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Foolish stood at the altar, his stomach churning with a nervous flutter. The familiar warmth of Sonia's hand in his felt suddenly clammy, a cold dread creeping into his veins. The priest's voice boomed, echoing the silence of the expectant crowd, each word a hammer blow against his racing heart.
"If anyone has any objections to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."
The ensuing silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, each second an eternity. Foolish glanced at Ellum, his best man, who shifted uncomfortably beside him, his face pale.
Finally, Ellum coughed, his voice trembling, "Sorry. Sorry, I... I've gotta say something."
A collective gasp rippled through the congregation. Sonia's grip on Foolish's hand tightened, her knuckles white. "Ellum, what the hell?" she hissed, her voice laced with panic.
Ellum looked between them, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and determination. "I think you might be making a mistake, and I should've said something before now instead of just going along with it. I'm sorry."
Sonia's face contorted with anger, her eyes flashing. "What's going on?" she demanded, her voice sharp.
Ellum turned to her, his voice soft but firm, "Sonia, I apologize. I just don’t think it’s right, and I’m not the only one who thinks this, there’s a lot of us, isn’t there?”
He gestured towards the groomsmen and the assembled guests. Heads bowed, eyes averted, a wave of murmurs washed over the crowd.
"Great, now you're all silent," Ellum muttered bitterly, his voice thick with frustration.
Foolish shook his head, his voice strained, "Mate, what are you doing?"
Sonia snapped, "Just ignore him. He's an idiot."
The priest hesitated, his voice cautious, "Noah, I must ask... given Ellum's concerns, do you wish to proceed?"
Sonia interjected angrily, "Of course, he does! Christ, can we just get this over with?"
Foolish opened his mouth to respond, but another voice cut in. Blau stood up from the front row, his face etched with concern. "Ellum's right. Foolish, are you sure this is what you truly want?"
A ripple of unease passed through the crowd. Rae stood next, followed by Tarik, their faces grave. "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is right for either of you," Rae said, her voice filled with sympathy.
Tarik added, "I agree. Till death do us part is a long time, mate. You've gotta be absolutely certain."
The priest raised a hand, attempting to regain control. "Let's remain calm. This is a highly unusual situation. If anyone else believes Noah and Sonia should not be married today, please stand."
Sonia spun to face the priest; her voice shrill with outrage. "What are you doing? Are you insane?"
One by one, Foolish's friends rose to their feet—Leslie, Miyoung, Shoto, Sykkuno, Poki—their faces a mixture of sadness and support. Then his brother, his sisters, and finally his father, each standing in silent protest. Foolish's chest tightened, was he truly this blind?
Only his mother remained seated, her kind face etched with sorrow. Her opinion had always mattered most to him.
Sonia takes one last glance at the congregation before ordering the priest, “Oh just do the bloody vows. I Sonia, take you Noah-“
“No wait. Mom?” Noah turns to his mom who slowly rose to her feet. When she finally stood tall, a crushing weight settled over his heart, shattering his resolve.
Sonia shrieked, "Am I being pranked? Is this a joke? You're all saying he shouldn't marry me?" She gestured to herself dramatically. "Hello? Look at me!"
Foolish's jaw clenched, his voice trembling with anger. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You said it yourself," Sonia snapped, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're punching above your weight."
"No," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper. "You say that. I don't."
Sonia waved dismissively. "What does it matter? We’re getting married and the sooner we do we an get this lot out of our lives and be happy. Look, just do the. I, Sonia, take you—"
"No, wait." Foolish's voice cracked, the words catching in his throat. He turned to her, his eyes searching hers, his words trembling but honest. "I don't think you love me," he confessed, his voice raw with emotion. "I don't think I love you. This isn't what love is. I think we're just... going along with it."
Sonia's eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're ain’t gonna find better than me, Noah."
He lifted his chin, his voice steady now. "I already did."
Sonia blinked, taken aback. "What?"
"I already did," he repeated, louder this time. "Ten years ago. On a Minecraft server."
The room fell silent, the weight of his confession hanging heavy in the air. Foolish turned to Rae, his eyes pleading. "Rae. What time does she leave?"
Rae blinked in surprise. "I’m sorry Foolish?"
"What time does her plane leave?" Foolish said urgently, his voice filled with a newfound hope.
"5:45. From LAX," Rae stammered, still processing the sudden turn of events.
Foolish turned back to Sonia, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, Sonia. I wish you nothing but the best, I really do. But Ellum?”
Sonia's face twisted with fury, her eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and disbelief. He ignored her, turning to Ellum, a sense of relief washing over him. "We gotta go."
