Dear Universe, ✔

34.

My first day back at school was full of people asking to sign my cast, everyone asking how I'm feeling, teachers giving me assignments that I had missed, and Ian making it obvious that he was trying not to hover - eventually I just shove my books into his arms since he couldn't decide if he should ask or not. 

The surprising part was that I wasn't cringing and hiding from all the attention, I let everyone sign my already full cast and I told the story of my accident over and over to everyone who asked. I don't know who was more surprised at this new change in my attitude and behavior - me or my fellow classmates. 

Finals are getting closer and closer, and even though both Ian and Fieldan had been bringing me my assignments and keeping me up to date, I was still behind. Ian had finally got up to speed on all the things he missed the week he stayed at the hospital with me, but we both have one very big problem: We haven't read more than two books on Mrs. Holloway's stupid reading list. 

We made a plan to lock ourselves in my room and force each other to read after school, but I have a feeling that's not Ian's real plan. After History, Ian gives me a quick kiss before heading off to baseball practice and I make my way to the gym where Harper is already pacing and going through the routine in her head. As I get closer I can hear her mumbling to herself.

"Hey, Harper." I sit my backpack down on the bleachers and take a seat in front of where she is packing. 

"Annie! You really came." She runs over and gives me an enthusiastic hug.

"I told you I would." The other girls start to arrive and they all seem equally surprised to see me sitting on the bleachers, but it doesn't take long before they all start to swarm and tell me how great it is to have me back. 

I spend the entire practice learning the routine that Harper and the other captains have created for the competition in a few weeks, offering suggestions and changing a few things to help it flow more. I hadn't even realized how long I had been in the gym until a freshly showered Ian puts his arm around my shoulders. "You ready to go, coach?"

I was having so much fun that I was actually kind of sad that practice was over. I promise Harper that I will come back and help tomorrow and the entire walk to my car I can't keep from smiling and laughing as I tell Ian every little detail of the past two hours. 

I climb in to the passenger seat as Ian starts my car and drives us towards the street and out of the school's parking lot. "You seem really happy, Annie." He looks over at me and it's like my happiness makes him happy, his smile is so big and his eyes seem to be sparkling in the reflection of the sun through the windshield. 

"I am really happy." It feels so good to say that and mean it, it feels good to not only get parts of my old life back, but to also have new parts - parts like Ian. 

I used to question if I was ever in love with Drew, because I didn't have anything to compare it to, so I didn't know how I was supposed to know if it was love or just what I pictured love to be like. Now though, I know that I was never in love with Drew. I loved him, sure, but I wasn't in love with him. I'm in love with Ian. I'm in love with every little thing about him, every fiber of his being, every single piece of him.

If I had met Ian first, I don't think I would have ever questioned if I was in love with him because there's no way to not know when it feels like this. 

"Don't take this the wrong way, because I loved you before and I hope you know that, but I really love you when you're like this. It's like I'm finally getting to see every side of you." 

"I really love me when I'm like this too." 

That's another thing about Ian, he's seen each and every side of me and he's still here. 

When we pull into my driveway I notice that both of my parent's cars are there. They're on better terms now, apparently putting aside their differences while I was in the hospital made them realize how insignificant it all was. My dad apologized to my mom for cheating on her and they had a long talk, which resulted in them both admitting to handling things the wrong way and agreeing to do better.

Even though they are on speaking terms and no longer fighting twenty four seven, it's still odd to see my dad's car at our house. 

"Did you know your dad was going to be here?" Ian puts the car in park and we both look towards the door. 

"No." 

I can hear my dad's laugh as soon as I open the door and a wave of nostalgia hits me. Not only have I not heard my dad's laugh in this house in a long time, but I haven't heard my parents whole heartily laugh together in over a year. I give Ian a look of confusion mixed with amusement and he does the same. 

My mom is sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of her and my dad is leaning against the counter, smiling down at her as she covers her mouth with her hand to hide her laugh. 

My dad is the first to notice Ian and I standing in the doorway watching them. "Hey, you two."

"Hey, dad. What's going on here?" I look back and forth between them and they share a smile before my mom nods and they turn back to us. 

"We're going out to dinner." He points to himself and my mom, and that's when I notice how dressed up they both are. My mom is wearing a dress that I've never seen before and my dad is in khakis and a button up shirt. 

"Wait, like a date?" 

"Yes, like a date." He looks to Ian, "Ian, can you make sure our girl gets some dinner while we're out?"

"Yes, sir." Ian seems just as shocked as I am, but I can tell he's loving how close he has become to my dad over the past few weeks. They had plenty of time to get to know one another while I was in the hospital. My dad's inner baseball nerd came out when he learned Ian was on the team, and he was happy to have someone to talk ball with again. 

My mom loves Ian too, she adores how sweet and polite he is. He also compliments her cooking and helps her clear the table so she says she'd trade me for him any day. 

"So you're getting back together?" I can't hide my excitement as I bounce on my heels and watch my parents look at each other in a way they haven't since River left us. 

"We're working things out." It's not a yes, but it's a start. At least it means they're trying, that there's a possibility. 

I run towards my mom and hug her, my dad soon follows and for the first time in a long time we feel like a family - a real family, not one that is broken and hanging on by a thread. 

Once Ian and I send my parents out the door, he orders a pizza and we take a seat on the couch. I drape my legs over Ian's and he rests his hands on my thigh as he flips through the channels on the television. 

"I can't believe they're out on a date." I say after a few minutes of replaying the whole conversation in my head. 

"You're happy about it though, right?" 

"I'm beyond happy about it." I don't think I've stopped smiling all day and I love it. For once I'm not feeling guilty or angry about the smile on my face and I can't believe how much better I feel just by deciding to let go of all the pain and anger I felt.

Ian's hand slowly moves up my thigh. "Ian, we're supposed to be reading, remember?"

Our backpacks are still in the entry way where he dropped them over an hour ago. "Yeah, I remember." His hand moves even higher but his eyes stay on the screen in front of us. I can see the smirk on his face, but we really do need to read those books or we'll fail the final. 

"Ian..."

"You don't think your parents will get in a fight and turn the car around or something do you?"

That's a really weird change of topic. "Uhm, no, I don't think so. They seem pretty happy."

All I see is a smirk before his face is an inch from mine, "You sure you want to read, Annie?"