Where It All Started

Chapter 14

He leaned up moving to kiss me softly. "I swear to you," he said looking me in the eyes, "I am being very honest with you. I'm not tell you what you want to hear but how I truly feel. Summer school would be completely fine with me. I think that would mean we'd have to postpone the wedding until then, right?"

I sighed bitting my lip and looking down at my cup as I nodded. "We are both going to be too busy in June. By then your season will have started and I will be in school. I think we should wait until September or October," I said just above a whisper.

Levi groaned and rested his head on my chest. I put a hand on his head, tangling my hands into his hair. This time it was me kissing his hair.

"I wish we'd just go to the justice of the peace to get married," he muffled.

"You know your mama'd have a fit, Levi. My mom would want whatever make me happy but I already bought my dress, she and your mama've already got the bridesmaid dresses...we shoulda chose to do that earlier."

He chuckled before lifting his head. "Well should I have put it in my proposal or something. Should I've said, 'before you answer I'd like to get married ASAP, so if you wanna skip the whole big wedding bridesmaid, groomsmen and group of family and friends and just go straight to the man and get married by the justice of peace that'd be nice."

I laughed scrunching my nose up as if disgusted. "No, you shouldn't have but, I am just as disappointed as you but I think that being able to graduate from college...its the step I need toward figuring out what I want to do."

He smiled at me putting his big rough farmer boy hand on my face gently caressing my face. "I can see why you want to finish school and I can see why you want to go to law school. I love how independent you are so, I am not going to stop you from reaching your own dream. I've realized that life's too short. Too precious."

I put my hand on his hand against the one he had on my face, tears gathering in mine. I sniffed, before looking down and away from his piercing light brown eyes, causing a tear to fall.

"If you thought I was adamant about graduating and going to Law school before the accident, I'm going to be even worse. So brace yourself, Mr.Miller," I whispered.

He lifted my head gently so, I'd be looking him in the eyes. His eyes fills with love as he gazed at me. "Believe me, you never cease to amaze me with the determination you have. I only ever underestimated you twice."

I looked at him confused and he continued. "The first time was when we were six and the second time was a couple of months ago when you were 20 and me having just turned 21. I will never do that again because both time times you proved me very wrong. So, seeing as today is a very special day, I have a gift.

I cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

He smirked. "It's your twenty first birthday today."

My eyes got wide and then it hit me. Oh my, today is my birthday got caught up in the move. January 15th.

"Right," I said trailing of at the end. "My birthday." I put my hand on my necklace still staring into the fire.

Levi came back and plopped down on the couch a huge grin on his face, going from ear to ear. It was infectious. I grinned at him.

"What've you got there?"

He held out the medium sized box to me. "You have to open it to see."

I bit my bottom lip, leaned down to set my cup on the floor in front of the couch. Then took the box from him looking at him through my lashes.

"I wanted something that you'd like and could add to the wood with the poem I made you three years ago," he said smiling shyly.

I grinned at him as I pulled the ribbon off the top of the square box. Pulling the top off I gasped my heart exploding with happiness as I looked at the big picture frame in the box.

There were sixteen photos all of him and I and in the middle one was a photo of him on his knee with the box in hand and me with my mouth covered eyes filled with tears. There was a photos of us freshman year of high school in our uniforms. Me in my navy blue Lady Hornets Softball jersey and softball pants, my number '9' in white at the bottom left and Levi with his white baseball jersey in white and navy blue pin striped Hornets uniform at the time, also wearing '9'. We both had cleats on and were laughing holding on to each other on the school baseball field.

I continued looking at the frame, pulling it out and into my hands. Another picture was of us when we were eight. Our backs were to the camera but we were holding onto our baseball bags looking over our shoulder at whoever was taking the photo. My eyes stopped on a photo that was taken from a distance.

I was against the fence of the baseball field of our school and Levi was in his stance getting ready to throw, he was leaning forward and my arms were folded over on the yellow fence protector my chin resting on top. We had to be at least sixteen. I was watching him intently, I looked as if I was gazing at him dreamily.

A tear fell. "Oh, Levi," I whispered running my finger tips along the edge. "Are each of these photos taken from the time we were six?"

He nodded smiling timidly. "I got some from my mom but some were also from your mom. They corroborate each year that we've know each other. This one," he pointed to a picture of the two of us eating Popsicles sitting on the bleacher between our dads. "was when we were six. And this one," he said pointing to one where I was in his arms, an arm around his neck the other up in 'V' with my palm open my legs limp and us both in our dirty uniforms just outside one of the fields smiling so big it looked our faces were going to break. "was when we were seventeen. That was when I was with Margaret Ann but she couldn't make it to the state qualifier for our baseball team. You had a game an hour away and didn't even both to change out of your uniform after your game. You drove your mom crazy because she wasn't driving fast enough you made it there by the third inning. Your voice was the only one that mattered in the crowd that day."

I took in a breath. "I remember every moment. After that game you broke up with Margaret Ann the next week."

He nodded and I began softly sobbing, tears falling freely. He pulled me into his arms soothing me. "This is the most thoughtful gift you've ever given me. I love it," I said through my tears leaning up to look at him. "And you."

He smiled leaning forward to kiss me, as I rested a hand on his cheek. He began kissing my face wiping away my tears with his lips. I began giggling, not laughing, giggling. He leaned up and looked at me, his eyes alight with happiness, love, admiration, and so much more. "I love your laugh, your smile and your undying friendship. I love you, Brielle. These picture are only half of the memories we've made in the last sixteen years. This will be one of many. Soon there will be one of us and our children and our children's children."

I looked into his ernest eyes, loving him so much more than before...if that was even possible. I kissed him... long. I savored every moment with this man and then a voice in my head spoke. And you thought he'd ever leave...one more beautiful memory to store.

Author's note: this is going to be one of my favorite chapter in this story that I've wrote. Isn't Levi the sweetest? Hahah a girl's fantasy.