I do

 It should have been today. The happiest day of Charity Dingle's life, but now it was going to be the opposite.

She cancelled her string of early morning alarms, for there was no reason to wake up at five o'clock now. Nobody was coming to do her hair and makeup. The photographer wouldn't be arriving during breakfast, her bridesmaids weren't going to surprise her with a last-minute gift and she was never going to walk down the aisle and into the arms of her bride.

It was just after eight when she stirred. Outside of the walls of Jacob's Fold, a new and normal day was just beginning. The village kids were making their way to the bus stop in their uniforms, ready for another day at school, and the adults headed off to work.

The cafe was open and Brenda was serving tea and coffee and bacon rolls. The vets were open too. Vanessa might have been there. She may have woken up this morning and gone to work, not realising what day it was. Or maybe she knew but was trying to forget.
Maybe she didn't care.
The clock ticked loudly, and was nothing but a reminder of the time that should have been a countdown to the rest of their lives together.
She looked across to the empty side of the bed. It hurt to see that she was alone, even though Vanessa wouldn't have shared the bed with her the night before their wedding, anyway. Charity herself wouldn't have stayed there either.
Their wedding venue boasted beautiful rooms, two bridal suites too. One each for the Emmerdale brides. One each for the last sleep before the happiest day of their lives.
Two empty beds because the wedding was off.

Charity pulled herself up off the mattress an hour later. Suddenly, staring at the ceiling had made her feel nauseous.

Sarah, Noah and Moses had spent the night at the pub with Chas and Paddy, out from under her feet so that she could work her way through the day exactly as she needed.

She'd dreamt that they had never broken up, that Vanessa had married her in a beautiful dress and everyone cheered and clapped as they kissed. It stung and her heart felt bruised as her eyes flickered open and reality crept back in.
Alone, she attempted to eat something. A bowl of cereal that she took two bites of then discarded. The kettle had clicked and boiled over but she didn't bother to pour the tea. Her mug sat on the countertop, just waiting to be of use. She didn't want one anymore.

In the bathroom her reflection looked older, miserable, sorry for herself and vulnerable. She didn't recognise the woman looking back at her. Nobody would have. She was a shell of a person who was ready to crawl up into a ball and take a long, long sleep until her heartbreak had ended.

The little pineapple patterned makeup bag that she used every morning was placed upon the sink unit. Inside it were all the ingredients she would have needed to bake herself into a beautiful bride. With one hand, she reached out and found foundation inside, with the other she picked out powder, and in half an hour of silence, disturbed only by a leaky tap, she looked like herself again. Made up and beautiful once more. Though, she didn't feel like a bride, because she wasn't one.

At nine o'clock her phone buzzed and a reminder appeared upon her home screen.
'Happy Wedding Day!!!' she read as the notification came through.

Her thumb slammed onto the X in the top corner and the message disappeared as quickly as to think it was never there in the first place.

She stared at her wallpaper. A photo of Johnny and Moses, taken at Christmas time. In the background, Vanessa's hand was visible. A hand that would have added a second ring in a few short hours. A hand that now wore none.
The engagement ring that Charity had given her, that had promised her a wife, found itself back in its box tucked away and hidden in a drawer. A glistening diamond going to waste, just like everything else bought that made a wedding day special.