4 Years Earlier - June

Lennon skipped down the sidewalk, the hot concrete stinging her bare feet, but she was too excited to notice. The end of her ponytail tickled her pink and freckled shoulders. She cut across the front lawn, leading to the yellow house, and leaped up the front steps. A warm howl rang out a second before she pulled the door open.

"It's just me, Beau," she called out.

She sauntered through the swinging kitchen door. Her eyes darted around the empty space.

"Charlotte?" she called out, pulling open the door to the pantry.

"I'm in here darling," Charlotte answered.

"Ok," Lennon called back.

She grabbed a box of crackers, then followed the path of Charlotte's voice into the dining room.

"What are you doing in here?" Lennon asked, her mouth full of crackers.

Her eyes moved over the neat piles that were stacked on the table.

"I thought we could work in here," Charlotte said.

Lennon sat, pulling her leg up under her.

"Lennon Griffin get your dirty feet off my chair!" Charlotte said.

"It will be Lennon Embrey pretty soon!" Lennon said, but she did as she was told.

"Does Hunter know you already plan to disgrace the family name?"

Lennon's head went back as a loud, rolling laugh burst from her.

"Does he also know his fiancée is running around like a lunatic without shoes?" Charlotte asked.

"You're son isn't marrying me because of my refined southern air," Lennon said, putting on her best impression of a pompous, Southern accent.

"I'll have you know a refined Southern air is more then just a pompous attitude," Charlotte said

"I'm not knocking your debutant days," Lennon said.

"Of course you aren't," she said. "Because I was the best debutant all of North Caroline has ever seen."

"Did they teach you how to plan a wedding at your debutant classes?"

"No. I figured that out on my own. Speaking of, we should get started," Charlotte said. "Now I picked this up the other day."

She held up a fancy notebook with a the words wedding planner scrolled across the front.

"According to this prep checklist we are very behind," Charlotte said. "You've already been engaged for almost a month and we have yet to set a date. Any thoughts on the date?"

"How about the end of August?" Lennon tossed out.

"You and my son!" Charlotte laughed. "Did you talk about this?"

"No."

"Well you both seem to think it doesn't take time to plan a wedding. He suggested the same date."

Lennon couldn't hold back her giddy smile, just thinking how in sync she and Hunter were.

"Why doesn't August work?" she asked.

"That's only a month and a half away," Charlotte said. "That will never be enough time to find a venue or caterer or florist. It's barely enough time to send out invitations."

Lennon's eyes grew wide at all the details. She had always imagined a small backyard wedding.

"Besides," Charlotte continued, "a little time between the engagement and wedding isn't a bad thing. It would let you seriously think about the decision you two are about to make."

"I love Hunter," Lennon said solemnly. "I've known that I wanted to marry him since I was twelve. Waiting a few extra months isn't going to change that."

"I know," Charlotte said. "I just want what's best. For both of you."

Lennon smiled, knowing Charlotte's intentions were for the best. Her worries always seemed doubled, as she tried to fill the gap Lennon's mom had left.

"We can think about the date later," Charlotte said. "Moving on."

A timer started to beep in the kitchen and she jumped.

"My pie. I almost forgot," she said, running into the kitchen.

Lennon shifted her focus to the piles on the table. A box of photos of her and Hunter caught her attention. She pulled out a pile of glossy pictures. She flipped through them, catching glimpses into their youth. Snow days, puddle jumping, messy ice cream cones, camping in the the backyard, her and Hunter together in almost every picture. As she kept looking, the events shifted to football games, school rally's, the annual beach trip.

"The pies done," Charlotte said, breezing back into the room.

Charlotte peered over Lennon's shoulder.

"Would you look the two of you?" Charlotte said.

Lennon had a picture of herself sitting on Hunter's lap as they cooked s'mores. She moved to the next picture of her and Hunter with another couple. Lennon let out a joyous laugh, and Charlotte gave her an unamused frown.

"I can't believe we didn't catch on to you guys," Charlotte said.

Lennon tried to give her best repentant look.   

"You said we had to date other people," Lennon said. "You never said we couldn't double date."

"The whole point was for you two get some distance. See that there are other people in the world. Some of who you might be interested in."

Lennon had thought the whole idea had been a joke when Deacon and Charlotte had sat her and Hunter down during their sophomore year. They had told them they needed to take some time apart and try seeing other people.They were worried Lennon and Hunter were too young to be so serious.

They had strongly asked they spend a month apart and then decide where to go from there. They had been friends since they were born, liked each other since sixth grade and officially become a couple freshman year.

In the end, Hunter and her had begrudgingly agreed to the proposal. The news of their break up had spread like wildfire the next day, Lennon and Hunter being together was a staple in their classmates lives as much as their own.

