The wedding of Santa Barbara Hayley Benson and Ted Capwell
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Between love and reason, Hayley Benson and Ted Capwell slowly discover one another, learn to understand each other, marvel at their similarities, and find amusement in their differences. As they cautiously grow closer, navigating the unpredictable rules of love and fate, a tender feeling begins to blossom between them. They take the time to get to know each other. They waste time on purpose, savoring the early excitement of their relationship. A relationship carried on the winds of hope, as they remain loyal to one another - despite discovering that Hayley is related to Gina DeMott Capwell. But hope has to contend with the rising anger in town, sparked by the Capwell Casino, and led by Lily Light's crusade. Santa Barbara trembles. Santa Barbara wavers. And...

One day, the explosion at restaurant Buzz's Place transforms the delicate ties between Hayley and Ted into heavy, binding chains... Love yields to reason. Love steps aside in the face of justice. And in a cruel twist of fate, Hayley and Ted must choose between prison walls decreed by the law or prison walls built from guilt and the absence of love.

A strange proposal...

Hayley faces prison for the accidental death of Amy Wallace. Ted risks prison for obstruction of justice, as he refuses to testify against Hayley.

Guilt and grief quickly overpower their hearts. The two, who were just beginning to love each other, now must silence their true feelings. The looming threat of prison casts a long shadow over their budding love. So when Hayley is summoned by Mason to the Capwell Villa, she assumes it is yet another scheme to save Ted. Their innocence feels weightless against the reality of the world, and their words no longer reflect their true emotions. Ted declares he will not testify, even if it means going to prison. But Hayley, moved by his sacrifice, refuses to bear that burden on top of her guilt over Amy's death. She tells Ted she will not accept his sacrifice and that she will confess everything. Before they can examine their hearts further, Brick Wallace arrives with police officers to arrest Hayley.

Mason's sudden entrance brings the situation to a halt. Accompanied by Judge McAllister (whom Mason mistakes for someone else), Mason hints at another solution. Neither Ted nor Hayley understands what he means... With a mocking smile, Mason reproaches Ted not have watched Perry Mason, and asks Hayley and Ted a qyestion : when does someone is not required to testify ? The answer is clear only to Mason : when the witnesses are husband and wife. And so, Mason indirectly urges Ted and Hayley to get married. Neither seems pleased with the idea.

Ever-practical, Mason adds that a judge is already present, and all they need to do is sign the papers. In Mason's mouth, everything sounds so simple. The judge, believing the couple to be engaged for months, begins to ask questions. Hayley denies it and agrees to be taken to the station. As Ted tries to go with her, Mason insists he stays there, until midnight.

Witnesses with strange words...

Isolated in denial of their feelings, Ted and Hayley find themselves more distant than ever. And yet, a single word, a glance, a small gesture would be enough for either of them to reach out and take the other's hand. Instead, they each face alone the pressure of those around them, those well-meaning souls who only want what is best for them...

At the Capwell Villa, Ted faces his father and mother. Consumed by fear, Sophia tries to convince her son of Mason's strange strategy. Among the words she speaks, she reminds Ted that he and Hayley had planned to marry before Gina returned to town. As for C.C., he does not know if it is better to get married or go to jail... He later returns to see his son in prison to force him to comply with Mason's plan. There, he confesses that he knows Ted has always done what he wanted, and that back then, he would have married Hayley even against his father's wishes. So today, he must do it... He must, no matter the situation, but only on the condition that it is his choice, and that choice must be dictated by love... Slowly then, C.C.'s words reach Ted's heart.

At the police station, Hayley must endure the same onslaught. First comes Gina, trying to convince her that Ted is the answer to all her problems. Gina even tries to guilt her, saying she will feel responsible for leaving Ted in jail. But Hayley remains indifferent to her aunt's words, reading between the lines other selfish intentions : she realizes she would be Gina's backup plan to get to the Capwell money if marrying C.C. fails. Hayley points out she would then be both her niece and her daughter-in-law. She manages to get Gina to leave the room, making way for other visitors.

