Short Stories

Short Story 18- Livin' On Love

Hazel looked out the window of the moving car, her head resting on her hand. She loved driving around at night. She loved being able to see the stars. She looked over to her girlfriend who was driving. She had a content smile on her face.

"Baby, as much as I love driving around at night but why are we doing this?" Hazel asked the girl next to her. Nia just hums in content as silence falls over them, the moon creeping up as the sun sets. After a little bit Hazel starts to wonder, what does this mean? Did Nia not love her anymore? They've been having problems but Hazel just thought they were lovers quarrels. What if they weren't? Nia starts to speak,

"This car, our car, is just ten miles away from reaching 100,000 miles."

Hazel wonders if this is part of the break up speech appealing to the long drives they've had or just a distraction. She starts to get irritated, if Nia was going to break up with her she should just say it. Nia continues, "The reason we're here is so we can reach it together, because I want to reach this with the most important person in my life."

Hazel starts to realize that this isn't a break up ride, or a separation ride, or a family ending ride but a 100,000 mile ride. 100,000 miles of friendship. 100,000 miles of love. 100,000 miles of arguments and kisses and greasy diner food and parties and memories. 100,000 miles of them, Nia and Hazel. They're in the car, driving down the highway in a Wednesday night and they're 99,992 miles and they stop for fries and cookies and cream milkshakes. They keep driving, 99,995 miles, Tegan and Sara, 99,997 miles, Amy Winehouse. When they get to 99,999 miles they hold hands and look into each other eye's for a moment as they blare AJR's Livin' On Love, singing at the top of their lungs. They reach 100,000 miles together hand in hand, feeling like nothing is going to break them apart. Nia pulled into an empty meadow lit up with millions of fairy lights. It must have taken all day to set up. They got out and stood in the middle.

"This is where I took you on our first date."

"Chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling apple juice, I remember."

"Yeah, you said, it's just a date not Valentine's Day."

"You turned bright red."

"I was so embarrassed, but you laughed with so much joy that it all disappeared in a matter of moments."

"Best first date ever."

"You were the first person to make me feel safe in a really long time."

"Me too, baby."

"We fell in love so quickly."

"Yeah, we did."

"But it was real love so it didn't matter."

"Yeah, it was."

"We've bought an apartment together and went to school together."

"Yeah, we did."

"Hazel, I want to plan the rest of our lives together."

"Me too."

"I want kids, and a house and a cat. I want to grow old together."

Hazel smiled, tears of joy pricked at her eyes.

"I love you. I love you beautiful ocean eyes, and light brown hair. I love your randomness, and your quirkiness and your incredible kind heart. I love how much you care, and how much of a badass that makes you. You aren't scared of anything and you love unconditionally and you're flawed and that's what makes you so fucking perfect, Hazel Elliot, and why I love you so fucking much. We've been through so much together, so many ups and downs, hell even sideways. We've done so much together and hit so many milestones. We hit 100,000 miles together and I want to hit another 100,000 miles because we are Nia and Hazel, together, forever and always. I guess what this speech is turning into is..."

Nia got down on one knee holding a black velvet box. She opened it to reveal a beautiful sparkling ring with a flower of little diamonds. The exact one Hazel picked out from a jewelry store almost five months ago,

"Hazel Mae Elliot, will you make me the happiest woman alive and do me the honor of marrying me?"

Hazel gasped and almost screamed, "Yes!!! 1,000 times yes!!! I love you too, Nia Mccarthy, so much!!!"

There are too many reasons they found love in their presence. There are too many moments when they are unbreakable together, and in this moment they are one, constructing roads as they go, burning bridges behind them, adding miles together, driving in their car towards the future. Nia slipped the ring on Hazel's finger as she stood up. She cupped her hand around her cheek, kissing her softly. Hazel still felt like a naive teenager when Nia kissed her. Butterflies swarmed her stomach still and her heart fluttered every time she so much as held her hand. It was that kind of love. The kind that last forever.