Emily, don’t rush into marriage. Happiness won’t slip away—like a whisper from her grandmother, the thought floated through her mind.
Emily woke at dawn, not just to get ready for work but to make Oliver’s favourite pancakes. She glanced at her sleeping fiancé, yawned, and quietly smiled before heading to the kitchen. As she flipped the first batch, Oliver shuffled in, rubbing his eyes. She set a plate of golden pancakes before him, along with a jar of jam and a pot of tea, then turned back to the stove.
After a few bites, Oliver suddenly said, “Listen, Em, we’ve got money saved for a holiday. But maybe we should be sensible? I want to buy a car. Might need a loan, but it’s more practical. We can always go to the seaside another time.”
The savings weren’t shared—they were Emily’s. Oliver had been putting money aside for a new flat, refusing to live in the cosy London apartment she’d inherited from her grandmother. Though she’d already packed her suitcase, dreaming of sun and sand, his reasoning sounded sensible. With a sigh, she nodded.
Before she could say more, the doorbell rang. Asking Oliver to watch the pancakes, Emily went to answer. There stood her future mother-in-law, Margaret, and Oliver’s younger brother, Liam, dragging an enormous suitcase.
“I spoke to Ollie last night,” Margaret began, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “Liam’s moving in. He’s started uni, and it’s a forty-minute commute from ours. From here, it’s a ten-minute walk. Since you two aren’t rushing into children—and I hope you won’t—there’s plenty of space.”
“Mum, it’s too early for this,” Oliver muttered, helping Liam haul his things inside.
Emily froze. The smell of burning snapped her back to reality. Useless, asking Oliver to watch the stove! She dashed to turn off the hob, just as Margaret and her sons crowded into the kitchen.
“Good heavens, Emily, are you trying to burn the place down?” Margaret scolded, helping herself to the slightly charred pancakes. “Pay attention!”
“I was answering the door,” Emily said softly.
“About the car—I agree with Ollie. You can holiday at our cottage. And Sarah’s husband is selling his car—nearly new! He’s been trying to offload it for ages.”
Emily knew from Oliver that his sister Sarah’s husband had overpriced the car, leaving it unsold for a year. But before she could object, Oliver whined, “Open Nan’s room, will you? We’ll set up the sofa bed for Liam, and that armchair should go to the cottage.”
Her grandmother had passed two months ago. She’d raised Emily after her mother remarried and left her behind. Though Emily knew her grandmother was ill, the loss had come too soon. Oliver had comforted her, and wedding plans—reluctantly—had distracted her from the grief. But she couldn’t forget. The room stayed locked, a quiet sanctuary where she’d sit and remember the woman who’d been her lifeline.
Now, she stepped inside, shut the door, and collapsed into her grandmother’s armchair, sobbing into her hands. Oliver’s family had pushed her too far. Then, warmth spread through her, as if her grandmother’s hand rested on her shoulder, and she heard her voice: *Emily, don’t rush into marriage. Happiness won’t slip away.* It was her grandmother’s old refrain, the one that had saved her from mistakes before. But without her, no one was left to say it.
Five minutes later, Emily wiped her tears. She called work, moving her holiday forward by two weeks. The noise from the kitchen drowned out her words. Next, she rang her friend at the travel agency, who found a last-minute deal—a flight left that evening.
Quietly, Emily dressed, grabbed her savings and suitcase, and slipped out. At the agency, she confirmed the details, then texted Oliver: *It’s over. No wedding. Lucy will collect the keys—don’t linger. Goodbye.*
She called her neighbour Lucy, arranging for the keys to be collected within the hour, praying Oliver wouldn’t call. Then, she turned off her phone and headed to the airport. For the first time in years, she felt free—and realised some choices aren’t about loss, but about honouring the love that once guided you.