-
The automatic doors of the airport slide open, and Foolish rushes inside, his heart pounding louder than the cacophony of voices and announcements echoing through the terminal. He weaves through the bustling crowd, scanning frantically for any sign of her. The departures board above flashes destinations he barely registers. All that matters is finding Tina.
“Excuse me! Sorry!” he mutters as he sidesteps a man with a suitcase, nearly tripping over a child’s rolling backpack in his haste. His chest burns, and he knows he must look ridiculous—disheveled, tie askew, sprinting through the airport in dress shoes. But none of that matters.
He spots her near security, her familiar frame standing still amid the chaos. She’s turned away, her hand on the handle of her carry-on, passport clutched in her other hand.
“Tina!” he shouts, his voice breaking as it echoes above the din of the terminal. She doesn’t turn.
He shoves past more people, his voice rising in desperation. “Tina!”
Finally, she hears him. Slowly, she turns around, her brow furrowed in confusion. And for a moment, Foolish forgets how to breathe.
She’s standing there, the woman he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about for five years, looking more beautiful than he remembers. Her hair falls softly around her face, her eyes wide as she takes him in, clearly shocked to see him. The world seems to tilt, everything else fading into the background.
Foolish skids to a stop a few feet away from her, hands on his knees as he pants, trying to catch his breath. His heart races, not just from the sprint, but from the weight of the moment. He straightens slowly, his chest heaving, and meets her gaze.
For a few long seconds, he just stands there, drinking her in. The way she tilts her head slightly in that curious way she always did. The faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, like she’s already bracing for whatever wild thing he’s about to say. The years between them melt away, and all he can think is why did I ever let her go?
“Tina,” he finally says, his voice soft but raw, like her name has been stuck in his throat for years. He doesn’t know what else to say yet, doesn’t even know where to start. He just knows he can’t let her leave. Not again.
Tina blinks at him, her confusion deepening as Foolish struggles to steady his breathing, his chest rising and falling as if he’d just run a marathon. Her suitcase handle remains clutched tightly in her hand, her passport trembling slightly.
“Aren’t you meant to be getting married right now?” she asks, her voice cautious but firm, as though she’s trying to put together a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit.
Foolish straightens, his face flushed—not just from the sprint, but from everything that’s swirling inside him. “Yes… was,” he admits, his words tumbling out in a rush. “But then everyone—Rae, Leslie, everyone—they told me it was a mistake, and I… I realized they were right. I don’t love Sonia, Tina. I don’t think I ever did. Not like—” He falters, his voice breaking as he looks into her eyes. “Not like I love you.”
Tina’s breath catches. For a moment, she doesn’t say anything, her lips parting as though she wants to respond but doesn’t know how. When she finally does speak, her voice is quieter, more uncertain. “Foolish. Noah. That was over five years ago. And we never… we never even talked about it. Not once.”
“I know,” he says quickly, the weight of her words landing squarely on his chest. “I know. Maybe I wasn’t ready back then. Maybe I didn’t know what I wanted, or I was scared, or—God, I don’t know, Tina, maybe I’m still not ready. But I do know this.” He steps closer, his eyes searching hers. “I love you. I’ve loved you this whole time. I think I always will.”
Tina’s expression hardens slightly, a faint crease forming between her brows. “And I’ve heard you say those three words to Sonia on many occasions, Foosh,” she says, her voice cutting but not cruel. It’s a reminder, a reality check, one she knows he needs.
Foolish shakes his head, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. “I know. I know I said it to her, but it wasn’t the same. It was never the same.” He swallows hard, his voice softening. “She told me, when I left the wedding, that I’d never find anyone better than her. That I was throwing away the best thing that would ever happen to me. And I told her… I told her I already did.”
Tina freezes, her heart thudding loudly in her chest as he looks at her with an intensity that makes it hard to breathe.
“Ten years ago,” Foolish continues, his voice thick with emotion, “on a Minecraft server of all things. I found the best person in my life, Tina. And I was too much of a fool to realize it back then. But I’m not letting you go now. Not without telling you how I feel.”
The terminal around them feels impossibly loud and silent all at once. Tina’s grip on her suitcase loosens slightly as she stares at him, her emotions a tangled mess she can’t quite sort through. For the first time in years, she doesn’t know what to say.
The announcement crackles overhead: “Final call for passengers on Flight 247 to London. Please proceed to Gate 12 immediately.”
Tina’s head snaps toward the boarding desk, her suitcase still by her side. She looks back at Foolish, her eyes shining with tears that she’s fighting to keep from falling. Her jaw tightens, and when she finally speaks, her voice is shaky but laced with frustration.
