She recalls, for the first time in so long, the time in third grade when Matt proposed to her on the swing set with a cherry ring pop. She hadn't liked cherry but she liked Matt, so she said yes and they were married by the slide the next day at recess. She also remembers how, a week later, she and Matt had a fight—about what she can't remember—and Tyler had given her a her favorite flavored ring pop (grape) and asked her to marry him.

"I'm married, Tyler," she remembers saying with a sniffle and tears in her eyes. "I can't just get married again."

He had given the ring to Caroline (who didn't like grape but had liked cherry) and he never brought it up again. Although that may have been only because they hardly spoke after that.

-x-

So many years later, she's standing in front of her mirror. She takes a deep breath and walks over to the door. She's preparing herself to walk to where she is going to meet Matt, who is going to give her away at her wedding because really, who else is there?

The door bursts open and Tyler's standing there breathing heavily.

"Don't do it, Elena," he pleads. "Please…please…."

She has tears in her eyes again and déjà vu is setting in.

She shakes her head and holds the ring out as a barrier between them. "I'm sorry," she says, knowing it won't make him feel any better.

He leaves without a word and she goes to meet Matt, who walks her down the aisle. She stands next to Caroline, Bonnie and Jenna and says 'I do' before kissing Stefan in front of everyone. But even as she smiles, she can't help but wonder what might have been.