Five days of bliss

Monica' s dream wedding ended in disaster, so why was she back on the island five years later?

Monica gazed out at the beautiful green lawns reaching down to the white sandy beach and the deep-blue aquamarine sea, and still it filled her with wonder. That such beauty could exist all in one place was quite amazing.

She closed her eyes and still she could recall exactly how she' d felt the first time she' d seen it. If possible, Geoff had been even more excited than she was.

It' s even better than the brochure!' he' d exclaimed as he gazed out of the plane window when they turned to land. Just look at the colour of that sand! And the sea.

Oh, darling, it really is paradise on earth!'

He was right. Just as he' d been right that it was the perfect place to get married. It had been his idea to come here and combine their holiday with their wedding, and it had taken all their savings to book it, but as Geoff had explained, they' d have five days of bliss that they would remember forever.

Marrying you is the most important thing I' ll ever do,' he vowed. I want it to be somewhere really romantic and special.'

Monica was so in love, she' d have happily married him in a tent in their garden on a wet Wednesday in February! But she got caught up with his enthusiasm and eagerly fell in with his plans.

And as she, too, gazed out of the plane window, she knew that she' d never, ever forget this island paradise.

From the moment they arrived, it seemed nothing could spoil their happiness. The hotel was amazing, the gardens were filled with exotic flowers, pretty lakes and fountains, the lawns were green and lush and they were just five minutes from the sea.

Even when an embarrassed receptionist had announced that the wedding organiser had just resigned, it didn' t wipe the happy smiles off their faces.

Your wedding shouldn' t be affected,' she' d explained. He' d booked everything for you before he went photographer, cake, music, flowers¼'

I' m sure it will all be wonderful,' Geoff told her. Don' t worry about it.'

That night, Monica and Geoff dined on the terrace overlooking the sea and watched as the sun, a brilliant red orb, slipped into the ocean. After dinner, they went for a long walk on the beach, as a thousand stars shone down on them from a clear midnight-blue sky.

Nothing could have been more romantic. Monica chatted about their life together, the children they' d have, all their dreams for the future, and Geoff listened as he walked along beside her, holding her hand.

He was very quiet, but Monica assumed that he was moved by the moment.

When they got back to their room, Monica was tired after their early morning flight, but Geoff was strangely restless. She went to bed while he announced that he was going for a walk on his own. And when he returned, Monica was fast asleep.

The next day, when she awoke, as soon as she opened her eyes, Monica could tell something was different. Geoff was up before her, fidgeting around the room, avoiding looking at her. And when she called Good morning!' to him, he didn' t reply.

What' s the matter?' she asked, as he turned to her with a pained expression on his face. Don' t tell me you' ve got food poisoning! We' re getting married in just over four hours.'

We' re not!' he said.

What?' she gasped.

Geoff sat down on the bed beside her and took her hand.

I' m so very sorry, darling,'

he said, I know the timing' s awful, but, well, better now than too late. I' ve been up all night, thinking about it, and I' ve made a decision.' He took a deep breath. It' s nothing to do with you, it' s me. I feel I' m just too young for such a big commitment.

We' re only in our early

20s. Marriage is for people who' ve experienced adventure and excitement, couples heading for a more settled middle-age not young couples like us.'

What?'

I can' t go through with it!' Monica sat up. Darling!' she cried. You don' t mean it! It' s all right, everything' s going to be fine this is just last-minute nerves, everyone gets them. It really doesn' t mean anything, believe me. You' ll be all right once the service starts¼'

That was what she' d wished with all her heart. But sometimes, even in such wonderfully romantic places as this, dreams didn' t always come true. Or did they?

Geoff didn' t change his mind. And recovering from his about-turn on the morning of their wedding was one of the hardest things Monica had ever had to do. And now, five years later, here she was in exactly the same place.

And yet again, it was the most perfect day. The sea was glinting in the distance, the sun was shining out of a clear-blue sky, making the sequins on the beautiful ivory silk dress sparkle like diamonds.

Ahead, waiting at the altar, surrounded by exotic flowers, she could see the bridegroom standing tall, proud and handsome in his morning suit.

The photographer, Paul, moved forward and took a few photos of the husbandto-be, and then he started snapping the beautiful bride.

Her smile was big and happy everything was just as Monica' s wedding should have been.

As she watched, Monica knew other people in her position would be bitter who wouldn' t have been? But she wasn' t. Not any more.

It had been very hard at first, of course. Geoff had packed his bags and taken the next plane back to England while Monica stayed on.

After all, they' d paid for their room for five days, the flight home was booked for the weekend and she couldn' t bear the thought of facing family and friends and having to explain everything and then going back to her boring office job. Not yet.

But as other wedding couples arrived, Monica had envied them their happiness. By comparison, her life seemed so hollow and empty, and desperately she sought a way to fill it.

It was hard to believe that it had been five years now. Five long, eventful years in which Monica quickly came to realise that Geoff had been right neither of them had been ready for marriage.

She still wasn' t. She was too young. So, as she watched other couples tying the knot in this island paradise, she wasn' t bitter. How could she be?

She' d had her five days of bliss snatched away¼ and replaced by five years of sheer joy here, doing the most fantastic job in the world organising weddings for other people.

All too soon, the wedding service had ended. The bride and groom came over and thanked her, and Monica' s heart was full.

She turned to go and caught the eye of Paul, as he took even more photos. He smiled at her, their special secret smile, and her heart beat faster.

Marriage might be for people slightly older than her and ready to settle down, but romance and excitement and Paul they were all definitely for her.