LOGINAbby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
“Okay, Abby. Let’s get everything in place. Farro mafaldine, black truffle butter, and the mushrooms,” John says, his hand passing over each individual ingredient—and lingering over the coveted black truffles—as he speaks. I nod. My body feels like it’s about to burst, I’m so excited. “I can’t b
Abby “Oh my god, Abby… could it be?” Karl’s eyes widen next to me. I crouch down to get a closer look at the dark mushrooms nestled in the dirt at our feet. “Yes,” I breathe, reaching out to run my finger along their tops. “This is it. Black truffles.” This is exactly what we've been
Abby Why did I do this? My heart is in my throat as I leap towards the waterfall, propelled by some inexplicable force that tugs at the wolf that lives inside of me. The world blurs and turns into a swirling tornado of color and sound, and I brace myself for the icy plunge. But it never
I look at Karl, his face pale but determined. “This is it,” he says softly. “Okay, so where do we even start looking for the truffles?” I ask, my eyes darting from rock to bush to the roots of trees. “Inside the building, right?” Karl shrugs, almost embarrassed. “Adam only told me it's somew







