The One That Got Away

Time passes by, direction unknown.
You've left us now, but we're not alone.
Before you know it, your cup's overflown.
You measure no one that I've ever known.

And it's quite alright.
And goodbye for now.
Just look up to the stars,
and believe who you are,
'cause it's quite alright.
And so long, goodbye.

We always knew that it'd come to this.
It's times like these I forget what I miss.
Matters of heart are hard to address.
Especially when yours is full of emptiness.

And it's quite alright.
And goodbye for now.
Just look up to the stars,
and believe who you are,
'cause it's quite alright.
And so long, goodbye.

Time passes by, direction unknown.
You've left us now, but we're not alone.
Before you know it, your cup's overflown.
You measure no one that I've ever known.

And it's quite alright.
And goodbye for now.
Just look up to the stars,
and believe who you are,
'cause it's quite alright.
And so long, goodbye.

One Year Later.

She looked gorgeous walking down the aisle. Her long, blonde hair half up and half down, tight curls cascading down her back as a tiara held her fringe and bun tightly in place, and was the base for the transparent white vail that fell across her delicate features.

Her foundation was light, was soft and was thinly spread to hide what few blemishes she had. Eyeshadow with a light tint of brown was applied to her lids, creating a stunning definition that was completed by the brown eyeliner and the brown mascara. Her lips shined and sparkled slightly from a tinged pink glittered lipgloss, which was tenderly and sparsely applied, just to finish off her natural beauty.

You could barely see her shoes beneath her dress; but they were gorgeous, healed white pumps that were similar to Achilles sandals. Her toenails were coated with a simple layer of clear nail varnish, and were filed and straightened to perfection via a pedicure.

The flowers in her hand were a mixture of white and pale blue lilies, fastened together with a pale blue bow and fixed tightly and nervously between her clasped hands. Her fingernails were painted identically to her toenails, and had been filed so they were barely two millimeters long.

Her dress was pure beauty. It was made of simple cotton, with a silk-looking finish - she stood by her beliefs, even on the best day of her life. The bodice was a corset, fastened at the back with a white ribbon, just tight enough to stay up and show her fantastic figure off, and loose enough so she could still breathe. It progressed into light ruffles of faux-silk at the hips, and cascaded to the floor in a magnificent waterfall of lace and a satin finish.

A trail from her vail followed her for a few meters up the aisle. Everyone stared in awe at her; she was already almost in tears from the happiness that was swelling uncontrollably inside her corseted bosom.

Her eyes moved to the four girls standing at the left side of the alter, smiling at her, wishing her the absolute best and ultimate happiness. They were her four best friends in the world; this wouldn't have been right without them.

Tessa, with half her hair pinned up in a swirling bun, and the remaining hair straightened, with random little curls falling down her back. Black and light blue eyeliner lined her blue eyes, and the pale blue dress made her almost white skin almost glow against it, and the medium blue backdrop of the church.

Lucy, with her hair mostly pulled back and curled into a sophisticated and gorgeous bun-like swirl at the back of her head, with half of her fringe pulled back in a flirtatious quiff, and the other half brushed sideways, almost over her right eye. Her eye make-up was similar to Tessa's, thus also highlighting her bright blue eyes. The pale blue bridesmaids dress illuminated her skin-tone and her figure; she looked gorgeous.

Davinia, glowing as she adorned the engagement ring from Frankie. She shone so bright, her pale skin bringing out the beauty of the blue she wore to match the three other girls around her. Her blue-green eyes were surrounded in a thin, pretty layer of black eyeliner, as she rested her hands and small bunch of flowers on the small bump protruding slightly from her lower belly. She'd make a great mummy.

And Lauren. They'd got so close lately, making wedding plans together, whilst fighting the husband-to-be about the choice of vegetarian options not being limited to one choice. They talked for hours whilst their boys were in the studio, recording more music of the sort that made their hearts sing. Lauren told stories of when her and Danny were little together, and they would just talk for hours.

Though she was the tallest, and eldest, of the four, Lauren stood where the shadows fell, a quaint little smile on her face as she watched her friend walk down the aisle to the man she was meant to be with. Her short, dark hair was straightened, and half pinned up at the back, whilst her black eyeliner made her bright blue eyes almost sparkle. The dress she wore matched the pale blue lily she'd attached into her hair, and her white lilies made her pale skin shine.

Ellie knew a secret.

But she pushed it to the back of her mind; she knew she'd spill the beans if she dwelled on it too much. She was the only one who knew, so it was imperative that she kept it to herself. And, she was marrying the man of her dreams today. That's what she had to focus on.

*

Danny lent forward, grinned at the soon-to-be-wed couple, handed over the two white gold rings and stepped back into his place beside the groom, winking cutely at his girlfriend across the way, who blushed and slunk back into the shadows slightly, her smile growing as she watched the happy couple.

Ellie said her vows first. She cleared her throat, took her piece of paper from Lauren with a light thank you, and looked up at Tom nervously. He smiled at her, reassuring her that everything he was made her who she was.

"Tom. You mean the world to me, and I don’t think you realise this, but you do. I love you. There's nothing I can't do with you by my side, and I just know I can trust you with anything, and I know you can trust me with anything. I want to live my life with you, and grow up with you, have a family with you, and grow old with you. Everything about you is perfect, and you complete me. I love you."

A ripple of sobs and 'aww''s went through the room, and Ellie couldn't help but blush. She knew it was Tom's turn next; her heart flipped, wondering what he would say about her. He looked at her nervously, taking his paper lightly from Danny. He went slightly red, as he read over his words and cleared his throat.

"Ellie... I never thought I’d ever really fall in love. I’ve been through enough heartache to lose my faith in the whole idea of love. But then you came along, just when I was about to give up hope. You showed me that everyone has a better half, and you’re mine. You made me the man I am today; you make me better. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Ellie."

Ellie smiled and sniffled. He made her feel like she could do anything. He made her better, and she loved him for that. He was everything she needed to survive and be happy in life. She was so happy, and felt so lucky that she was getting the chance to spend the rest of her life with this wonderful man.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You, may now kiss the bride," the vicar announced, smiling down at the young newly married couple.

Tom complied, with a smile, and shared with Ellie the most amazing kiss of their lives. Applause erupted around the church, and as the pair ran up the aisle, confetti rained down on them, symbolising the long life they had ahead of them.

*

Everyone was dancing. The sky outside was dark, Ellie had thrown the bouquet, Lauren had caught it, and everyone had eaten and drank their fill. Danny and Lauren were slow-dancing to I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, when he whispered in her ear:

"Come outside..."

She complied.

They walked over the doorstep into the cool of the night. They stood staring at the stars for a few seconds, before Danny turned to Lauren.

"Lauren, I love you... And I've wanted to do this for some time now..."

And he fell to one knee. Lauren gasped and put her hands to her mouth. Danny pulled out a small black black box, and Lauren's eyes welled up slightly. He opened the box and Lauren's knees went weak.

"Marry me... please..." Danny whispered.

Lauren was silent, and Danny felt nervous.

"Okay," Lauren said in disbelief. "Let's... Let's get married!"