Mason is the next to speak to Hayley. His tone is more honest : he asks her to marry Ted not for herself, but for his little brother. The weight of Amy's death, the weight of Ted's imprisonment - these are burdens Hayley no longer wants to bear. She no longer wants Ted to serve as her conscience. She wants to take responsibility for her own faults... As she tells Mason, her decision is made and it is clear, because she has lost all trust and hope in Ted. To her, whether it is marriage or prison, both are equal. But because she still loves Ted deep down, she prefers to be the only one to suffer, the only one to pay for her mistakes...

Torn between her two sons, Sophia, unwilling to choose between Brick's sorrow and Ted's grief, knows the only person who can save them all is Hayley. That is why she enters the police station office where Hayley is hiding. Sophia's words are right : she does not speak about Ted or Brick, she speaks only of Hayley. She understands the pain and deep suffering Hayley feels. She senses the weight of betrayals crushing her : Lily and her followers, Gina, Ted, the Capwells. So Sophia urges her to do what she wants to do, not what Gina wants, or what anyone else expects of her. She must choose her own path. It is a heavy responsibility because, as Sophia explains, the power to change everything rests in her hands. Sophia shares her fear as a mother at the thought of Ted in prison. But she also admits she hates the pressure being placed on Hayley's fragile shoulders. So when Sophia leaves the room, a calmer Hayley remains behind. Calmer because Sophia understood some of her fears. And Hayley knows she must make a decision, not one dictated by others or by revenge, but by her heart...

And deep in her heart, Hayley knows Ted has a special place... And deep in his heart, Ted knows Hayley has a special place... And deep in their hearts, they both know that the impossible might become possible, with a little honesty and sincerity...

Strange vows...

Touched at the same moment by a shared heartbeat, Ted and Hayley find themselves in a police office. There, within those private walls, they lift the veil on their emotions. Ted is the first to speak, awkwardly, his first words. If he agrees to the wedding, it is to spare them both from prison. Surprised by Hayley's expressions, Ted opens up and confesses that he cares for her, that he will always stand by her. Cracks form in his armor, revealing the sincere and loyal young man he has always been.

But facing him, Hayley, moved by his confessions, is afraid of that love. She does not want to be indebted, especially since she does not know if she truly loves him. The words she speaks are harsh and unequivocal : she does not love Ted, and she does not trust him. Ted takes the blow, hurt by this unexpected revelation. Was he expecting different vows ? Would Hayley have preferred a more combative Ted ?

Trapped in their mutual refusal to admit how they truly feel, they stare at each other from a distance. Ted, wounded in his pride, chooses to concede and admits that even if he has feelings for her, it is not love. This way, neither of them will have anything to fear when the marriage fails... It will be just another formality to annul it...

Visibly disappointed and sad, Ted goes to fetch his brother. The charade of vows can continue...

A wedding called off...

Everyone gathers in a dull, joyless room of the police station. Hayley, dressed in green, faces Ted as their loved ones enter : Gina in pink, Lily in white. Everyone is present, except Sophia, when Judge McAllister walks in. The judge is no fool and clearly understands what is happening : a distortion of justice. Before stating that he will not officiate the wedding, he harshly reprimands prosecutor Mason Capwell for mocking the law.

Judge McAllister's departure means the wedding is called off, and also sparks more blame from C.C. toward his eldest son. But Mason stands firm : his plan will not fall apart, he owes it to his little brother. Seeing Lily Light, the obvious choice, almost as a sign from fate (or God), strikes him : Lily Light will officiate the wedding, she owes him that. Fortunately, he knows she legally has the right to officiate a marriage.

...To a wedding that happens...

But before they can say "I do", the road remains long; neither Hayley nor Ted wants Lily to marry them. Neither of them trusts her. Ted again faces the wrath of his father and the advice of his brother. Ted's doubts are justified; he knows what he feels for Hayley isn't yet great love. Hayley's last words are still etched in his mind : she does not trust him !

