Phee cried out and groaned as she pushed as hard as she could. I chose that moment to look over and I saw the baby as the cord was cut and she was wrapped in a towel. But she wasn't crying. Phee registered this too, meeting my eyes and then looking in the direction of her baby.

'Why isn't she crying?!'

Before we knew what was happening, the baby was ushered away and I was left with a distressed Phoenix whilst she delivered the afterbirth.

'WHERE'S MY BABY?!' She cried out, over and over again.

'Phoenix, I need you to calm down.' A midwife said, her voice calm considering the situation. I wanted to slap her and I knew Phee was thinking the same thing. 'Right now we are trying to do what's best for your baby.'

'WHAT'S GOING ON?! FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!'

'Your baby was having some difficulties breathing, so we have had to take her to intensive care until she is stable.'

'Is she going to be okay?' She croaked and by now I was joining in with the crying.

'I don't know, but she is in the best place. I promise I will keep you updated.'

The next fifteen minutes went by slowly. We'd been moved to a private room and Phee had been given some drugs to calm her down. I wanted to be given some too. I was pacing the room, feeling sick, tired and anxious, when Zed walked in with a bunch of flowers and Phee's hospital bag. He saw the look of worry and pain on our faces and his eyes softened.

What's happened?

The baby... she wasn't breathing... they've taken her to intensive care.

Zed hurried over to Phee and embraced her in a hug whilst she sobbed into his shoulder.

'Have you got hold of Yves?'

'Yes.' He replied, pain in his voice. 'He's on a plane on his way.'

He moved backwards to give her some space and then wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer.

'Would you like a coffee?'

The midwife appeared at the door and we all turned to give her our undivided attention. 'Your baby girl is stable. She's breathing and has a steady heart rate, although we have her in one of our incubators at the moment so that we can keep an eye on her.'

Phee sat up quickly. 'Can I see her?'

'Yes, though we will have to take you down in a wheelchair.'

'I don't care, I need to see my baby.' She looked over at me. 'Will you two come with me?'

Zed and I looked at the midwife and she nodded, before getting a wheelchair from the corridor and helping Phee into it. I'd always hated hospitals. They reminded me of things going wrong. The walls were always a haunting shade of white and the air smelt of antiseptic. As we followed the midwife and Phee down the corridor, we heard the sound of crying babies and joyful family members. It made me heart ache. This is how it was supposed to be for this baby girl and her mother, instead of the anxiety and pain we were all feeling. I had never been particularly religious, but I found myself praying in my mind over and over again, that everything was going to be okay just this once. Intensive care smelt stronger than the rest of the hospital and the bleeps of different machines bounced of the walls in an echo. Despite two other babies being in the room, Phee knew which one was hers. She was wheeled to her side, where her baby wore a little pink hat and took short, sharp breaths. We followed suite, giving her a bit of space with her tiny baby.

'She weighs 4 pounds.' The midwife told us. 'And she's doing better every minute. She's a little fighter.'

Phee reached through the hole in the incubator and held her baby's hand. It was an emotional sight, enough to set me off in tears again. I looked over at Zed as he squeezed my hand and I knew he was fighting back tears too.

She's going to be okay.

Did you see it?

He smiled and nodded. 'She's going to be okay, Phee.'

She turned around and smiled at him, her eyes watering, as the midwife left us to it. 'Sky, come and see your goddaughter.'

'What?' My eyes widened in surprise.

'Well you were there at her birth and you did a pretty good job at looking after me. I think it's only fair.'

I embraced her around her shoulders, as best I could when she was sitting down. Then I held my goddaughter's hand for the first time, so small and soft, and I was so worried that I might break her.

After two days of being on intensive care, 'baby Benedict' (as she was known) was allowed out of her incubator and was moved to her mother's bedside. The doctors and midwives were pleased with the progress she was making and I was thankful Zed's vision had come true. Yves was still beating himself up over not being there for the birth and then the aftermath, although it could hardly be helped. The doctors weren't sure why she had decided to come into the world 4 weeks early, but they were thankful that it wasn't any earlier. The first time I held my goddaughter I was terrified of hurting her. She was so small and delicate, with a wrinkly but beautiful little pink face. Yves and Phee had also decided to make Zed the godfather, although they did say they didn't want his 'badass' tendancies rubbing off on their little girl. A week later, Luna Marie Benedict and her mom were allowed to go home. Yves had agreed to hire a car to drive them back, as the hospital weren't sure about taking such a little baby on a plane. We said our goodbyes and I promised to be in touch; I didn't have much of a choice, as Phee was officially my wedding planner buddy.

'What an exhausting week.' Zed sighed as we collapsed on the sofa. 'Fancy a takeaway?'

'Sounds perfect.' I replied, nestling into his neck. He wrapped his arms around my face and planted a delicate kiss on his forehead.

'Back to normality then?'

'What is normality?' I laughed. 'We've got college assignments to write, a wedding to plan...'

