'The day of the wedding, Shane is contemplating what she should do after just witnessing her father leave his wife and son behind, just like he did with her and her mother. She tries to look inside of her heart to decide whether she should leave Carmen behind or spend the rest of her with her. What will she decide? And what will life be like after she makes her decision?'

"-Italics-" Thoughts

-Italics- Flashbacks

"-Bold-" Phone Call or Voice Message

-Bold- Text Message

Shane paces her hotel room frantically, trying to decide what to do. She just witnessed her own father walk out on another woman who was seemingly meaningless to him and she thinks, 'What if I do the same to Carmen?'

She knows she loves Carmen without a doubt, but she worries if she goes through with the wedding tonight, would she make the same mistake as Gabe. After all, he did say that they were two of kind, her and him. She sees her entire life when she was younger, watching her mother put her in foster care.

Shane sat on the swing in the deserted playground, watching her mother intently as she took one last drag off of her hit of marijuana. It was really early in the morning, so no one would be around to notice her mother taking a hit of marijuana. As her mother finishes with her back resting against a tree, opens her eyes and looks at her so sincerely with hints of melancholy and sadness in her brimming eyes Shane realizes that something was happening today, but she wasn't sure what exactly. Then her mother got up brushing her pants off, then said with an outstretched hand and sad smile, "Come on Shane. There's someplace we need to get to."

As Shane took her mothers' hand she asked with uncertainty, "Where are we going to, mom?"

Shane's mother glanced down at her with sad eyes and said, "Someplace new."

As Shane and her mother walked into downtown Austin, Texas they passed the early birds bustling around in the early hours opening stores, going for a morning jog among other things. When they stopped in front of a particular entrance, Shane read in big letters above the entrance TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.

Shane asked as she and her mother stepped through the entrance, "Mom, what are human services?"

Her mother didn't answer. Instead she stopped next to some chairs and said, "Wait here, Shane."

Shane took a seat in one of the chairs as she watched her mother walk up to a big desk and spoke to a receptionist there. Then she started writing on some papers on a clipboard that the receptionist handed her. After a while, her mother handed the clipboard back to the receptionist who looked through it. Once she had finished looking through it, she glanced at Shane and smiled. Shane returned the warm gesture.

Then the receptionist walked up to her, and asked, "You're Shane, right?"

Shane nodded. The receptionist then looked to the side as a woman walked up to them. The woman bent down to Shane's level and introduced herself, "Hello Shane, my name is Cindy and I will be your social worker from now on. I promise I will try my best to find you a good family." Shane, realizing what was happening, looked around the room for her mother frantically, but she wasn't in the room. She was gone.

Just like everyone else.

As Shane felt her eyes brimming with tears, she had another flashback

Shane was grieving over Danas passing, sitting on the steps of the porch with her head in her hands. She could hear Carmen working in the garden not a few feet in front of her. She forced herself to look up at her, and she stared intently at her, pondering over all of the predicaments that had happened. From Shane cheating on her, with Cherie to Danas failing health and worst of all was Danas passing. Shane kept looking at Carmen, and she thought of all the times Carmen could have walked out on her, just like her mother, her father, and the countless others that sought to leave her behind.

The thing was though, Carmen never did. Even through all the grief over Dana's death, and the heartache and pain over their failing relationship, and all the built up anger and frustration she never once left her behind. And it was that feeling that sparked her next few words which would render Carmen both speechless and motionless.

"Would you marry me?"

Now, she was worried that in the grand scheme of things she would end up being the one to leave Carmen behind. Even as she thought of leaving Carmen at the altar, she knew that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Carmen. As she thought of all the girls in another room helping Carmen into that beautiful wedding gown, which Shane couldn't wait to see she still thought, 'What's the point in all this if I end up hurting her?'

After she finished that thought, the door opened and in came the last person she thought would come through that door: Bette As she stared at Bette with confusion written all over her face, her best friend asked, "What's going on Shane? Why aren't you ready?"

Shane looked away from Bette, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Bette walked over to Shane getting up in her face and asked again, "Shane, why aren't you ready? You don't want to be late for your own wed-"

Shane cut her off asking, "Bette what would you do if you knew later on you were going to hurt Tina after getting married. What would you do, would you still marry her?"

Bette looked stunned for a second, wondering why her friend would ask her something as unexpected as what she had. Then she put the pieces together, and realized that Shane might be considering leaving. However what she couldn't understand was that the night before she had seemed so happy and love struck, and now she was considering leaving Carmen at the altar. Then realization struck her, and she remembered seeing Shane walk in the direction of the bar with her father last night as she entered her hotel room, and she realized she hadn't seen her father or Carla and Shay at all yet today and the wedding was supposed to start any second. She tentatively asks, "Shane what happened between you and your father last night?"

Shane looks away, ashamedly. Bette then says with a heavy sigh, "Let me guess, you saw Gabe leave Carla and Shay behind like they were nothing, probably with some chick, and you're worried that you might do something you'll regret later on down the road. Like breaking Carmen's heart?"

Shane nods, and Bette continues by saying, "Well let me tell you something, then?"

Shane looks up at her again. "You are nothing like your father. I know for a fact that you love, and I repeat, love Carmen. I know that you would never leave her behind, and she wouldn't leave you behind either. So please, do yourself both a favor today and do what you both wanted and came all the way here to do."

Shane looks up at Bette with questioning eyes and asks, "Which is?"

Bette looks at her friend with brimming eyes, "Marry Carmen. Love her, cherish her, be with her and tell her whatever you want and let her return the favor. Deep down inside you love this woman and I know that you don't want to hurt her, but you'll hurt her anyways by doing what you were considering doing to her moments ago. So do yourselves both a favor and spend the rest of your life loving her for the woman you know she is."

Shane thinks about what her friend has said, and realizes she is right. She then says, "Well let's get me married, then."

Bette smiles, happy for her friend and then says, "Well let's get you ready then because you got ten minutes to get up to the altar."

Shane eyes bulge as she freezes and then starts rushing like a mad man, cursing under her breath, trying to get ready as Bette laughs heartily before stepping in to help her friend.