Arrival
The airport buzzed with the usual chaos—departing passengers rushing to gates, families reuniting with tearful hugs, the constant hum of announcements overhead. Percy stood by the baggage claim, rubbing his tired eyes as his suitcase finally emerged on the conveyor belt. He grabbed it with a grunt and turned to see his mother, Mrs. Rachel, waving at him from the arrivals area.
"Hey, Ma," Percy said as he approached, dragging his luggage behind him. "Why'd it take you so long to get here? Where were you, anyway?"
Mrs. Rachel smacked his arm lightly. "Hey! Watch your tone. I was with Jessica's mother and sisters—we were checking the venue for her wedding."
Percy stiffened for a fraction of a second before forcing a smirk. "I see. Well, you've been close with her family for a while now."
He loaded his luggage into the back of the car and slid into the passenger seat.
Mrs. Rachel started the engine. "By the way, son, we're having dinner at Jessica's place tonight. At least the two of you can get some closure."
Percy groaned. "Ugh, c'mon, Ma! Her wedding's tomorrow, right? Why does this dinner have to happen? Shouldn't she be getting her beauty sleep or something? It's her big day."
Mrs. Rachel rolled her eyes. "What—tomorrow? You idiot, her wedding's the day after! There are still arrangements to finish tomorrow. Her cousins and close friends are arriving then." She glanced at him. "Also, Percy—do you know any wedding photographers? The ones who were supposed to take their prenuptial photos backed out."
Percy exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Yeah, I know someone. Pabling—he lives in the city near where Jessica used to live. We can stop by his shop. He takes great pictures, and he owes me a favor."
The Car Ride
The car hummed along the highway, the silence between them thick. Percy stared out the window, watching the city blur past.
"Ma," he said finally, "do we really need this gathering? Are you hoping for some kind of miracle? She's getting married—showing up will just stir things up." He laughed bitterly. "When I was courting her, her whole family seemed thrilled. But look how that turned out."
Mrs. Rachel sighed. "Tsk. Why can't you be a good sport? You need to show up and prove you're strong." She glanced at him and smirked. "I can see you tearing up!"
Percy wiped his eyes exaggeratedly. "Stop teasing me. You know how much I prayed this would be my last heartbreak." He slumped in his seat. "And now I'm in my mid-30s—no time for romance. If I want pleasure, I'll just go on vacation or something."
Mrs. Rachel chuckled. "Hey, don't lose hope. Your father proposed to me when he was in his mid-40s, and I was barely in my 20s. The difference? He was a smooth talker and a sharp businessman." She glanced at him. "By the way, were you in Taiwan?"
Percy perked up slightly. "Oh, that? Yeah, it was an awards ceremony. My books won Best New Fantasy and…" He chuckled. "Best New Romance."
Mrs. Rachel burst out laughing. "Best in Romance? Are they joking? You? How do you even know romance when you've never had a real girlfriend since birth?"
Percy laughed through gritted teeth. "C'mon, Ma, you know how many Korean dramas I binge. I just borrow some of their moves in my writing." He pointed ahead. "Anyway—we're almost at Pabling's place."
The Photographer
They pulled up to a small studio with a neon "Pabling's Photography" sign flickering in the window. Percy hopped out and disappeared inside, emerging a few minutes later with a satisfied grin.
Mrs. Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Why are you smiling like that?"
Percy buckled his seatbelt. "We just caught up about our college days and how different life is now." He smirked. "Oh, and guess what? He's getting married next month."
Mrs. Rachel clapped her hands. "Oh, that's wonderful!"
Percy nodded. "Yeah. He also asked if I could sponsor part of his wedding, and I agreed—on the condition that he does Jessica's photos for free."
Mrs. Rachel grinned. "Smart move!" Then her expression softened. "By the way… this'll be your first time seeing Jessica in person since everything happened, right?"
Percy's smile faded. "Yeah." He hesitated. "Wait—is Annette going to be there too?"
Mrs. Rachel laughed. "Yes."
Percy groaned. "Oh God. Well, at least we're still close friends, and her husband and I work together." He glanced at her. "Is Uncle Ted coming?"
"Of course—he's their uncle. Why do you ask?"
Percy sighed in relief. "I need one of his legendary massages to relax. You know how much I love his technique."
They drove the rest of the way in silence, the weight of the evening settling over them.
The Dinner
Jessica's house was alive with laughter and chatter—relatives bustling around, aunts cooking in the kitchen, the scent of food filling the air.
Annette nudged Jessica. "Where's Josh?"