'Ah yes, that wedding.' He scooped up my legs so that I was sat across his lap. 'What's the deal with that?'

'The deal with that?'

'Well I saw that scrapbook of yours.' He grinned. 'So what is there left to plan?'

'Ha-ha!' I swatted him on the arm. 'I want you to make the decisions with me.'

'I already told you, I want it to be your perfect day.'

'And I want it to be your perfect day.'

'Baby, as long as you're the person I'm marrying then it will be perfect.' He kissed me softly on the lips and pressed his forehead softly against mine. 'I just want you to walk away as Mrs Benedict.'

I kissed him again, teasing him with my tongue. 'We need to pick a date.'

'Do we? Don't those guys on the telly plan the whole thing in three weeks.'

I laughed. 'It's not always that simple. Maybe if we had a professional film crew on our side.'

'Where do you want to get married?'

'I don't know.' I replied, truthfully. 'Somewhere that means something.'

'Hmmm.' He looked thoughtful. 'Vancouver Island?'

'Where you proposed.' I smiled. 'It would be beautiful.'

'What about the weather?'

'We could get married in summer? That way we have time off from college for the honeymoon.'

'Trust you to be thinking of the honeymoon.' I laughed as he pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling.

'Baby, that's one of the best parts.'

The following weekend, we drove up to Vancouver Island to choose a wedding venue. Zed had offered to pay a deposit, as I was yet to hear from Hollister. Funnily enough, I hadn't heard from Sam either. I'd only recieved a Facebook friend request from leggy, beautiful Rowan, who had uploaded selfies of herself onset at the photoshoot and at dinner with Sam. She'd recieved a lot of likes too. Nice. We booked ourself into a small motel, dropped off our overnight bags and then headed to our first appointment.

Kitty Coleman beach was near where Zed had asked me to marry him the first time around. There were a few houses in the area, including a large rental house which apparently had glass walls overlooking the beach. The beach was covered with shingle, but there was a concrete aisle down one end, where weddings were often held in the summer. We shook Mr Jackson's hand and he smiled at us.

'You don't get many outdoors areas that have a license.' He told us. 'But this was such a popular spot that the locals applied for it. There is a charge to the council, of course, just like the charge you have to get married in a registry office.'

'It's a beautiful area.' I smiled, admiring the natural beauty. It felt freezing cold, but nothing like the conditions I was in for the photoshoot.

'The only problem is the weather. It's a bit of a gamble, but there's always umbrellas!' He chuckled. 'Would you like to come and see the rental for the reception? There is even a bridal suite included in the price.'

The rental looked like its picture, only possibly bigger. The back walls were made of glass, overlooking the beautiful water. The house was slightly raised on the land and you had to walk up five steps to get onto the decking and the entrance door. The decking led around the whole house to the back, where the main deck covered with outdoor furniture perfectly arranged and a bar area.

'We can also rearrange the furniture so that you can have a dancefloor if you would prefer.'

The patio doors led to a huge open-living space with a kitchen, small bar, small tables with white table cloths and flowers in the middle and ribbon-decorated chairs. A door led to some toilets, which had been organised into posh-looking cubicles for functions. There was a spiral staircase, which led to the first floor. On the first floor was three bedrooms; two were guest bedrooms and the third was a huge bridal suite. A heart made from rose petals was laid out on the bed with candles decorating the room. There was a balcony overlooking the sea and the ensuite bathroom included a spa bath with mood lighting. Fancy.

Surely this is out of our price range! I sent the message to Zed as we followed Mr Jackson back downstairs.

I don't know. He replied. My parents have offered to help out too.

Maybe, but I don't want to take the piss.

He smiled and kissed my forehead. Don't worry, we've still got other places to see.

We found ourself next in a small church with a huge glass wall behind the alter, looking out to the water and mountains. It was beautiful and left me breathless. I hadn't ever been that religious, but the coldness and anxious feeling the place was giving me made me feel uncomfortable and I wondered if that was karma for not believing.

I can't get married here.

Why not? Zed squeezed my hand with reassurance.

Because it's giving me the creeps.

He grinned a wicked laugh and we made our excuses to the priest before making a quick exit.

The other venues we were visiting were a fair distance away, so Zed drove us and we grabbed food from a roadside diner on the way. On the other side of Vancouver island was the Pacific Rim National Park. This venue was our furthest away and we found ourselves in the small town of Ucluelet. We drove through the trees, past hikers and a few small cabins, until we reached the Black Rock Resort. We parked the car and headed to the reception building, which was modern-looking with large windows. Grey granite covered pillars and the floor in contrast with the cream walls. The sofas were grey as was the reception desk in the corner. We greeted the receptionist and she sent the events manager to speak to us and give us a tour of the facilities.