Hayley, meanwhile, must listen to her aunt Gina, who pushes her to go through with the ceremony and accept the Capwell ring. Gina's advice is typical Gina : accept the marriage not for what it is, but for what it can offer. Gina also manages to unearth a secret from Hayley : like any young woman, she dreams of a different wedding, not necessarily a big one, but certainly not a prison wedding. Gina's words and the fear creeping into Hayley eventually sway her. They return to the Capwell men waiting for them. Hayley announces she agrees to the marriage. Ted justifies his agreement by leaning on Hayley's decision, since it is what she wants...

Taking the reins of the event, Gina tries to make this most unusual wedding look as normal as possible. She asks Ted to take his father, C.C., as his witness. She volunteers as Hayley's witness. Then she wants to find a bouquet for the bride. The bouquet idea is quickly scrapped. Gina steps out to find wedding rings, while tension between the couple rises. She returns with flowers stolen from an office bouquet. Mason, meanwhile, gets two rings from Ginger Jones' arrested prostitutes. He returns with a gaudy fake ring.

While everyone else scrambles with preparations, Ted and Hayley remain alone in a room. Their hands just inches apart; a gentle breeze would be enough to bring them together and break down the walls. To turn this facade of a wedding into one of real feelings...

In the grayish room, the air feels heavier than usual. Ted turns off the radio Gina found, and Hayley throws him the bouquet. Since it is already sordid, they may as well remove every trace of romance. Gina begins humming the wedding march to spark life into Hayley's dreams, and Mason quickly silences her with his hand. The die is cast...

Lily begins. Brick's voice is heard outside the door. Mason quickly ensures the ceremony continues. Lily resumes. During the ring exchange, the flashy prostitute ring passes from Mason's hand to C.C.'s (who nearly snatches it), then to Ted's. No one is fooled about the ring's origin. So Sophia removes one of her own rings and gives it to Ted. Hayley thanks her with a glance for the thoughtful gesture. Ted slides the ring onto Hayley's finger, vowing love, fidelity, and loyalty... Words almost foreign to their situation, as both still hide their true feelings. Yet if Hayley can be sure of one thing from Ted, it is his loyalty.

Lily's words bring them back to reality. They are united. They are now chained to each other for at least one year. A year during which they have willingly built the walls of a different prison to escape the one justice had in store. A prison made of golden bars, but a prison nonetheless. A prison where both Ted and Hayley will be both jailer and inmate. A prison of false appearances, ready to crumble like a house of cards, if either dared to speak the love in their hearts. They leave the police station, without Ted even kissing the bride.

A wedding... and then what ?

After a brief stop at the Capwell Villa, Ted and Hayley find themselves in the presidential suite of the Capwell Hotel for their wedding night. Neither feels ready for this forced closeness and intimacy. Like a perfect gentleman, Ted leaves the bedroom to Hayley, who, tired, wants to sleep, to sleep on the couch. Ted, who had delayed making love to Laken Lockridge, now finds himself in a far more delicate situation : he never imagined his wedding night would be like this. Hayley too had hoped for a different wedding night. Her eyes fixed on Ted's bare back, she is filled with bitter regret, not for the night of love she could have had, but simply for the presence of the man she secretly loves. She would have liked him to hold her in his arms and comfort her... Tonight, nestled against him, close to his chest, in the warmth of his embrace, she felt ready to find the strength to confess her love. To let him glimpse the hope of a shared life... Possible... Because behind the pretenses and silence, they love each other... And as so often, life will steal away the happiness they hoped for far too soon, the happiness they could have known...

As one of the show's great couples, Ted and Hayley went from innocence to tragedy in a heartbeat. After the Christie DuVall storyline, Hayley gave Ted depth and substance. His character finally had a real presence beyond the Capwell Villa. Their tragic love story allowed Todd McKee to reveal another side of Ted. Behind the carefree heir lay a profoundly loyal soul - he always stood by Mason, defending him against their father. United by force, their bond would unravel, undone by life's harsh reality : Laken Lockridge's return, Ted's inability to deal with Hayley's rape, and the arrival of Jake Morton...

United by force by timidity, by fear of admitting their feelings, Ted and Hayley would slowly drift apart, making room for another love... Yet, they truly loved each other. Sincerely. But sometimes love is just not enough...

Text written for this site by Lilian