But my eyes were already pleading with him before he could even refuse. “I won’t make him worry,” he finally promised.
I wanted Art to feel at ease while we waited for our first look. He was already a nervous wreck, just as I was, and I didn’t want him overthinking anything else, especially when today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of our lives.
I clutched the note he had given me; the first sentence replaying in my mind.
I just wanted to make sure your day started with a little reminder of how lucky I am to be marrying you.
Even with all the nerves he was feeling, he still made sure I knew how loved I was. I wanted him to feel just as happy and reassured when we finally saw each other.
I knew it was only an accident, but somehow, I couldn’t quite shake the thought away. Still, if keeping it to myself meant sparing him from one more thing to worry about, then I’ll willingly carry it with me for now.
That’s how much I loved him.