'We'll start off with the rainforest ballroom.' Christopher, the events manager, explained. The room was set up ready for a wedding with small round white tables and chairs with a cream bow on them. The room was the same granite and had glass panels, looking at the rainforest and ocean. There was a terrace outside, which hung over the cliff-edge. We were shown the outdoor pool built into the cliff-face, the honeymoon suite with its signature greys and plush furniture, the sophisticated-looking accompanying guest rooms, the spa.

What do you think? Zed asked, his face full of seriousness.

It's a bit grey...

You're right, it is. And very posh-looking. This is more Diamond's thing, don't you think?

She'd never leave!

'So what do you think?' Christopher asked us, still wearing his white plastered-on smile.

'We're going to go away and think about it.' Zed lied, returning a fake smile.

'Well it was lovely to meet you both.' He shook both of our hands and then we headed out the door.

The final venue was a four-hour drive away. I fell asleep in the car and awoke with a start when the car engine turned off.

'Sorry.' I mumbled.

'It's okay, you were tired.' Zed smiled from the driver's seat.

'You should have woken me.'

'I didn't want to.'

I stretched out and unbuckled my seatbelt. 'I hope this is the one.'

'Well if it's not, it doesn't matter. We can keep looking.' He squeezed my hand and pulled me in for a kiss. 'There's still time.'

'I know, but I don't want today to have been a waste.'

'It hasn't been a waste. We're starting to get a rough idea of costs and what we're looking for. Those are good things. Now come on, let's get a look at this venue quickly before it gets dark.'

Our final venue was the Strathcona Park Lodge, which lay on the shores of Upper Campbell Lake. Zed had originally been interested in the venue because the property provided loads of sports like kayaking, white water rafting, canoeing and rock climbing. I had liked it because the surroundings were beautiful and the area was quiet. The area was built up of small lodges and cabins, with a yoga area, low ropes course and different sport areas laid out. There was also a spa and some garden areas. We were greeted at the office by Rosa, who was in charge of events onsight. She had auburn hair, rich brown eyes and a lovely genuine smile.

'We never used to have weddings here.' She told us. 'But recently, they've become very popular especially with active couples.'

'Well I'm the active one, Sky likes the landscape.' Zed smiled and Rosa smiled back, her eyes crinkling at the edges.

She took us straight to the wedding venues, desperate for us to see the beauty of them before the sun disappeared behind the mountains. She walked us down to the waterfront, where a few chairs had been laid out with an aisle inbetween. She passed us a photo album so we could see couples getting married in this location. Flowers were wrapped around the alter made from old tree trunks and some had scattered flowers up the aisle. The backdrop was breathtaking; mountains and valleys on the other side of the lake, reaching up into the sky with their green trees.

'This is our most popular place for the ceremony. We have our timber-framed barn available for ceremonies too, although that is used mostly for receptions.' Rosa explained.

'It's beautiful.' I smiled, taking in the surroundings.

'Would you like to see the barn? It's set up for a wedding reception tomorrow.'

'Yes please.'

Zed and I followed Rosa, hand in hand.

So what are your thoughts?

I smiled up at him. It's beautiful.

Is it 'the one'?

I think so. He returned the smile and squeezed my hand.

The timber barn fitted its name; it was made from timber with wooden beams throughout and a few wooden columns helping to hold up the roof. The windows looked out onto the beautiful view and reminded you where you were. The barn was already decorated in reds, whites and blues for tomorrow's wedding. Bunting in different patterns, yet still matching the colour-scheme, hung from the beams and white paper lanterns provided a soft white glow of lighting. There was a white bunting table with the same bunting, and two large wooden chairs for the bride and groom. There were a few other circular tables with wooden chairs, each decorated with a red or blue blue ribbon, and there was a dancefloor by the bar area. The centerpieces for each table included a small white vase with red, blue and white wildflowers inside.

Still looking good?

I can picture it all. I told my fiance, looking around the room. We could hang fairylights from the beams or wind them around so that they look like stars.

'Like this we can seat about 70 guests, but we can fit up to 125 in here.' Rosa told us. 'And if you choose to use us for your big day we will include the Honeymoon Cottage for 3 days free of charge. We also provide 50% discount for bridal and groom parties staying here the night before the wedding. You'll have free use of facilities throughout your stay and any activities will be at a 10% discount for you and your guests.'

'It sounds perfect.' Zed smiled, kissing my forehead.

'We'll take it.' I said to Rosa.

After booking August 16th for our wedding and paying the deposit, we drove back to Vancouver in the dark for five hours. I felt excited and nervous; suddenly this wedding business was becoming real. We had a date and a venue for our ceremony and reception. The honeymoon cottage had been booked and we had hired lodges for the bridal party and groomsmen. Soon we would be sending out 'save the date's and invitations.

Zed pulled up outside our apartment block. 'I'll go park in the garage if you want to head inside.'

'Okay.' I smiled, quickly kissing his lips. I climbed out of the car and he headed off to park it. I reached into my purse to find my keys and then I paused. Someone was watching me. I felt it. I turned around and saw the silhouette I had seen a few times before, except this time it was only a few metres away.