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“Anne, are you ever going to tell me what happened the night of that wedding?” Vince asked as we sat in the park enjoying the abundant sunshine and seasonably warm weather.  He had his arm around me as we watched the people walk past.  I shook my head.  “It was nothing really…  I was just having a fight with Aiden,” I explained, hoping that Vince wouldn’t press too much further.  I couldn’t tell him that I told Aiden I loved him; I couldn’t tell him something like that…  After all the time it took me to tell HIM that I loved him, I just couldn’t have that secret leak out.  “You and Aiden really rub each other the wrong way,” Vince mused as he thought about our relationship.  “He’s really not that bad of a guy, you know,” he added.  I shook my head; if only he knew what was going on…  “You just don’t understand the relationship we have…  It’s complicated,” I exclaimed.

Vince let out a sigh as he squeezed my arm.  “Everything with you guys is always so complicated.  It’s like you guys are the ones dating,” he joked.  Suddenly I felt extremely uncomfortable.  “We’re not,” I stated, struggling to defend myself.  Vince looked at me with concern.  Before he could say anything, I replied.  “I have to get back to work; Kip will rip my head off if I don’t get back.”  Vince nodded in understanding as we stood and began to walk back to the office.  When I exited the elevator, no one was to be found.  I walked over to Kip’s desk to find a note; “Went to eat something other than crap.”  I smiled to myself as I headed to my office.  Where is everyone?  Before I opened the door, I dropped my mail on the floor.  I knelt down to pick it up when I noticed a light in Aiden’s office.

“You seem a little quiet tonight,” Vince mused as he sat across from me at the dining room table in my apartment.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “What’s wrong?” he asked, getting out of his chair and kneeling by my chair.  I shook my head.  “I am so screwed up, Vince… I don’t deserve a guy like you,” I replied, struggling to hold back the tears.  Vince looked at me with concern.  “What?  Where is this all coming from?  You are a wonderful woman,” he assured me.  I disagreed with him.  “No, Vince…  I’m not.  I’ve been terrible…” I muttered.  Vince put his hand on my leg.  “Don’t say that…  You’ve been great.  I have enjoyed all the time we have spent together…  In fact,” he stated as he began shuffling through his pants pocket.  “… I just can’t live without you anymore,” he added as he pulled out a little box.  Oh-my-goodness…  That isn’t…  Vince shuffled his feet and got on one knee.  He opened the little box to reveal a fifteen carat diamond engagement ring.

I began to hyperventilate a little.  It had only been one day since I saw Aiden asking Maria to marry HIM…  What was going on in the world?  This was ridiculous.  I couldn’t marry Vince…  “I’ve given this a lot of thought…  I know that our past relationship ended because I couldn’t commit, but when I thought I lost you, it was the worst feeling in the world.  I couldn’t believe the luck I had when you took me back; now we have something great.  And I’m ready for the next chapter; I am excited to spend the rest of my life with you…” he stated.  I felt my whole stomach turn inside out.  I was in complete shock.  “Anne Tanner, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife until the end of time?” Vince asked, waiting for my response.  I sat there for a minute, speechless.  I didn’t know how to answer him.

“Let me see that rock,” Kip stated as I entered the office on Monday morning.  I shook my head; I didn’t want all of this attention…  I held out my hand as Kip grabbed it.  “Vince has got some money!” he yelled as he was in awe of the diamond on my finger.  “You better not be a gold digger,” he warned.  I laughed as I slapped him in the arm.  “I’m not a gold digger, Kip… I don’t need to be a gold digger,” I stated defensively.  Kip threw his hands up in the air as a sign of truce.  “What’s going on?” Aiden asked, hearing all of the commotion.  Suddenly I felt like I couldn’t talk.  I just wanted to hide my left hand forever.  “Our little girl is finally getting married,” Kip replied as he grabbed my left hand and showed it to Aiden.  I just stood there in silence, not giving him any eye contact.  “You’re marrying Vince?” Aiden asked in shock.

I nodded slowly.  I looked up to see Aiden’s reaction.  He seemed utterly upset.  “Can I talk to you alone for a moment, Anne?” Aiden asked.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “Okay…”   We entered my office quietly as Aiden shut the door behind him.  “You’re marrying Vince?” Aiden asked again, as if he just didn’t want to believe it was true.  “Yes; he asked me to marry him, and I said yes,” I explained, a little annoyed.  Aiden shook his head as he began to pace the floor.  “But why?  You said you love me,” he stated.  I shook my head; I was suddenly very angry with Aiden.  After everything, he was the one who proposed first…  My love obviously meant nothing to him.  “Anne…” Aiden pleaded as he walked towards me.  “You can’t marry Vince,” he replied as he took my hand.  “That ring doesn’t belong there,” he added, feeling the wedding ring on my finger.

“How dare you?” I asked in anger.  Aiden looked at me in puzzlement.  “What have I done?” he asked.  I pulled my hand away.  “You have no right to tell me whom I can marry…  Just like I had no right to tell Carrie…  Especially since you are marrying Maria again,” I countered.  Aiden looked at me in surprise.  “Who told you that?” he asked.  I threw my hands up in the air.  “I saw you give her the ring last week!  I came in after lunch and Kip wasn’t around.  I was going to my office when I noticed your light was on.  I went to the window and I saw you giving her the wedding ring…” I replied haughtily.  Aiden was speechless.  He couldn’t say more; he was busted.  “I… that’s not…” was all he could say.  I stood there defiantly.

There was nothing he could say that would make me less angry.  Aiden shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards my door.  “You’re right; it is none of my business what you do with your life…  I guess all I can say is congratulations…” With that, he walked out of the door.  Suddenly my phone began to vibrate in my purse.  “Anne Tanner, I can’t believe you are getting married and you didn’t tell me!” Lindsay yelled as I answered.  Oops; I really hadn’t told anyone about my engagement…  “Lindsay; I am so sorry that I haven’t told you!  I’ve been so busy…  I haven’t told anyone yet,” I assured her.  That didn’t make her feel better.

“Why did you say yes, Anne?”

“Because he loves me and Aiden doesn’t.”

“How do you figure?”

“I found him asking he ex-wife Maria to marry him again.”

“WHAT?  You can’t be serious.”

“I am as serious as a heart attack.  He was giving her the ring.”

“Oh Anne…  This is all just so wrong.  You should be marrying Aiden…”

“Lindsay, sometimes you don’t get what you want in life.  I have Vince, and he is a wonderful man.  He asked me to marry him and I said yes; because he will make me happy, and he will give me what I need.”

“I won’t oppose the wedding, but I just feel like you’re making a mistake, Anne.”

I shook my head in anger.  I was sick of her and Aiden saying that!  For once, I felt like I was making a decision that worked for me.  Everything fit in place; I was comfortable about this.  “Lindsay, I’m going to be really busy planning my wedding, so either you help me, or just stay out of the way,” I replied with tension in my voice.  “Fine; I’ll help…” Lindsay gave in.  “Thank you,” I stated with a sigh of relief.  “It just wouldn’t be my wedding if you weren’t there,” I added happily.  “Well, you won’t have a wedding unless you start planning it!” Lindsay encouraged.  After I hung up, I pulled out my little black planner and began making dates.  June 2, 2008…  That was going to be my wedding day… I think.