The Wedding Party on the Last Train Home

Chapter 1: London Rain

By the time the train left London, the rain had softened to a silver mist against the windows.

I had found a seat near the back of the carriage, hoping for a quiet journey home. Instead, I ended up behind a large group returning from a wedding. Their clothes carried the signs of a long celebration: loosened ties, creased dresses, wilted buttonholes, and shoes that had clearly survived several hours on a dance floor.

They were tired, but not quiet.

Someone passed around a packet of crisps. Another person held up a photograph of the newly married couple beneath an arch of white flowers. This led to a question from a woman across the aisle.

“How did they actually meet?”

Several members of the group laughed.

“You don’t know the flight story?”

“The flight story?”

“Oh, this is a good one.”

The carriage swayed gently as the storyteller leaned forward.