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Stella stepped out of their home, dressed up to meet her husband at the new French restaurant near his office. As she headed down the steps, she realised she had forgotten to get the mail. "Damn it." She turned and opened the mailbox and pulled out the large stack of mail, taking it to her car with her. Ray was always insistent that they get their mail, not their servants. "None of their business, Stella," he always said.

She tossed all the mail into the passenger seat before carefully sliding behind the wheel of the Volvo that Ray had bought her when they'd found out she was pregnant. She smiled, remembering. "Don't want anything to happen to you, Cara," he'd whispered, running his hands over her belly, his green eyes bright with emotion.

Stella ran her hand over her stomach and started her car and buckled her seat belt. As she put the car in reverse and turned to look before backing out of the driveway, her eye was caught by an unfamiliar, precise handwriting on an envelope on top of the pile. She put the car back in park and picked up the heavy linen envelope. "Another marriage invitation," she muttered, carefully opening the invitation. She was sure it was from one of Ray's associates. They were always getting invitations of one sort or another.

She pulled the cream coloured invitation out and started to read it.

And the two shall become one...

Sergeant Benton Robert Fraser

and

Stanley Raymond Kowalski

invite you to share in the celebration of their love.

Please join us as we exchange our vows
at three pm, the fourteenth of February at our home.


She couldn't read any further; she looked out the window, the world outside blurred with tears.

Her hand tightened on the card, bending the edge slightly as she wept. She had moved on, why couldn't she let him move on? Why did she have to cry over this? Why did this hurt so? For a brief moment, she thought that this must surely be how Ray felt when she told him it was over between them. She took a shuddering breath, trying to regain control over her emotions, over this foolish hurt that she felt.

Dropping the invitation onto the stack of the mail, she took a deep breath then wiped her eyes carefully with a Kleenex.

Stella shifted in her seat and stared out the window while she tried to regain her composure before going to see Ray - her Ray, who adored her, who loved her but didn't smother her with constant attention.

Like Ray Kowalski once did - he was so needy, and she'd finally had enough. She smiled wryly. "I'm sure that you're already overwhelming Constable - Sergeant," she corrected herself, addressing the invitation sitting on the stack of mail, "Fraser with your neediness, Ray."

She was so glad she didn't want anything like that anymore. She was so glad she wasn't married to Ray Kowalski anymore. He was part of her past. Her tears were just from hormones. Silly, really.

She was happy now, here in Florida with Ray. They had money, servants, a big house with a swimming pool - things she'd always wanted. She didn't work anymore; she could stay at home and just be a wife. And soon, a mother.

Ray Vecchio was a big deal here, people listened to him. She liked being married to an important man.

She patted her eyes once more then reached over and slid the invitation back in the envelope. If her hands trembled slightly, there was no one to see. If she regretted the might-have-beens, the could-have-beens, no one would ever know.

Stella reapplied her makeup in the small mirror, determined to look beautiful for Ray.

They would decline the invitation, of course, she thought as she backed out of the driveway. The baby was due about then.... Her mind made up, excuses already made, she began the short drive to the restaurant to meet her husband.



664 words
by Sanguine

Comments

[obiit.livejournal.com]

I appreciate the comment and the correction. It's fixed. Thank you.