Blurred Horizons

"Marriage changes everything. You wouldn't think so, because it really isn't much more than a glamorized promise to be together forever, but it does change things. Especially when the children come. You can forget about romance. If Simon and I are lucky enough to be able to sleep, we actually sleep."

Scarlett was resisting the urge not to forcibly shut Evelyn up as she blabbed on about things that made Scarlett even more nervous than she already was. Ben had suddenly disappeared with Simon and left Scarlett alone with Evelyn and her twins, who Scarlett tended to keep a little bit of distance from. She tried hard to keep from touching her own stomach, which was hidden by her looser fitting clothing now. The children played on the floor at her feet, coming forward every now and then but turning away when Scarlett didn't pick them up or show affection in any way.

She didn't mean to seem bitter. Even she had to admit they were cute. They'd just begun to walk, toddling short distances before falling flat on their rear end. When Simon would hold their hands and hold them up to help them balance and walk longer distances, they would squeal and shriek with delight, making everyone laugh with them. Most everyone, that is. Scarlett tried hard to relate, but the more Evelyn went on and on about the cleaning and the feeding and the stress, the more Scarlett began to fear that she wasn't going to do anything right.

"I love my children, of course," Evelyn said, picking up little Madeline and kissing the child's cheek with a smile. "It's difficult, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, maybe one other way. A nanny might be nice, don't you think?"

"Perhaps," Scarlett mumbled.

"Would you like to hold her?"

Scarlett was startled by the question, shaking her head lightly at first and struggling to form words. "Oh... I've never.... She's.... I can't...."

"Oh, nonsense," Evelyn laughed. "Anyone can hold a baby, Scarlett."

Before Scarlett could protest, Madeline was left in Scarlett's arms, where she stared at Scarlett with big, curious eyes. Scarlett just held the child in front of her at first as they stared each other down, but eventually warmed up to the girl, carrying her on her hip and brushing her fingers through her silly red hair. Next thing she knew, she was laughing along and playing with the little girl sitting on her lap, taking turns giving attention to Madeline and Ben as he cooed and tried climbing up her skirt as well. She barely even noticed Simon and her own Ben return, until she looked up to find that her fiancé was staring at her as she played with a lopsided, somewhat surprised grin on his face. She quickly put the children back down and folded her hands in her lap, but Ben wasn't fooled. He knew she had been enjoying herself.

"Big day tomorrow," Evelyn squealed excitedly. "You two must be so excited."

"So excited," Ben repeated, slightly mocking Evelyn's tone.

Evelyn didn't notice, but Scarlett had to stifle a giggle, and Simon did his best not to laugh at his wife. That may as well have been a death wish. At that moment, Nosebleed suddenly barged in through the doors, both babies bouncing in excitement at the sight of him.

"I will officiate my best friends wedding!" he announced, holding up the papers that made him a valid officiant.

"I don't know who your best friend is, but it sure isn't my wedding," Scarlett snapped at him.

"Why not?" Evelyn pouted.

"I want to be the one to give my best friend away when his mother is absent!" Nosebleed said confidently.

"No one is giving Ben away," Scarlett said, rolling her eyes. "He's destined to be a Mama's boy for the rest of his life, no matter who he's married to."

Ben gave Scarlett a stern look, and she sighed softly as she sank back in her seat in defeat. Nosebleed was going to officiate her wedding. Now it all seemed like a dream. The strange kind of dream, where everything makes sense until you wake up and think back on it, realizing nothing made sense at all.

That night, Evelyn refused to let Ben and Scarlett sleep in the same room. She insisted that after dinner the night before, the groom wasn't allowed to see the bride until wedding. It was the first night in a very, very, very long time that Scarlett was spending alone. The bed seemed so big and cold, and being alone terrified her. He didn't even need to touch her. Scarlett just needed Ben there beside her. She wondered if Ben felt the same way, but she knew better than to believe he'd be this nervous over being alone. He was probably excited for the next day, instead of worrying so much about how he was going to survive that night. Scarlett barely slept, just barely having drifted off to sleep when Evelyn barged in excitedly and woke her up.

