Seven years later...
The memories were still intact and they will never be effaced from my mind. It all started in a field of flowers with two little kids playing and laughing. I will never forget that.
I never regret anything because it brought me to him. I could've done it differently but I know I wouldn't change it.
It's been seven years since he placed that daisy in my locker. It's been seven years since I finally realized I had fallen in love with my best friend. It's been seven years since Deliah and I drove all the way to California for him.
Here, I am. Seven years older. He still complements me about how beautiful I've become. He still kisses me randomly. I don't regret choosing him. Ever.
We now in a huge house in wide, open space, just the way we dreamt of when we were still little kids.
I was standing on our porch steps, reminiscing the past years.
After the moment on his brother's porch, we talked for the longest time. Delilah was in her car on the driveway and drove away, leaving us alone together. We went inside the house and laid in the living room, cuddled in a light blanket, and holding hands.
He asked me, "What took you so long?"
I giggled and looked up into his eyes. "I've been so stupid to not see it was you all along. But, my heart was just confused. It took a while before it finally told me the right answer."
"What did it say?" he whispered.
I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Love isn't simple. But it always leads us to do the right thing."
He smiled genuinely down at me. "I'm so glad your heart answered."
I grinned widely and we pressed our foreheads together, staring at each other. "Me too, Jake. Me too."
The day Jake proposed to me was the best day of my life. I remember standing in the middle of the field. Just us, with the same stars we've watched come and go every night, feeling insignificant to the endless sky of stars and bright moon.
We were sitting on the same field on a blanket, staring up at the sky side-by-side, hand-in-hand. My head was resting on his chest and we were practically intertwined.
"We were in the same place that night when we first kissed," he reminded me.
I smiled to myself. "I know, Jake. I can't believe I loved you even before I knew you were my secret admirer."
He chuckled beside me. "But, here we are. Same stars, same beautiful starlit night."
"Yeah," I agreed. I took a deep breath and kept my eyes closed then released a heavy sigh. "You just left me with a daisy and a letter. Then, Cam came and I thought he was you. I was so disappointed," I whispered.
We were silent for so long. Then, he squeezed my hand.
"Does this disappoint you?"
I opened my eyes finding a daisy in my hand. There was a diamond ring at the end of the stem tied with string.
I looked up at Jake. "Oh my God," I gasped, tears welling in my eyes.
"I love you, Natalie. I can’t imagine a different life without you. Trust me, I've felt what it's like being away from you. It's the worst thing in the world," he said, looking straight into my eyes. "I can't imagine living my life with anyone different. I never wanted to."
I was speechless and breathless. I stared at the daisy and him. "Jake...I don't know what to say..."
He grinned. "Say yes."
I nodded with tears in my eyes and hugged him. I wanted to scream. "Yes, Jake. Yes. Yes. Yes!"
He kissed my lips tenderly. "I've been waiting so long for you to say that."
I smiled and kissed him underneath the same place we shared our first. Most memorable night ever.
I stood in my front porch, still staring out into the sunset.
I heard heavy footsteps come my way. I found my dad standing next to me.
He placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'm so proud of you, Natalie."
I took a step closer and hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Dad. For always being here."
He kissed the top of my head. "I'm proud to call you my daughter, Natalie. I'm sure Mom would be proud too."
I smiled. "I know, Daddy. I know."
After looking up at him, I realized how quickly time past by.
I watched as Daniella raced up the porch steps and joined in with the hug.
"Grandpa? Why is Mommy crying?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.
He kneeled down to her level and told her, "She's happy."
"Is it because of Grandma?" she asked.
He shook his hand and glanced up at me. "No. I think Grandma's one of the reasons she's smiling."
I smiled and laughed through the tears. Daniella looked so much like Jake and me. She had the same emerald green eyes as Jake but the same hair and creamy complexion as me. Her puffy cheeks and her sugary sweet smile made me gush. She was so beautiful and I couldn’t be more thankful.
She had a confused look on her face. "Don't worry. You'll understand when you're older," Dad told her.
Faint footsteps grew louder.
Daniella yelled, "Daddy!"
She raced into Jake's arms. Jake tossed her into the air and caught her. She giggled so much when he did that.
"Hi, sweetie! What's going on?"
She whispered to Jake, "Mommy's crying." He simply nodded.
My dad patted me on the shoulder as he left to go back into the house. Jake handed Daniella to my dad. They went into the house, leaving me and Jake alone.
Jake grabbed my hand and smiled. "Whatcha thinking about, Natalie?"
“Everything.” He looked into my eyes and kissed me sweetly. “You.”
It made me flashback to our first kiss behind the tree in the field, on the living room floor, when he proposed to me, and many other times when I didn't want our kisses to end.
I embraced him tightly. "Happy anniversary, Jake. I love you," I whispered in his ear.
"I love you, too," he whispered.
I felt like I didn't need anything more with him in my arms. I felt complete.
I could literally feel our hearts beating against one another. I felt like everything in life was in place. I wish I could just stop the world and live in that moment forever. I wouldn't change anything. Everything led us to where were at that moment.
Love is more than just a game. It's a journey to find yourself. What we need in life and what we want. What we can and can't live without. Sometimes, you have to lose something before you find how important it is to you. It taught me the thin line between love and reality.
My story begins with two little kids. A small-town boy and girl living in a crazy world learning from each other in ways people never thought were possible, accompanied with a couple of daisies and sweet moments to remember in between.
People say that stories like mine don't exist. People said we'd end up divorced because we were teenage love doesn’t last.
Is it because they've never found their own fairytale? Or have they already forgotten what love feels like?
Love is love. Love is real. And that’s all that should matter in a world like this.
Whether you want to believe or not, this is my story.
Trust me, my fairytale has no happily ever after. Because real love stories never truly end.