My hands shook so badly I almost knocked over my glass.
I cried.
He cried.
Everyone nearby clapped.
For weeks afterward, I could not stop staring at the ring.
Five years together.
Finally.
We started talking about venues.
Photography.
Food.
Flowers.
Music.
Everything cost more than I expected.
Mason kept saying,
“We have time.”
But I knew his savings were not strong.
His father’s business had struggled.
His mother’s house needed repairs.
Mason told me he was helping both.
So I said I would cover more of the wedding.
He resisted at first.
Then he accepted.
We opened a high-yield savings account together.
Wedding Fund.
That was the nickname.
I deposited money every month.
Sometimes two thousand.
Sometimes more.
Mason promised to match me when things improved.
I believed him.
I believed a lot of things.
