Patience Heart

Office Announcement

I never thought I'd be the one to make this kind of announcement. Kristin and Maya, my two best friends at the office, have always been the ones sharing exciting news—Maya with her whirlwind romance stories and Kristin with her endless travel adventures. And now, it was my turn. But instead of feeling exhilarated, I was a bundle of nerves.

I sat at my desk, staring at the screen, fingers poised over the keyboard. How was I supposed to tell them? Should I be casual? Just blurt it out? Or maybe I should ease into it with some small talk? Ugh, this was harder than I thought.

"Viola, you're spacing out again," Kristin teased from the desk next to mine. I turned to find her smirking at me, her eyebrow quirked in that way that meant she was about to dig for information. "What's going on with you? You've been acting weird all morning."

I forced a laugh, trying to play it off. "Weird? Me? Nah, I'm just... thinking about stuff."

"Stuff?" Maya piped up from her desk on the other side of me, leaning in with curiosity. "What kind of stuff? Spill, Viola. You know we won't leave you alone until you tell us."

I bit my lip, heart racing. This was it. No turning back now. "Well... there's something I need to tell you guys."

Kristin and Maya exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up with anticipation. They were like sharks circling for the kill, and I was the unfortunate prey who'd just cut herself open.

"Okay, don't freak out," I started, feeling my voice waver. "But... I'm getting married."

There was a moment of silence, the kind that makes your stomach drop. And then it hit—the eruption of voices, gasps, and the inevitable barrage of questions.

"What?!"

"Are you serious?"

"To Adam?"

"When did this happen?"

"Oh my God, Viola, are you okay?"

I winced at the last question. Maya had this way of getting right to the heart of things, and her tone was more concerned than celebratory.

Kristin, on the other hand, was already leaning over her desk, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait, wait, wait. You're telling us that after all this time of practically ignoring the guy, you're marrying Adam? The same Adam who's been head over heels for you since, like, forever?"

"Yes," I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "That Adam."

Kristin looked like she was trying to process it, while Maya just looked at me with those big, brown eyes of hers, searching for something. "Viola, are you sure about this? I mean, don't get me wrong, Adam's a great guy, but... are you sure?"

I nodded, though the knot in my stomach tightened. "I am. It's just... complicated."

Kristin snorted. "Well, obviously. It's you we're talking about."

"Hey!" I shot back, but I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," she said, crossing her arms, "that you're like the queen of complicated. You don't just do anything halfway, do you? It's always gotta be this big, dramatic ordeal."

I rolled my eyes, though I knew she was right. "Yeah, yeah. But this time, it's different. Adam... he's been there for me through everything. And now, it just feels like the right thing to do."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "But does it feel right, or does it just feel like the right thing?"

Her question hung in the air, heavier than I expected. I swallowed hard, thinking about how to answer. How did I explain everything to them without spilling every detail? The pregnancy, the pressure, the confusion that had been swirling around me for weeks. How did I tell them that while I knew Adam loved me, I wasn't sure if my heart was completely in this?