Jessica smiled. "Out with his friends celebrating his last days as a single man."
Annette giggled. "Well, at least he's enjoying his freedom while it lasts."
The door swung open, and Mrs. Rachel walked in, followed by Percy.
"Hello, everyone!" Mrs. Rachel announced cheerfully.
Jessica's mother rushed over, embracing Mrs. Rachel before turning to Percy. She took his arm playfully. "Is this Percy? My, you've grown into such a handsome man! How many hearts have you broken?"
Mrs. Rachel laughed. "Oh please—he may look the part, but he's hopeless when it comes to women!"
Annette's voice cut through the room. "PERCY!" She grinned. "Look at you! Since when do you wear glasses?"
Percy adjusted them self-consciously. "Ah, these? My eye doctor prescribed them—too much screen time." He glanced around. "By the way, where's MJ?"
"At Uncle Ted's getting a massage. Work stress."
Percy chuckled. "So he beat me to it!"
Then his gaze landed on Jessica.
For a moment, the room seemed to fade.
Percy approached her, offering a handshake. "Hello," he said lightly. "I think this is the first time we're actually meeting in person." He laughed nervously.
Jessica froze, caught off guard by seeing him face-to-face. Then she regained her composure, shaking his hand. "Yeah… how have you been?"
"Oh, you know—keeping busy. Traveling a lot lately." He glanced around. "Where's the lucky groom?"
"Out with his friends for his bachelor night."
Percy smirked. "Ah, the classic last hurrah."
Jessica laughed softly.
He pulled out Pabling's contact card and handed it to her. "Here's the photographer's info. Mom mentioned your original one fell through."
Jessica took it, her fingers brushing his. "That's… really thoughtful of you."
Percy shrugged. "Thank my mom—she's the one who told me. Otherwise, you'd be photographer-less."
Nearby, Alexa—Jessica's younger cousin—whispered to Annette, eyeing Percy. "So that's Percy? He's handsome—tall, too. But there's something… gentle about him."
Annette smirked. "Yeah, well… Jessica made her choice. She's happy."
Alexa grinned. "No need to look so grim. Once I'm of age, if he's still single, I'm claiming him."
Annette burst into laughter.
Jessica excused herself to attend to other guests. Meanwhile, one of her uncles dragged Percy toward the karaoke machine.
Annette's eyes widened in panic. "Oh no, please don't—"
Alexa blinked. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Percy has a dangerously good voice. If he sings, he'll steal the whole room."
But it was too late—Percy already had the mic.
The room fell silent as the first notes of a heartfelt love song filled the air. Percy's voice—warm, rich, and achingly sincere—wrapped around every person there. The song wasn't just a ballad; it was a story of letting go, of wishing happiness for someone even if it couldn't be with you.
Jessica stood frozen, her chest tight.
She had known Percy only through stories—through her mother's fond recollections, through Annette's teasing, through the brief messages they'd exchanged. But now, seeing him in person, hearing him sing with such quiet emotion, she realized how little she had truly understood him.
He wasn't just the guy who had once courted her from afar. He was this—a man who carried himself with quiet strength, who could make an entire room hold its breath, who had shown up tonight not with bitterness, but with a smile and a photographer's contact card to save her wedding.
And that was what broke her.
Because as she watched him, she saw no resentment in his eyes, no lingering regret. Instead, there was an easy warmth, a resilience that made her chest ache. He had moved on—not in the way of someone who had forgotten, but in the way of someone who had chosen to grow.
"I made the right choice," she told herself firmly, gripping her wine glass a little tighter. Josh was her future—steady, loving, everything she had dreamed of.
But for the briefest moment, she wondered: What if things had been different?
Then Percy caught her eye from across the room and grinned, as if to say, "See? I'm okay."
And she believed him.
That was when the tears came—not the kind that spilled over in sobs, but the quiet, stubborn ones that clung to her lashes before she blinked them away. They weren't tears of regret. They were something purer, something like gratitude. Gratitude that Percy had turned out to be this kind of man, that even after everything, he could stand in her home and wish her well.
But still, as Percy finished his song and the room erupted in applause, as he laughed and excused himself to see Uncle Ted, Jessica pressed a hand to her chest, willing her heartbeat to steady.
Because some goodbyes weren't just to people. They were to the paths not taken, to the versions of life that could have been.
And as Percy walked out the door, she let herself mourn that ghost—just for a second—before turning back to her guests, to her future, to the man waiting for her at the altar in two days' time.
She had made the right choice.
But oh, it hurt to know just how much she had almost missed.