Settling

Penelope was sitting in a room--she didn't know exactly where she was--waiting to have dinner with the man she was going to marry tonight. Weddings should be a happy occasion, but Penelope wasn't happy. On the contrary, she felt quite depressed. This marriage was arranged, and the man she was supposed to marry was way too old for her.

And for some reason which Penelope could not figure out, there were glowsticks of every color scattered around the room. It kind of creeped her out.

Penelope suddenly had a desire to speak with her mother. She called for her, and when she arrived at the room Penelope said "Mom, I don't think I should marry him. I feel like I'm settling," to which her mother replied "Well yeah, you sure are!" and then walked away. Penelope wished her mother had told her this a long time ago. It would have been nice to know this before her wedding day.

Just then, he walked into the room. He sat down near the food and began eating and talking happily. This went on for a long time, Penelope wasn't sure exactly how long, before she worked up the courage to say something. She just couldn't go on watching him act so happy about the marriage while she was sitting there dreading it.

"Stop!" Penelope cried, "I can't be married to you..." Tears streamed down her face. His face instantly wore a look of shock, confusion, and hurt. Penelope began frantically explaining herself. "It's just that...my life is just beginning. I'm young, I need someone my own age! I have big dreams, I'll never accomplish them if I marry you now..." He got up and left the room silently.

The next day (or perhaps it was the next week, next month, or next year-- Penelope couldn't be sure) Penelope stood in the large warehouse where she worked. All day, all she could think of was how he hadn't said a word to her since she called off the wedding. She felt very relieved, but wished she knew what he'd been thinking. 

She looked up from her work, and right there in the middle of the warehouse stood a horse and buggy. Next to it stood an attractive cowboy who bore an uncanny resemblance to Jim from The Office.

Next thing Penelope knew, she and the Jim cowboy were riding off into a dusty Western sunset. Somehow, Penelope knew things would be okay after all.