Colleen brushed a tear from her face. This couldn't be happening. Her mother getting remarried to someone Colleen hated. She stood up off her bedroom floor and walked over to her vanity. She took a brush and ran it through her sandy blonde hair. She looked at her sky blue eyes, filled with tears. Colleen was thirteen years old, and her parents had divorced three years ago, when she was ten. She still hadn't gotten over the fact that her parents were divorced. She hated not seeing her dad everyday, and having to switch back and forth from houses each weekend. And now, her beautiful, intelligent, and talented mother, Penny Richardson had told them that she was getting married. Colleen's mother had only known the man for a year, and was getting married! Just to top it off, Colleen hated the man her mother had chosen, his name was Traden. He was selfish, and never helped Penny do anything. Colleen didn't like him at all.

"Colleen! Dinner!" called her mother. Colleen walked down the stairs slowly. She came to the kitchen, which smelled warm and delicious. She sat at the table, avoiding talking to Traden, and sat beside her brother, Sam. Sam was eight, and he really seemed to like Traden. Colleen didn't know why. And even Colleen's picky older sister, Tara, liked him. Colleen couldn't see what everyone else saw in him. "Pass the potatoes please?" asked Traden. Colleen pretended like she didn't hear him. She didn't really want to do any favours for Traden.

Soon, months had passed, and the wedding was only a month away! Colleen still hated Traden as much as she had before, maybe even more. She was at home with her mother that day. Her mother was on the phone to her sister, talking about the wedding. Colleen tried to do her math homework, but she just couldn't. She was usually so good at math, and she was a straight A student, but lately she couldn't focus on anything, she was too hurt.

Her mother got off the phone and smiled. "Okay, I'm gonna try on my wedding dress!" she shrieked, running upstairs. Colleen felt a lump in her throat. She couldn't stand it. She didn't want to see her mother looking beautiful for Traden, why not for Dad? Soon, within a few minutes her mother appeared downstairs, looking gorgeous. Her wedding dress was made of satin and lace, and was backless, it almost looked as if an angel had wrapped her wings around her mother. Colleen burst into tears. They tumbled down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them no matter how hard she tried.

"Oh, Colleen, what's wrong, honey?" asked her mother sitting beside her. Colleen got up her courage and spoke. "Mom, I have been hiding this for a while, but I don't like Traden, and I don't want you two to get married. It just hurts me bad," she told her shakily, but she felt relieved. Her mother sat there shocked. "Well, I always thought you liked Traden. This surprises me. Well, uh, look Coll, I really love Traden, and I have to marry him. But I'll make you a deal, give him a chance, try talking with him, having fun with him, and if you still don't like him, then we'll have to do something else," she stated. Colleen thought, and shook her head. It was a fair enough deal.

A month passed. Colleen gave it a fair chance. She tried to do things with Traden. It was the day before the wedding, and her mother had been right, she just had to give him a chance! She really liked Traden, and he was funny, kind, and he did love her mother, and Tara, Sam, and Colleen, and that is what mattered. But Colleen couldn't wait until the wedding day!