The characters and stuff don't belong to me.

He lived a good life. Perfect? No. But it was as good as it got. He was a newly wed, but it felt as though it had been forever, considering their many times together. They were practically married when they were only sixteen.

His eyes were welcomed warmly by the first few rays of sunlight that somehow found their way through the blinds that were shut tight to shield them from peeping outsiders. After all, staring is not very polite.

Rubbing the remnants of sand from his eyes, it took his vision a few seconds to adjust and realize he was lying beside the most beautiful woman that ever graced his world. She was just fantastic.

Then a glimmer caught his eye. A picture. An image of himself and his beloved. A smile popped up as soon as he saw it. They were everything everyone else wanted to be.

"How did you do it? How did you live the life?"

They never got a forward answer. "If I knew, I'd tell you. But if you find out before me, can you please tell me so I can know?"

Another image came to view. Of another woman. She was perfect in her own sense, different to that of his beloved. She was alone. She had a smile. A very strained smile. And no one else could see it.

He frowned. Here he was, living the life that so many others could only dream of, a life that was gained only after so much pain. She lived a life of sacrifice as well. Only, she never found that happiness.

Well, she did. Once. But they were so young, so unsure. And they parted, leaving so many questions left unanswered.

He often wondered as he stared into that image every morning. Every woman wanted a Cinderella story. He gave his love one, as best as he could, with everything he had. She could have gotten the same. But she wasn't as sure as he was.

If things had been different, maybe, just maybe…And he pondered. Maybe that smile wouldn't be so strained. Maybe it could have been true happiness. So, why couldn't it be a fairytale for her as well?

Well, that is all. XD I gotta admit, this was so random for me. I don't even know how this popped up in my head. Gah, the ideas are flowing now that I have actual time to think them, I guess. XD Actually wait. I do remember what inspired me. Read Memoirs of a Geisha. You'll know.

The characters and stuff don't belong to me, btw.