Outskirts Of Appleby, North Lincolnshire

Sophia sat back down on her encyclopedia and passed Kelsi some crayons and a piece of paper. "Here you go!"

"Thanks, Soph." Kelsi said happily. She colored a few flowers on a field, then stood up. "Here, I'll be RIGHT back, I just need to see mommy." she said, entering the kitchen to find Rachel. "Hey, she's so smart for her age, you know!"

"I've noticed!" said Rachel, obviously looking and sounding proud. "She must get it from me." she added with a happy wink.

Kelsi barked out a short laugh. "You sure?" she said with a wink back.

Rachel laughed alongside with her. "Who else?! So, when are YOU going to get married and have babies? Is Drew still too shy?"

Kelsi smiled warmly. "I don't care how long he takes, as long as I'm with him."

Even though it was Christmas, Serenity had finished her shopping, and had come to bang on Rachel's front door. Naturally, she wanted to see Rachel's children- it had been such a long time since she had brought baby Sophia to the cottage. But, also, she just had this strange girlish desire to express her happiness.

And Rachel opened the door.

When she saw who it is, her face broke out into a grin, and she hugged Serenity. "Hello! It's great to see you again!" she squealed happily.

"Rachel!" Serenity squealed back. "How are you? Happy Christmas! Oh, I have so much to tell you! Well, actually, only one thing to tell you, but-- May I come inside?"

"Of course you can!" she said with a slight shiver. "I was going to invite you in, anyway."

"Oh, thank you. Now," Serenity said, setting down her bags and taking off her shoes. "I'm getting married."

Rachel stared at her. "...You too?!" she exclaimed, shutting the door.

"Yes! Yes! Isn't it fantastic, Rachel? Isn't it just spectacular?" Serenity was brimming over.

"Yes, but it seems like EVERYONE'S getting married nowadays." she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm just going along with some kind of trend, but this is the highlight of my life. I'm sorry, that's wrong. This is the very BEST time of my entire life. Save for being born, and that might even take a close second to this."

Rachel smiled at her, trying to be happy. "Well, that's wonderful! I hope I can make it!"

"I hope you can too. Anyways-- wait, do you even know who I'm getting married to?"

"I'm assuming Elroy." Rachel guessed.

".. It's no fun if you guess. But, yes! Isn't he great? Just great?"

She shrugged. "I haven't seen him in years! I remember I dumped him off at a Church, and let him go find his calling, and that's the last I saw him."

"You were the one that did that?! Well, see, he fathered a child with some tramp named- what was her name? Umm.. Jeanette? No. No, it was... Jiminy Christmas, what was her name?" Serenity thought for a few moments. "Irene! What an ugly name, huh? Well, he had a kid with that tramp named Irene and then stuff happened and stuff happened and I went to go tell him Angel was in a mental house and the funniest thing happened. We had sex in a dumpster, then I got hit by a car."

Rachel stared at her for a very long time, with her eyes wide, and her eyebrows raised. "Wow. That's all?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, actually! So much more happened. I went to the hospital, and then when I got out, I had a cast, and brain bandages and stuff, and the doctor told me that if I had a seizure I'd have to come in to the hospital immediately. So, I couldn't do that living alone. So we went to Elroy's parents and they got us a house, and things have been wonderful ever since. Then, that horrible person Irene shows up early in the morning, wakes me up with her horrid banging on the door, and then she barges in, wakes up Elroy, and starts screaming at him! So I call her out on what she is- a hideous, horrendous, rude tramp- and then she starts beating me up. So we fight on the floor and then I magic her up, because I figure, hey! Justified self-defense, right?" Serenity paused for air. "Then I have to take care of her and Elroy's bastard child because she's paralyzed and then Elroy comes back and she leaves. And then, out of nowhere, I go to law school and get my degree, and then Elroy and I are dating, and then he proposed! Just a few days ago!"

"And I thought my life was exciting!" exclaimed Rachel with surprise. "But... when are you going to get married? Where are you going to go?"

"Oh, well, I'm thinking a nice country wedding, in the spring or early summer. I want to honeymoon in France. Would you think of being a bridesmaid? You've been one of my best friends, always, ever since school, and I'd love for you to be a part of my wedding."