Rose Bouquet

They followed the stream of wedding guests up the long walkway to the entrance of the barn. Small swirls of dust rose with every step they took. "So… how is surgery going?" Ben asked.

Miranda's face lit up. She started speaking quickly, her hands moving as she detailed her latest ventures in the world of science. And about letting Leah Murphy, one of her newest residents, do a somewhat difficult procedure. She stopped walking a couple of times because she couldn't multitask with that amount of excitement flowing from her. Ben watched his wife, fascinated. This was the most she'd said to him in a while. They hadn't really talked in a long time and finally she was able to tell her what was going on with her outside of them. "…So I spent all day in the lab. It-it'll take a few weeks, but I think I can cure this kid. Medically. You know, once and for all," she finished coming up to the walkway just outside of the barn. "That's a cute sign," Miranda said looking at four wooden flats, staked in the ground that said: "Happily Ever After Starts Here: April & Matthew".

"Yeah, it is nice," Ben said seemingly uninterested.

Miranda wrote in the wedding guestbook, leaving a short and hopeful message to the couple about the strength and will that marriage takes. Ben signed right after her. "What did I say wrong now?" She asked simply.

"What's going on with you, Miranda?" He asked. She ignored him. She'd just spent the walk from the car telling him what was going on in her career. "You're handing surgeries over to residents. You're back in your lab, you know, where you hid when you first got that infection."

Miranda picked up a container of mints that said: "Matthew and April: Mint to Be". Miranda remembered the girl mentioning those mints a year ago on her own wedding day. "Hey… what are you saying?" She said. There were more than a few people around. Miranda also grabbed a box that contained a live butterfly that was supposed to be released when April and Matthew shared their first kiss as a married couple.

"Well," Ben starting putting his hand in his pocket. "I'm—I'm worried you're quitting surgery."

Miranda heard horses whinny in the background. "I see," she said simply. "Okay." She cleared his throat and played with the small box. She could feel the insect moving around. "While we're on the subject of quitting surgery, maybe it's time we talked about, uh, why the hell you up and quit surgery." She spoke coolly. She didn't want to make a scene in front of the other guests.

"Look, I told you," Ben said taking a step towards her, taking a hand out of his pocket. "I want my family. I need to be here." He touched her quickly. "Hell, look at you. Do you think we'd have gotten everything control if I hadn't been here?" He asked.

Birds chirped. "Did it ever occur to you that my symptoms got worse when you showed up, having quit your job?" She looked away.

The wind blew the large plans behind them and he chuckled softly. "Okay. So, uh, that's what we're saying, is it?"

"Things's about to start," she told him and they walked inside for the ceremony.

"Bailey! Warren! Over here." They heard Derek Shepherd, Head of Neurosurgery, call out to them. He was sitting next to Callie Torres, Orthopedic Surgeon and one of Miranda's best friends at the hospital.

Ben put a gentle hand on his wife's waist and steered them in Derek's direction. Derek gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and shook hands with Ben. Callie hugged Ben and Miranda. "So, Kepner's getting married?" He asked them.

"Yep," Ben said at the same time Miranda was saying: "Unless Avery decides to tell her how he feels." She was talking about Plastics Attending, and one of her former residents, Jackson Avery.

Derek, Callie and Ben all looked at her. "Hey, you were all thinking it; I just said what we were all thinking," Miranda said remembering when Jackson and April were dating and then not dating. They were best friends and, in Miranda's opinion, he would be a fool to let her go through with the wedding. Ben shook his head and Derek let out a loud laugh. Ben looked up to see Owen Hunt, Chief of Surgery, walking towards them with his girlfriend, Emma, on the phone right behind him. Owen hugged Miranda and Callie and greeted Ben and Derek. Emma waved to them and sat in a pew, still talking on the phone.

The five of them stood around and talked for a bit with Derek telling Owen what Miranda had said about April and Jackson. They all laughed just as Jackson and his girlfriend, resident, Stephanie Edwards, came up and stood next to them. "Hey, y'all. Jackson, just ruined Kepner's wedding." Stephanie giggled. Owen, Ben, Derek and Callie stared at Miranda. "He just released one of the butterflies." Jackson blushed and the other attendings exhaled and started to reassure him that nothing would be ruined, that everything would be fine. They heard soft music playing and all of the doctors sat down.