“For fuck’s sake, Noah,” she breathes, shaking her head. “Why now? Why do you always wait until it’s too late?”
Foolish runs a hand through his hair, his face etched with regret. “I don’t know, Tina. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure it out. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. About a million times over—I’m sorry.”
Tina lets out a sharp, humourless laugh, running a trembling hand through her hair. “Do you know how long I’ve run this moment through my mind?” she asks, her voice breaking. “Me, leaving on this flight, packing up my whole life, starting over somewhere new. I didn’t have any second thoughts, not all day. I was ready to go. Ready to leave it all behind. And then you—” She gestures to him, her frustration spilling over. “You come running in here, telling me you love me.”
Her voice cracks, and she wipes at her cheek before any tears can fall. “How am I supposed to just get on this flight after that? After you say all of this?”
Foolish stares at her, his chest tight. He steps forward cautiously, his eyes locked on hers. “Tina,” he says softly, “I ran before. And if you want to get on that flight, I won’t hold it against you. If you want to run, I’ll understand.”
Her breath catches as his voice lowers, raw and vulnerable.
“But Tina,” he continues, his gaze unwavering, “I don’t know when nothing became something, when what we had started meaning so much more. But now? To me, it’s everything. You’re everything, Tina.”
The final boarding announcement echoes through the terminal, but neither of them moves. Tina’s tears spill over, her breath hitching as she stares at him, caught between years of hurt and the sudden, overwhelming hope that maybe—just maybe—this time, they might get it right.
Tina lets out a tearful laugh, shaking her head as she wipes at her cheeks. “You know,” she says, her voice still trembling but teasing, “everyone’s hated Sonia since the day you met her.”
Foolish huffs, a surprised laugh escaping him. “What? Why did no one tell me that?”
She shrugs, the corners of her mouth quirking up. “You needed to make your own choice,” she says simply, her tone carrying that matter-of-fact warmth that always made him feel grounded.
He groans dramatically, dragging a hand down his face. “God, I wish someone would’ve said something. Could’ve saved me five years of my life.”
Tina snorts, shaking her head. “I don’t think it’s wasted, per se,” she says, her smile softening. “You matured a lot, that’s for sure.”
Foolish raises an eyebrow, his lips curving into a half-smile. “Yeah? And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, for instance,” she continues, her gaze meeting his with a mix of humour and tenderness, “I don’t think five years ago you would’ve abandoned your fiancée at the altar. Or, you know, run through an airport like some rom-com protagonist.”
Foolish chuckles, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Then his expression softens, his voice quieter but no less certain as he looks at her. “But, Tina… if I’d realized sooner that it was always going to be you? I think I would’ve done both those things in a heartbeat.”
Her breath hitches at his words, her chest tightening. For a moment, she just stares at him, her eyes shining with fresh tears, and Foolish watches her, wondering if maybe—just maybe—this is the start of something they should’ve had all along.
Tina’s tears finally spill over, slipping down her cheeks as her grip on the suitcase handle loosens. Her hand falls away entirely, leaving the bag to stand abandoned at her side. She watches her flight slowly pull away from the gate, its lights blinking as it begins its taxi toward the runway. Her eyes follow it until it disappears from view, swallowed by the horizon.
She turns back to Foolish, her expression caught somewhere between exasperation and something softer. Foolish doesn’t say a word—he’s just watching her, his eyes full of something she hasn’t seen in them in years. Something real. Something true.
Tina wipes at her tears with the back of her hand, letting out a watery laugh. “Why do you have the most horrendous timing?” she asks, her voice full of a mix of frustration and amusement.
Foolish, despite the tension hanging in the air, can’t help but grin. “Actually, I think it was spot on.”
Tina scoffs, shaking her head as a reluctant smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “You’ve put a big spanner in my life, Foosh. A big one.”
Foolish opens his mouth to apologize, but before he can get a word out, Tina cuts him off with a raised hand. “Don’t even start,” she says, her voice sharp but teasing. “The least you can do is hug me to make me feel better about it.”
He doesn’t hesitate—not for a second. The moment the word hug leaves her mouth, Foolish steps forward and wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. Tina’s arms come up almost automatically, curling around his back as she presses her face into his shoulder.
For a moment, they just stand there in the middle of the bustling airport, holding on to each other like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. Tina feels the weight of everything—the years of silence, the heartbreak, the longing—finally lift just a little as she clings to him. And for the first time in years, Foolish feels like he’s exactly where he’s meant to be.