Prologue
Robin breathed out slowly,
'This is it' she thought as she looked to Lily and Katie at her side with a smile and proceeded to get out of the limousine outside the church's grassy kerb. It wasn't easy considering she was wearing a slim fitting white wedding gown with a strapless bodice and a flower brooch that her sister Katie had sent her from Canada with a veil and a long flowing train that seemed to go on forever. How Lily convinced her to wear it, she would never know. But now she was glad because she knew that whatever she wore, Barney would be there in all his grey suited tiny fibred glory waiting for her at the end of the aisle with best men Marshall and Ted by his side. After six years of to-ing and fro-ing they would finally be together forever. Man and wife till death do they part.
'Robin'
Lily said loudly and distracted Robyn from her thoughts with a jolt.
'Wha...Yes Lily'
As she realised that she had stopped for a moment and was leaning against the car.
'Aren't you coming?' As Lily pointed to the open church door that Ted had so kindly opened for her and was now patiently waiting outside to walk her down the aisle to Barney.
'Yes Lily, I'm coming, I was just taking a breather.'
Lily squeezed her hand 'I know, before I married Marshall, I couldn't wait to be his wife, but I was nervous as anything about it as you well know.'
Robin did know, just months before they were going to be married, Lily had decided to move to San Francisco for an art fellowship leaving devastated Marshall behind to pick up the pieces.
'But now we couldn't be happier together as man and wife with a little bundle of joy on the way.' Lily said rubbing her baby bump as she beamed at Robin who gave her an impatient look.
'Lily'
Lily got the message
'Oh, enough about me then, this is your big day, so let's get you down the aisle to Barney' as she began to jump up and down in excitement as Robin beckoned to Ted to come over to help give her away.
The next few minutes were a blur to Robin, as Lily touched up her makeup; Katie gave her, her wedding bouquet and Ted took her arm and walked her into the church foyer. The moment had arrived. Soon she would be Barney's wife and he would be her husband forever.
Little, did either of them know the tragedy that was about to happen.
