Robert swallowed deeply and exited the Beaumonts'  bedroom first, and went down the stairs. He could do this, just needed to detach himself from the moment. Robert opened the back door, his hands trembling and his heart pounding.

                                 Donna waited until she heard her husband-to-be exit through the back door, and then made her own way down. As she approached the back door, she hesitated for a moment. Once she opened it, there was no going back. Donna took a deep gulp of oxygen and turned the handle, opening it to reveal all the smiling faces awaiting the bride. Their wedding party had been standing in lines on either side of a long strip of carpet. Someone had let Experience and Ella into the yard, and they frolicked amongst the ceremony, blissfully unaware of what was happening.

                                  Donna looked ahead to her parents, silently, almost hoping someone would stop her. Then she looked at the kids, Mark behind Robert and Delilah with her flower basket. They were why she was doing this, anything for them. She then looked ahead to Robert, a lone tear fallen from his eye. Donna came to stand beside him, and they both turned to face Steve.

                                  "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony which is an Honorable Estate that should not be entered lightly. Therefore, if any man can shue any just cause why they may not be joined, let him speak now or forever hold his peace." said Steve. Not a single word was spoken, and he continued on.

                                  "Donna, do you take Robert to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love him, cherish him, honor and keep him, forsaking all others, keep you only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

                                  "I...I do," She said with a sigh and a nod.

                                  "Robert, do you take Donna to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love her, to cherish her, honor and keep her, forsaking all others, keep you only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

                                 "Yes. I-I mean I do." said Robert, still shaking.

                               "Join hands and Donna, repeat after me." said Steve. Donna and Robert faced each other and clasped hands.

                              "I, Donna Beaumont, take thee Robert Hess to be my lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to have and to hold 'til death do us part."

                               Donna looked at Steve, and then back at Robert, and repeated the words even though they felt like lies.

                            "Now Robert, I, Robert Hess, take thee Donna Beaumont to be my lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to have and to hold, 'til death to us part."

                             Robert repeated as Steve had said, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. In front of all these people, he was making a pledge he knew very well he couldn't keep.

                             "Can we have the rings?" Asked Steve, to which Mark stepped forward and opened his tiny hand, both rings in his palm.

                            "Robert, place Donna's ring on her left finger." He instructed. Robert took the ring with the blue topaz stone and slipped it over her finger. Donna watched as it made it's way down over her knuckle. It felt so final. Like everything from here on out was said and done for the rest of their lives.

                           "Donna, place Robert's ring on his left finger." She put his ring on, over where the keyring had been for the last week, and then looked at him sympathetically. They both felt horrible, applying this physical reminder of forced commitment to each others' hands.

                          "And by the powers vested in me by the Church, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss." said Steve with a big grin.

                          Robert stepped forward and brushed Donna's cheek before he kissed her, trying to soften the sting. Donna allowed his lips into hers, squeezing her eyes shut. When they parted, he could see she was crying, and only he knew they weren't tears of joy.