Ashley carefully placed her cup of tea on the coaster and looked around her apartment with satisfaction. The morning light flooded the spacious living room, casting reflections on the glossy surfaces of the furniture she had so carefully chosen five years ago. This apartment had once been just a dream, unreal, almost unattainable for a 24-year-old woman just starting her career as a graphic designer.
And now she was here, in her own corner of the world, for which she had poured so much effort. Ashley’s gaze settled on a photograph in a simple wooden frame, her first day in the new apartment. In the photo, she stood in the middle of an empty room, keys in hand, wearing an incredibly happy smile.
Back then, there was nothing here but bare walls and her suitcase. I wonder if John realizes what it cost me, Ashley thought as she rose from the sofa and headed to the kitchen to pour herself more tea. Three years of saving on everything, even skipping outings with friends at cafes, replacing them with get-togethers in her rented room.
Night and weekend-side jobs while others rested. Lunches brought from home in containers instead of business lunches with colleagues. A mortgage funded with the inheritance from her grandmother, not huge, but carefully saved exactly for this purpose.
And now, five years later, she had not only paid off more than half of the loan, but had also made the apartment truly her own. Every detail of the interior had been thoughtfully considered by Ashley, from the placement of outlets to the shade of the parquet flooring. She remembered how, saving on professional help, she assembled furniture with friends, and how she searched for vintage accessories at flea markets and second-hand stores to give the space personality.
In the corner of the living room stood a small desk, which she had turned into a workspace. This was where projects were born that allowed her to establish herself in a temporary but promising design studio. Here, she also worked on personal orders that brought in extra income.
Ashley smiled, recalling the first time John stepped into her apartment. It had been almost a year ago, six months after they met at a mutual friend’s birthday party. Back then, he wandered through the rooms for a long time, examining every detail.
You’ve created a real home. I can feel that every inch of this place carries a piece of you. It was nice to hear.
John had a way of saying the right things at the right moment. It was largely this quality that had attracted Ashley when they first met, the ability to listen and speak exactly what was needed. She poured herself a fresh cup of tea and returned to the living room, where a planner lay on the coffee table with a detailed checklist.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would become John’s wife. The thought made her chest tighten, a mixture of excitement, joy, and anxiety that, she supposed, every bride feels on the eve of her big day.
They had met at Ben’s birthday party. Ashley had studied with Ben at university. John was Ben’s friend from the gym.
Tall, attractive, he didn’t stand out in the crowd for anything in particular, but there was something magnetic about him, an air of solidity, reliability. When Ashley talked about her work, he listened with genuine interest, asking smart questions. That evening, they exchanged numbers, and the very next day John called to invite her on a date.
Over the two years of their relationship, Ashley came to know John as a calm and thoughtful person. He worked as an engineer at a construction company and had a stable income. Unlike Ashley, however, he didn’t own a place of his own.
He rented a one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of the city. As their relationship became serious, John stayed at Ashley’s more and more. A year later, he had practically moved in with her, though he technically kept his rental apartment.
The proposal hadn’t surprised Ashley. They had discussed their future together multiple times, and it was more a question of when rather than if. John made it beautiful, a rest rock overlooking the river, a ring produced at the most unexpected moment, and sincere words of love.
Ashley said yes without hesitation. The perfect couple, a caring fiancé with serious intentions. The wedding preparations had taken almost six months.
They chose the restaurant and the menu together, went to cake tastings, discussed the guest list and the evening program. Ashley herself designed the invitations and found a photographer through professional connections. She chose the wedding dress with her mother and best friend Brittany.