Ridley smiles at the girl in the mirror and that freckled face smiles right back at her. Ridley wonders if that really is her; the red-headed girl whose face is still as round as the moon, whose green eyes glow prettily, whose upturned nose she has grown to love. Ridley wonders if that really is her; a woman in her late twenties donned in an absolutely stunning wedding dress, a bride, a graduate of Oxford University. She sighs and turns to look at the picture of her mother that she's placed in a small frame on her dressing table. You'd be proud of me mum, she thinks.

Ridley breathes in deeply, slowly to calm herself down because she knows she's about to cry. Of course, she isn't sad or anything. How could she be? This is the happiest day of her life. Or one of her happiest days, at least. No. Weddings can't be the happiest day of your life. Not when you're getting married to someone like Ben who she knows will strive to make every day happier than the last. Ah, Ben. Ridley looks away from her reflection because she can't stand to see herself grinning like a lovestruck schoolgirl. There are those who say that the passion between two lovers eventually fades within time. Perhaps it may be so for others, but Ridley cannot say the same for herself. Is it possible? Can a man she's been with for so many years now still make her feel like a twelve year old with a massive crush?

Of course, with passion comes pain. There had come a huge period of awkwardness after they had kissed in Marcy's wedding. Both Ben and Ridley had been so used to being in the 'just friends' category, they had both tread so carefully around one another for so long, careful to try and not cross the line and their second kiss had made it difficult for them to make any decisions that wouldn't completely destroy their strange new relationship altogether. There had also been the obvious matter of distance during their last two years at University, and it isn't all sunshine and daisies, as Ridley had unrealistically hoped for it to be. There would be days in which Ridley would ache for him with all her heart and she would cry and forcefully convince herself not to call him, because she knew he was busy and he had his own life in Canada to get on with. There would be days when Ridley and Ben would have three-hour-long conversations and nearly all of them would've been filled with Ridley's self-doubt and Ben's reassurance that everything would be fine, and that he loved her, and she must always remember that.

Ben had been so patient with her. Too patient, in fact. He listened to her rave on about horrible writers' block, period pains, brief girl dramas that didn't last very long. He would give her advice and chuckle at her way of dealing with the most petty of situations. He would calm her down when she was angry and he did it in the best way. Ben would then tell her about Canada -- about his trip to Nova Scotia during one Easter, how cold it could get sometimes, how crazy Canadians were about hockey and how their accents would sometimes make him want to stuff socks in his mouth to stop himself from giggling like an immature school boy.

He would then tell her of all the times he took long evening walks around Toronto during his first year in Canada, and how much he had missed Ridley in that particular year, how badly he wanted to go home and be with her.

"Every day seemed to drag by so slowly," he said. "Every day I would think of you and how much it hurt knowing that I probably never even crossed your mind."

"That is not true," Ridley had said with a resolute tone of voice. "I thought about you too. Every day I would think about you and how badly I had messed it up between us. I would go through every single conversation I remember having with you and I would wonder if I'd ever hurt you in any of those conversations and never known it. It killed me as much as it killed you. Everything about not being with you did."

Sometimes they would stay on the phone in complete silence and Ridley would close her eyes and listen to the faint sound of his breathing and for a moment, it would feel as though he was really there, beside her, close to her. Then, her eyes would fly wide open when he spoke up to say "Well, I guess we'll have to end the call now" and she would feel that rise of panic, the sensation of being stabbed with a dozen pitchforks and she would think No, please don't leave me just yet but the reply would always be "Alright, love".

Then, there were the dark days.

The first dark day had come when Ridley and Ben had been in an argument on the phone and Ridley, out of impulse, said she'd had just about enough of him. There then came a pause and Ridley waited, and waited, her heart pounding, waiting for a reply.

"Well, it's over then, is it?" Ben had responded harshly.

"I guess so."

