The wedding hall was finally empty.
The music had stopped.
The laughter had faded.
For the first time all day, I was alone.
Alone with my thoughts.
Alone with my fears.
And alone with my husband.
I stood outside our bedroom door, staring at the golden handle.
My heart refused to calm down.
Just a few hours ago, I had become someone's wife.
Yet Tom still felt like a stranger.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open.
The room was beautifully decorated.
Fresh flowers covered every corner.
Soft lights glowed against the walls.
Everything looked perfect.
Everything except the storm inside me.
Tom was sitting on the edge of the bed.
When he saw me, he smiled.
"You look nervous."
I forced a small laugh.
"A little."
"A little?" he teased.
"You look like you're about to run away."
For the first time that day, I smiled genuinely.
Maybe because his voice sounded relaxed.
Maybe because he wasn't acting like a stranger either.
I sat down carefully on a chair near the window.
The silence between us felt awkward.
Neither of us knew what to say.
Tom eventually broke it.
"You've had a long day."
"So have you," I replied.
He nodded.
Then he looked at me for a moment.
Not in a way that made me uncomfortable.
Just thoughtful.
As if he understood exactly how scared I was.
"You don't have to worry."
I looked up.
"What do you mean?"
He smiled softly.
"We don't have to rush anything."
My shoulders relaxed slightly.
The fear that had been sitting inside my chest all evening loosened.
Tom stood up and grabbed a pillow.
Then another blanket.
I watched him in confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm sleeping on the couch."
"What?"
He laughed.
"You look relieved already."
I quickly looked away.
Which only made him laugh harder.
"See? I was right."
For the first time all day, the tension disappeared.
The room suddenly felt lighter.
Tom walked toward the couch.
"Get some sleep."
"You'll need it."
"For what?"
He grinned.
"My mother."
I blinked.
"What?"
"You'll understand tomorrow."
I wasn't sure if he was joking.
But somehow his answer made me laugh.
A few minutes later, the lights were off.
The room became quiet.
I lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Listening to the soft sound of rain outside.
Listening to Tom's breathing from across the room.
Earlier that day, I had been terrified.
Now I felt something different.
Relief.
Hope.
Maybe my marriage wouldn't be as difficult as I imagined.
Maybe Tom was kinder than people gave him credit for.
Maybe I could be happy here.
As sleep slowly pulled me under, I allowed myself to believe something I hadn't believed in a long time.
That perhaps this marriage could become a home.
I didn't know then that tomorrow would be my first lesson in becoming a daughter-in-law.
And that the peace I felt tonight wouldn't last very long.