By the time school let out, Lennon was annoyed with everyone. She was just imagining how long and lonesome the next month without Hunter was going to be, when a guy from her third period had approached her. He asked if she wanted to go on a date with him. Instead of lashing out at him, she got an idea. He had seemed almost as surprised as she had felt when she said yes.

That night, Lennon had snuck out of her house and crept three houses down to Hunter's. She climbed to Hunter's room, her feet nimbly finding the familiar grips on the tree. The screen to his window was already missing and the window only emitted a small hush as it rose. It had only taken Hunter's sleepy eyes a moment to focus on Lennon. When they did, she knew his day had been as bad as hers.

He had only given his bedroom door a quick cautionary look before he had pulled her close. After a moment she had pulled away and forced him to listen as she talked quietly. She had kept their rendezvous short, explaining her plan quickly. Then she slipped back into the night as quiet as a cat on the prowl. They had had their first double date the next weekend and a double date every weekend after that until Charlotte and Deacon had caught on.

"I always wondered how you got the other two people to go along with your plan?" Charlotte said.

From the moment they had been caught, Charlotte had known Lennon had been the master mind behind the plot. Most of the time Lennon and Hunter got caught doing something they probably shouldn't, it was her fault. The chocolate pudding, the sparklers, Miss Henley's dog, the hamster incident.

Lennon knew Charlotte and Deacon liked to think this was because Hunter was the better child. It was more because when Hunter planned, he was thorough enough that they never got caught. Lennon lacked his patience and attention to detail. She jumped headfirst and dealt with the consequences later. But it wasn't like they caused any real trouble. Trouble for them were good intentions with bad directions.

"Free dinner," Lennon said, answering Charlotte's question. "And the enjoyment of our company."

"It must have been some food, because I have your company all the time and I can't say much joy comes from it."

Charlotte's laughing eyes didn't match her grumbling words.

"How come you got the pictures out anyways?" Lennon asked.

"Some people do a slideshow," Charlotte said.

"We aren't doing a slideshow," Lennon said."I know you think Hunter is the most adorable baby ever, but I get bored looking at my own photos. I'm not going to put my wedding guests through that torture."

"Ok, there is plenty more to talk about, but first we really do have to settle on a date. Everything else depends on it. How about October?"

"Is August really not an option?" Lennon asked.

She already thought there were too many days to wait between them and August.

"It's just so soon. What's the rush? You haven't even been engaged a month yet" Charlotte said.

Lennon nodded, but remained quiet. Her thoughts went back, not to the end of May when they had officially announced their engagement but to a night in early February.

Winter's bite had still been strong in the air when Hunter and she had driven to their favorite look out. Hunter had left the car on, it's guttural hum combating the chill that fought against the glass. Lennon had already been moving towards Hunter when he had shifted to pull her close. He wrapped his arms around her, to add another layer of defense against the cold. Their quiet voices had been caught up in talk about college, the arrival of acceptance letters looming in the near future to decide what their next four years would look like.

A comfortable silence had fallen between them and Lennon's thoughts were making lazy circles when Hunter cleared his throat and brought her back to him.

"So, I've been thinking," he said quietly.

She smiled. She could fill his voice rumble in his chest as she leaned against him.

"That's always good to do from time to time," she said.

Her smile grew at her own joke as she waited for his witty retort. All she got was a low, unsteady laugh. Lennon slowly pulled away and turned to face Hunter, feeling something had shifted. His gaze was steady as it roved over her face. When his eyes finally met her's, Lennon searched them for their usual mischievous laugh, but didn't find it.

"I love you Len," he said gently, his gaze softening.

Lennon's smile raced from one cheek to the other and then up to her eyes. She moved to close the distance between them, her eyes zeroing in on his lips. He shifted back ever so slightly and she paused.

"Let me finish," he said, his mouth turning up in just one corner, flashing Lennon her favorite smile. She sat back.

"I love you because we've been friends since before we could walk. From diapers to first bike rides to football games, you've always been there. I love you because you like ice cream at any time of day and ask to many questions when we watch movies."

Lennon gave a guilty laugh.

"Because you sing when you think and play guitar to make sense of things. You dive in headfirst without thinking about the consequences and always take me along. You're determined and somewhat stubborn, but you love deeply. You genuinely care for people. I love you because you're the person I want around when I'm happy, and you're the person who sticks around when I'm mad. You know me in every form that I come in and you still choose to stick around."

"You make it easy," Lennon said softly.

He smiled and continued.

