Stella Then And Now by Vanessa Telaro

Stella Then And Now
by Vanessa Telaro

STELLA’S boyfriend Danny invites her to an upscale restaurant in the West Village. During dinner, she realizes how happy she is to be his girlfriend. One of the main reasons she feels content is because she knows he likes her company and loves her for who she is. But as the evening unfolds, Danny begins acting strange which makes her wonder if he’s thinking about breaking up with her. He then hails a taxi and tells the driver to let them off at a specific part of Central Park, where he proposes to her.

Taken by surprise, she’s not sure how to react. But looking down at the glistening ring, she blurts out, “yes.”

The following morning, she wakes up feeling confused. Has she made the wrong decision? Why couldn’t she have told him she needed time to think about her decision? Either way, it was too late. Her best friend and roommate, Leila, a professional violinist and music teacher at a Brooklyn school, notices the engagement ring on Stella’s finger. Despite being a professional wedding planner, Stella begins to panic. Now that she’s engaged, she begins to analyze love and relationships more than ever before. She wonders how happy her past and current clients truly are, and whether they regretted getting married. Desperate for advice, she asks a married co-worker for advice about marriage. Leila’s affair with a married man makes Stella even more wary about marriage. She dreads the thought of making Danny an unhappy husband, which could lead to his marital infidelity.

Stella realizes that she has exactly six months left until the wedding. Though she could divorce Danny in the case of a miserable marriage, her Catholic guilt doesn’t make divorce seem like an option. Her free-spirited friend Edie sympathizes with her dilemma and gives her advice that only slightly helps. Stella realizes that only she could make a decision she won’t regret. She finally concludes that the only way she could marry Danny, who she does love, is if she has one more fling. Three lifetime partners including Danny doesn’t feel enough in a city like New York. Her plan is to sleep with another man, though not just any man, so as to feel like she won’t be “missing out.” Although she is consumed with guilt, she decides to join an online dating site. Because online dating is new to her, she quickly becomes addicted.

At the coffee shop in her Brooklyn neighbourhood, Danny asks Stella to give him an honest account of her situation with Mike. Thinking that this might be her last chance to make things right, she realizes she has no choice. She confesses her apprehensions about marriage and monogamy, which had nothing to do with Danny. She also tells him that though she’d come close to it, she didn’t sleep with Mike. Soon after, Danny reveals that up until a few years ago, he also dreaded marriage for the same reasons, which surprises Stella. However difficult it is, he forgives her. Once Stella forgives herself and Leila for her mistakes, she realizes that she’s finally found inner peace. Armed with a new attitude, she is ready to get married and be the best wife she could be. Marriage isn’t a death sentence, but a worthwhile challenge.

About the Author :-

Vanessa obtained her BA in Sociology and Creative Writing from Concordia University. Several of her short stories, blogs, and poems were featured in various online publications. She`s currently at work on her next novel. Based in Montreal, she enjoys travelling, photography and seeking inspiration for new stories.

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