"Wake up, beautiful, it's your wedding day!" she squealed.

Scarlett rolled over and tried to go to sleep again, but Evelyn ripped the sheets off her. Why did people keep doing that? Scarlett groaned softly, refusing to get up until Evelyn suddenly jumped on her and started shaking her, giggling.

"Wake up, wake up! You're getting married!"

Scarlett gasped and rolled out of the bed as reality dawned on her. She was getting married. It was one of the few things she never intended on doing, but here she was. She finally rolled out of bed and let Evelyn excitedly start to get her ready. For a wedding with no guests, Evelyn definitely seemed like she's put a little too much thought into how Scarlett was going to look. Her blonde curls were smoothed out into pretty ringlets and pinned up high on her head, decorated with glittering gemstones that seemed to bring out the flecks of silver in her eyes.

Scarlett insisted that she could dress herself, but Evelyn helped her get into the custom tailored gown anyways. It must've cost a fortune to get it made on such short notice, but Evelyn's family combined with Simon's had twenty fortunes. She didn't expect it to be much, but when she turned around to look at her reflection, she was speechless. She'd never looked or felt so beautiful in her life. The lace gown hugged her in all the right places (without showing any sign of a bump), with quarter sleeves that rested off her shoulders. The dress had intricate beading along the waist and neckline that matched the beading outlining her floor length veil.

"I don't know what to say, Evelyn," she whispered.

"Say you love it!" she giggled.

"I love it."

Evelyn squealed again and hugged Scarlett tightly, which normally would have bothered her if she wasn't so happy with how Evelyn had dolled her up. After some finishing touches, Evelyn finally handed a rose bouquet to Scarlett and took her hand, leading her out. As they neared where the wedding would take place, Scarlett felt knots in her stomach again. She loved Ben more than anything in the world, and she intended on spending the rest of her life with him no matter how long or short it was, but why did slipping a ring on her finger scare her so much.

"Wait here, let me make sure everything is ready," she gushed as she hurried away.

Scarlett stood there for a few moments, lost in thought, until she heard someone approach. She expected it to be Evelyn, but saw Simon there instead. She sighed softly, glad it wasn't Evelyn. She could only handle so much perkiness at once.

"Well, don't you look dashing," she said.

"I'm not much, look at you," he said, raising an eyebrow. "The traditional look suits you."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

She rolled her eyes as she picked at the bouquet, trying not to look so nervous in front of Simon, who would surely go off and tell Ben. When she noticed him linger, she raised an eyebrow at him, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, don't tell me you're going to walk me down the aisle," she said, laughing lightly.

"Oh, but I am," he said.

"Who sent you, Ben or Evelyn?" Scarlett asked.

"No one, I wanted to do it," he protested.

Scarlett said nothing, just staring at him until he sheepishly looked away and shrugged.

"Evelyn told me to," he admitted. "But I really do want to do it."

"Why?" Scarlett inquired. "I've never been good to you."

"No, not really," he agreed. "For a few months, you happened to be the bane of my existence. But then you fell in love with my best friend, and things changed. You changed. In a good way. And the more I think about it, the more you feel like a younger sister to me. Like when a new baby arrives and the older siblings are trying everything to get rid of it, but then they realize that their lives are better with that baby brother or sister in it. Besides, I think we're both blonde enough to pass for siblings."

"Do you really mean that?" Scarlett asked.

"Of course I do."

She just stared at him for a few seconds before hugging him, which she never thought she'd be doing. Out of everyone, Scarlett liked Simon the least. Now, however, she was glad to have him as a friend.

"Ready?" he asked.

Scarlett sighed and nodded with a half smile, taking his arm. For the first few moments, Scarlett couldn't breathe. Her nails dug into Simon's arm and her heart was beating so fast she feared it may have burst. But the moment she saw Ben, she wondered what she was so worried about in the first place.