Are You Ready? by Amanda Hearty

Ali. I’ve loved you since I met you. Not only are you gorgeous with your blonde hair and blue eyes, but you were always so grounded, so normal, and perfect. My nice country girl!’
    â€˜I’m not so country now, am I? I can hold my own in any conversation about schools’ rugby, the best Dublin hotspots or why Cavistons is really the only place to buy fish in South Dublin!’
    Robin laughed and ordered more champagne for his fiancée.
    When they arrived back at the hotel, it was clear Robin had informed the staff of his ‘proposal plan’ as not only did they greet them with flowers and champagne, but showed Robin and Ali into their room, where they had not only covered the bed and room with fresh rose petals, but had run Ali a bubblebath with the petals just everywhere! And as Robin drifted off to sleep with a rose petal stuck to his forehead Ali had to pinch herself that this was all real, that she was about to get married.

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    A few days later they drove up to the Cape winelands. They checked into an old-world hotel in Franschhoek. Along with many wineries, the town was famous for its art galleries, shops, restaurants and quaint feel. They drove their rented car straight to La Petite Ferme, one of the most famous restaurants, wineries and hotels in the winelands. Ali and Robin sat down on the terrace and opened a bottle of wine made from grapes that had been grown and harvested right in front of where they were sitting. As they ordered their food, Robin started laughing.
    â€˜Ali, here we are surrounded by a valley full of vineyards, fields of lavender, and mouth-watering food, and yet you are like a magpie and can only stare at the engagement ring!’
    â€˜I can’t help it! I’m in love with it. I just can’t wait to show my sisters and all the girls. You have great taste.’
    â€˜I know, sure, didn’t I choose you?’ And with that their food was served and they settled back to watch the world go by.
    South Africa was so laid-back, Ali didn’t know how she was ever going to return home to her boring work, get the bus every day in the wet weather and put up with the stress of living in a big city again. As if Robin could read her mind, he tried to reassure her.
    â€˜Don’t worry, Ali, we’ll come back here again, I promise. We are not even halfway through the holiday, but already I know that this will be our place! It’s our paradise; we’ll be back.’ Reassured, Ali smiled at him, and then started her vegetarian tartlet.

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    I must be mad, thought Ali, trying to control her fear as she looked down at the deep dark water. How had she let Robin persuade her to join him on a shark-dive?
    â€˜Just trust me, Ali, you can do this. I know you can,’ Robin whispered to her, as she zipped up her wetsuit.
    After the winelands they had travelled across the mountains to stay in a seaside town called Hermanus, and it was from there that they were now going shark-diving … great white shark-diving! Robin had been dying to do it for years, ever since he had seen a documentary about people doing it on the Discovery Channel. It seemed like madness to Ali, to willingly lower yourself into shark-infested water, all for the pleasure of saying you had done it. Robin had been trying to persuade her for days that it was safe and a great achievement. No wonder he proposed before this, she thought. He was just trying to butter me up! But as the day approached Ali swung between not wishing to go near the sharks, and wanting to be ableto say she was not afraid and was able to do it. She just couldn’t decide what to do. So here she was now, in her wetsuit, with Robin and two American guys trying to persuade her to get in a cage. Each cage took four people, and was lowered down from the side of the boat into the bloodied water below.
    â€˜You will be fine, darling. I’ve been married and divorced four times, and nothing could be scarier than a