The Wedding Card💌

Chapter 1

"Finally... I'm getting married!"

Mia exclaimed as the envelope landed in her hands, her voice echoing through the quiet of her apartment.

Nestled inside was her wedding invitation, real and impossibly beautiful. The cream cardstock was thick and elegant, its edges trimmed in gold. She ran her fingertips over the embossed lettering before clutching it to her chest as though it might disappear if she let go.

There it was.

Mia Morgan.

Beside it, in graceful gold script, was the name that had changed her life.

Ace Myers.

For a long moment, she simply stared.

She had imagined this day countless times, but somewhere along the way it had stopped feeling possible.

Growing up in a foster home had taught her not to expect permanence. Families belonged to other people and happy endings happened in movies and novels. She had always dreamed of building a family of her own, a home where love stayed, but as the years slipped by, that dream had begun to feel less like a promise and more like wishful thinking.

Yet here it was. Her future, pressed between her fingers.

A smile spread across her face until her cheeks hurt.

Unable to contain herself any longer, she hurried into the kitchen where she'd left her phone charging on the counter. Her bare feet slapped softly against the tiles as she snatched it up and immediately dialed her best friend.

The call connected on the second ring.

"Hey, guess what?" Mia practically sang.

A laugh came from the other end.

"Let me guess," Bea replied dryly. "Something zero cool?"

"Absolutely not. And I'm not telling you until you guess."

"You know I hate guessing games."

"I know."

"Mia..."

She laughed, pacing the kitchen with restless excitement.

"Fine. Give me one hint."

Mia could barely contain herself.

"The wedding invitations are here."

There was a heartbeat of silence.

"Oh My God! Congratulations girl. I'm so happy for you"

Bea's delighted scream exploded through the speaker.

"I never knew I could be this ecstatic about a piece of stationery!"

Mia burst into laughter.

"It's not the card," she said, dropping onto the couch. "It's what it means."

Her smile softened.

"I'm actually getting married."

The words sounded surreal even as she spoke them.

"It still doesn't feel real."Bea's voice gentled.

"It is real. You did it, you found your person."

Mia blinked rapidly, emotion tightening her throat.

"I hope so."

"Oh, don't start." Bea chuckled.

"You landed Ace Myers, the man half the country has a crush on and somehow you're still doubting yourself?"

Mia smiled despite herself.

Ace Myers. The youngest CEO in his company's history. The man whose face appeared in business magazines almost as often as celebrity gossip pages.

Every woman She'd known admired him, even men wanted to be him, yet somehow... He had chosen her.

She knew people considered her beautiful, but she'd never thought of herself as extraordinary. She wasn't born into wealth or influence. She'd built a quiet life for herself, one careful step at a time.

Then Ace had walked into it and turned everything upside down.

Her phone vibrated.

Ace.

Her stomach fluttered instantly.

"I've got to go," she told Bea.

"I figured."

"And Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy for you."

A warmth settled over Mia's chest.

"Thanks, Bea."

She ended the call before answering Ace's.

"Hey." His deep voice wrapped around her like velvet.

Her breath hitched. She sat up straightened, smoothed her hair out of instinct, and answered.

"Hey," she said, steadying her voice.

"Hi."

"I called earlier."

"I know. Sorry .. I was distracted."

"The invitations arrived?"

She smiled.

"Yes they did."

"I had a feeling they would." His quiet chuckle made her smile even wider.

"I'd like to see you today."

Her heart skipped.

"Oh I'd love that."

"Three o'clock?"

"Perfect."

A brief silence settled between them, then Ace spoke again.

"You sound happy."

"I am. It finally feels real."

"It does." His voice softened.

"Good, I'll see you soon."

"See you."

The call ended, but Mia remained seated for another moment, staring at the blank screen. The apartment suddenly felt quiet again.

*****

She sat in the silence, the weight of it all pressing in.

She had dreamed of this for so long. Not because she wanted a lavish wedding or luxury, but because she wanted belonging.

Someone who chose to stay and someone she could grow old beside. A family she could finally call her own.

Yet beneath the excitement, a tiny uncertainty lingered. Their relationship had moved quickly. From strangers to inseparable in a matter of months. Sometimes she wondered if life had changed too fast.

Would he still look at her this way years from now? Would she still feel worthy of standing beside him?

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

"Stop."

She shook her head with a small laugh.

"You're getting married to the man you love. Don't ruin it by overthinking."

A soft breeze drifted through the open window, cooling her skin. It felt like a whisper from the universe, wrapping around her and reassuring her.

She carefully slipped the invitation back into its envelope, picked up her handbag, and headed for the door.

She always felt calmer after seeing Ace. Everything made sense when he was around.

Locking the apartment behind her, she stepped into the warm afternoon sunshine, unaware that the life she'd spent years praying for was about to collide with the one she never saw coming.