"I know there are people who think we are foolish for being so serious. Think we need to experience more life before we make any big decisions. I disagree. I know I could go out and gain the experience of ten lifetimes and at the end of it all, I would still want you. Only you. I don't love you because you are simply all I've ever loved. I love you because you are only one I want to love."

Lennon's heart was racing and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Hunter dropped his eyes as he reached out and took her hands. When he looked up again, there was a look in his eyes that Lennon had never seen before. It was serious and confident. Mature.

"Lennon, I've loved you since the day I understood what love was. Will you marry me and let me love you until the day I die?"

Lennon had known the question was coming. She knew Hunter too well. Something inside of her had known, when the tone of their conversation had changed, that this was where it was headed. But she still felt the thrill of surprise when the words left his mouth. A smile that reached from the top of her head to the tips of her toes spread across her face.

"Yes!" she breathed, rushing into his arms.

He held her tight for a moment, his whole being seeming to engulf her, as if only when they were together did they finally make a whole. She pulled back and found his lips, echoing her answer with her kisses.

"You haven't even seen the ring?" he laughed after they finally pulled themselves apart.

"Ring?" Lennon asked.

"Do you think I was going to propose without a ring?" he asked. "My mother raised me to be a fine southern gentleman. A fine southern gentleman would never propose without a ring."

"I also recall your mother was the one who told use we couldn't get engaged until we graduate this spring," Lennon said.

"I know my parents don't want me to propose until we graduate, but I couldn't wait. I love you Lennon. I want to know that I can keep loving you until I'm old and gray and have lost my hair."

"The hair lose the real reason you are rushing this proposal isn't it?" she asked, playfully tugging on his bushy mane.

He cracked a smile, washing his serious expression away. His hands dropped away from her face. One reached into his pocket, reappearing with a ring. It was small and simple but Lennon couldn't have loved anything any more because it held all of Hunter's love in it. He fumbled a little bit as he slide it onto her finger. Then silence fell as they both studied her hand.

They had kissed some more and begun to dream about what their future would look like until unwillingly, they both had to admit it was getting late. When they pulled up outside of Lennon's house she looked sadly down at the ring wrapped around her finger. She knew it had to come off, but was reluctant to part with it.

"It's only three months," Hunter said, reassuring her silent worries.

She nodded and wheedled it off her finger.

"I love you Hunter Embrey," she said.

He gave her a crooked smile.

"I love you Lennon Griffin."

"Three months," she said.

"Three months," he repeated.

When Lennon finally made it back to the present, she looked at the ring on her finger. It had been there since the night in late May that Hunter and she had officially announced their engagement. It hadn't left her finger since and it felt comforting that it never would have to again.

"I saw some great ideas for center pieces in this magazine," Charlotte said. "Here it is."

Lennon laughed.

"What?" Charlotte asked. "You don't like it?"

"It looks a little bit like a peacock!" Lennon said.

Charlotte looked at the picture and smiled.

"It does!" she said, beginning to laugh.

"I'm not sure peacocks are really mine and Hunter's style," Lennon said.

"Are you sure?" Charlotte laughed.

Both their eyes fell back on the center piece and their laughter doubled. It was interrupted by the high ring of Charlotte's cellphone. She scrambled for it, trying to calm her laughter as she answered. Lennon clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to mute her laugh.

She watched as Charlotte's face went from laughing to stone cold in a second.

"Let me guess, Mrs. Claybourne can't bring trifle on Thursday," Lennon joked, trying to lighten the suddenly tense mood.

Worry began to seep into the air like a chill when Charlotte remained silent as if in a trance. Lennon shifted uncomfortably, her heart starting to race without reason. She was waited.

"Lennon," Charlotte said.

The panic and fear in her voice was like cold granite pressed against Lennon's skin. The dead look on her face like someone dropped a casket on Lennon's chest.

"Charlotte, what is it?" Lennon asked.

Her breath was suddenly caught in her throat as panic began to wrap it's cold tendrils around her lungs and squeeze.

"It's Hunter," Charlotte said, her eyes turning glassy with tears. "There's been an accident."

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Hallå! (Swedish)

So I know that some of you are thinking that Hunter and Lennon's story is a little cheesy. But I have to tell you something, parts of it are actually based on a true story. It's based on my mother's cousins. They grew up together, walking to school each day. In high school both set of parents sat them down and made them date other people, for the same reason as Hunter and Lennon. So they double dated. They eventually got married and have been that way ever since. So HA! to the skeptic who believe love like that doesn't exist.

Vote, comment (I'm serious about this one, tell me your thoughts), follow. Go ponder life and try to figure out why there are no real love stories like this in the world anymore. Yes, I'm slightly a skeptic, but also a hopeless romantic as well. I'm in a terrible betwixt place.