Ben put his arm behind Miranda and she turned away from him to watch the wedding processional. First into the barn was Arizona Robbins, Pediatric Surgeon and Callie's wife. Callie looked adoringly at the pink dressed bridesmaid. Next was Cristina Yang, Cardiothoracic Fellow and one of Miranda's former students. She stared at Owen, her ex-husband, who was looking back at her smiling. The last bridesmaid was another student of hers, Meredith Grey. She was a General Surgeon Attending, just like Miranda. She stared at her husband, Derek, both of their eyes beaming. As April entered the barn, everyone stood up and watched as she came down the aisle with her father, her eyes tearing up. Miranda felt a prick in her eyes, too, and quickly dabbed it away. As the congregation sat back down, Miranda noticed that her former resident, Pediatric Surgeon, Alex Karev and his girlfriend, Jo Wilson, second-year resident, were now behind her. She gave Alex a short smile. She remembered when he'd gotten married years ago to a perky, blonde doctor who was no longer in their lives. She wondered if she'd be attending his next one and would it be to the girl who he was hugged up with now.

The preacher started to speak: "There is no greater example of God's power than the love we share between us. April and Matthew are here today to commit that love to each other before God and before all of you. So let's pray." Miranda and everyone in the large barn put their heads down for the prayer as a cell phone rang. Miranda knew exactly whose phone it was because she was sitting right to him. Derek. "Heavenly Father…" Derek glanced at her and then slid out of the pew to take the call. "Watch over April and Matthew as they take the first steps on a journey that will last them the rest of their lives on earth." Miranda looked to the altar at the couple and then to her left at her husband. "Give them the strength to commit their love to one another…" Miranda took a deep breath. She knew that those words were for April and Matthew, but she was feeling the prayer in her heart. When the pastor said: "Unshakable through any storm, unbreakable in the face of any stress," Miranda tried to swallow, but there seemed to be a lump in her throat. Another tear appeared in her eye and she had to turn away from Ben. She could feel him move in his seat, brushing up against her gently. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his face, it was serious and still. They'd never been so close and so far apart at the same time. There had never been so much that she wanted to say, but couldn't.

"…And you, April and Matthew's closest friends and family, are here today to bear witness to their union. Will you promise to love and support their marriage in all the days to come? If so, please respond: 'We will'," the preacher said.

"We will," she responded quietly. Her mind raced: How could she support April in her marriage when her own was rockier than the mountains they'd drove up to get here?

"We will," Ben said. His legs were crossed and he was looking straight ahead.

The preacher continued to speak and Miranda heard someone move behind her. She turned around to see Jackson standing up. When all eyes in the barn landed on him, he quickly took his seat again. Oh, shit, Miranda thought. That's what she got for speaking things into existence.

Miranda heard Ben mutter: "Oh, shit." She looked at him and when their eyes locked, Miranda knew that they would be okay.

The preacher chuckled nervously and all of the guests turned their attention back to April and Matthew. He continued: "…And I'm happy to be here today—"

"I love you, April," a voice said. Miranda turned around and saw Jackson staring at April. "I always have. I—I love everything about you." Miranda, like everyone else, was watching Jackson and watching April's reaction to his confession. "Even the things I don't like, I love. And I want you with me." Miranda turned to look at April. Her mouth was wide open as she stood looking at her friends and family. Miranda thought back to the conversation that she'd had with April while Miranda was drunk. You take your maiden voyage with a nice boy, a kind boy, a boy who loves you, a boy that you love so much, you wanna superglue yourself to him. You wait. 'Cause believe me, even though you haven't met your Ben, yet. You will meet your Ben. That's what she'd told the girl. She'd also told the girl that even though she was broken up with Ben at the time, she knew it was a mistake and she loved him, very much. She imagined that April was trying to decide which guy was her "Ben". For a split second, April's eyes landed on Miranda. Miranda nodded slightly and looked to Jackson. "I love you, and I think that you love me, too." The entire barn was silent. Miranda thought she could feel Ben's fingers on the small of her back, she shuddered at his touch. "Do you?" April inhaled sharply. No one spoke for a long time. It was completely still. Miranda found herself holding her breath. Even the birds and horses outside seemed to know that now was not the time for noisemaking. Everyone waited for April's response. She looked away from her ex-boyfriend and faced her fiancé. Miranda looked at a defeated and scared Jackson, who'd sat back down next to his bewildered date. She had tears in her eyes. Ben pulled a handkerchief from inside of his jacket and handed it to the girl. Gestures like that let Miranda know that she'd picked the right guy, even if it'd taken her a while to find him.

"Matthew, I'm sorry," everyone could hear April say. She walked down the altar and ran towards to Jackson. He kissed her. Miranda's mouth dropped open. They held hands and ran out of the barn. All of the attention was on them and Miranda looked at the altar to see that Matthew was walking away. She felt bad for him. April's father stood up and told everyone that since the reception was already paid for, they were free to enjoy it.

No one moved until Meredith said: "People, it's over. Go and eat."

Ben leaned over and whispered in her ear, his breath warm: "Do you want to go to the reception?"

"It's up to you," she answered.

"I don't mind," Ben said. He probably just didn't want to be alone with Miranda. To be honest, she didn't want to be alone with him either. They walked out of the barn with the rest of the guests and walked next door to where the reception was being held.