The dark days were the worst. Ridley will never forget how she cried and regretted what she'd said to him, but her ego always got in the way of ringing him up, telling him how stupid she had been and she always said the worst when she was angry. Ridley will never forget how she would climb into her bed every night, washed out, empty and hopeless. She won't forget how she spiraled into a terrible depression and how her grades began to slip and how she almost failed her classes.

But quite like a lot of things in life, even dark days come to an end.

He had been the one to ring her up. He had been the one to tell her he'd heard all about the state she was in via Marcy.

"This isn't you, Ridley Denvers," he told her. "This is not you at all."

"You don't know me," she had sniffed.

"That's a lie and you know it."

She knew it.

Then, came their three-hour-long conversation she had been so used to before. In the conversation, things were cleared up. Ridley missed him, he missed her. Things had been working out fine but Ridley's temper and Ben's inflated ego always seemed to get in the way. They made a pact. Anytime they had fight, they would hang up before things got too serious. Ridley promised to start concentrating on her studies, make up for the bad grades she was getting. Ben promised to be there for her, always.

"Oh, and Ridley?" Ben had said before they ended the call.

"Mhm?"

"You'll marry me?"

Ridley didn't bat an eyelid.

"Well, obviously."

That was what both of them called their "unofficial engagement". Of course, knowing how much traditional proposals meant to Ridley, Ben proposed to her again, about a year later once they were both done with their University degrees -- only this time, it was on the top of a Scottish hill, on a crisp September evening, with rings and all.

"You'll marry me?" He had asked her again, kneeling down, with a beautiful ring in his hand. Ridley, overcome with tears, had flung her arms around him before choking out a "Well, obviously!" before bursting into loud sobs which Ben still likes to tease her about in dinner parties.

It's been three years since his proposal and now here she is. Finally. Finally. Here, in the most beautiful gown that she can imagine, ready to be married off to the man of her dreams. Yes, it had taken a long time, a lot of misunderstandings, tears, heartbreaks...and book-slamming, but they made it. They've made it this far and Ridley knows they sure as hell can make it through together, hand in hand, for the rest of their lives.

"Ridley, it's time!"

Marcy walks into the room with two-year old Shirley in tow and she grins at her little sister. Her baby sister. Her eyes shine with pride.

"Auntie Riddie look like pwincess!" Shirley exclaims and Ridley grins down at her pretty little niece whose hair is as every bit as red as hers.

"Thank you, sweetie." Ridley looks at Marcy and nods, gripping her hands tightly together. "Alright, Marce. Let's get going."

Marcy holds out her hand and Ridley takes it, instantly calmed when Marcy squeezes her reassuringly. "Don't be nervous," she whispers. "It's the wedding night you should be worried about."

Ridley's cheeks redden. "Marcy!" she gasps, scandalized.

Marcy giggles as they make their way down to the wedding hall. "Oh please Rids, we all know you and Ben haven't actually - you know- done it yet."

"You know, I really don't think it's appropriate to discuss our relationship in bed in front of your two year old daughter."

"She doesn't understand a thing we're saying, calm down."

Ridley throws her sister an agonized look. "Please stop!" she begs.

Marcy giggles again. "Alright." She shoots her a suggestive look. "But seriously, make sure you both-"

But Ridley never finds out what she needs to make sure of as 'Here Comes the Bride' immediately begins to play as soon as they reach the wedding hall. Here we go. Ridley walks down the aisle looking at no one but Ben, who still manages to look absolutely breath-taking in his tuxedo. He looks red in the face, and Ridley wonders, with a soft chuckle, if he's trying to stop himself from crying.

She reaches him and he holds his hand out for her and she takes it, their fingers intertwining immediately. Ben's eyes are shining.

"Are...Are you crying?" Ridley whispers. Ben snorts.

"As if."

"Mhm."

"Hay-fever."

"A likely story."

"Ahem." The priest coughs, throwing them both a pointed look. "If we may please begin?"

Ben smirks at Ridley. "What say you, carrots?" he murmurs. "You'll marry me?"

Ridley rolls her eyes. Is this going to be a thing now?

"Well, obviously."

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