Autumn's Embrace: The Wedding Season (WRITING IN PROGRESS)

Chapter 10: Finding Time For Each Other

Lily sat at the kitchen table, staring at the list of wedding tasks spread out before her. The morning light filtered through the windows, casting soft shadows across the room, but the peaceful setting did little to calm her growing sense of anxiety. The list seemed endless—finalizing the menu, confirming the guest count, coordinating with vendors, and making sure every last detail was perfect for the big day. With only a few weeks left until the wedding, everything felt like it was piling up all at once.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she scanned the paper again, her eyes skipping from one task to the next. It wasn't just the list itself that overwhelmed her—it was the pressure. The pressure to make sure everything came together seamlessly, the pressure to live up to her own expectations, and the pressure of ensuring that this day would be as perfect as she and Elliot had dreamed.

Her phone buzzed on the table, and she glanced down to see a message from the caterer. A small frown creased her forehead as she opened it.

Hi, Lily! Just confirming that we're still going with the original menu? We'll need a final count on guests by the end of the week. Let me know if there are any changes!

Lily groaned softly, her stomach twisting into a knot. The menu had been one of the things she and Elliot had struggled with the most—trying to balance their budget with food that felt personal and special for their guests. They had finally made a decision, but now, as she looked at the message, doubts crept in. What if the food wasn't enough? What if their guests didn't like it? Should they make last-minute changes?

She felt a familiar tightness in her chest, the kind that came when her mind raced too fast and her worries spiraled out of control. Lily tried to take a deep breath, but the mounting stress made it difficult to focus. She glanced at the other list sitting beside the wedding plans—the roof repairs. Despite the progress, the repairs weren't finished, and the thought of hosting the wedding in a house that wasn't quite ready only added to her anxiety.

"I don't know how I'm going to get all of this done," Lily muttered to herself, her voice strained with frustration. "It feels like there's just too much left."

At that moment, Elliot walked into the kitchen, his face bright with a smile. He had just come in from working on some of the final outdoor preparations for the wedding, and despite the work, he seemed relaxed.

"Hey, how's everything going in here?" he asked cheerfully, crossing the room to pour himself a cup of coffee.

Lily forced a small smile, but she couldn't hide the tension in her voice. "It's... fine," she said, though it was clear she didn't mean it. "Just trying to get everything organized, but it's a lot."

Elliot's smile faded slightly as he noticed the worry in her expression. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked gently, setting down his coffee and sitting beside her at the table. "You seem really stressed."

Lily let out a long sigh, dropping her head into her hands. "I am stressed, Elliot. There's just so much to do, and I feel like I'm drowning in all these details. I don't want to mess anything up. What if something goes wrong? What if the day isn't perfect?"

Elliot frowned, concern etched into his face as he reached out to take her hand. "Lily, you don't have to do all of this by yourself. We've got help, remember? And the wedding doesn't have to be perfect. It's not about the details—it's about us getting married, about sharing that moment with the people we love. That's what matters."

His words were kind, but they didn't fully ease the weight pressing down on her. She knew he was right—deep down, she knew that the wedding was about their love, not about perfection. But the pressure to make everything flawless still gnawed at her.