“I love you so much. I don’t know why we were able to find each other so soon in life, but we did. ”
“I love you,” I sniff, tears streaming down my cheeks.We stand holding each other in our most sacred spot. I don’t know how much time has passed, but at this moment, time is irrelevant.
Finally, Ford breaks the silence. “I want to stay longer, but we better go.”
“Okay.What about the lights?”
“I’ll grab the generator and come back tomorrow for the lights.” We walk back to the car, hand in hand. We’re quiet, but the silence speaks volumes. Ford starts the car and turns the headlights on high beam so he can put the electric generator in the back of his Range Rover. He locks up the cabin, and we head back toward town.
I stare at the ring on my left hand. It’s a delicate gold ring with a tiny baguette diamond. It’s beautiful. I can’t seem to get my heart to slow down or the butterflies in my stomach to stop dancing. I’m still not sure that everything that just happened wasn’t a dream. Ford asked me to marry him. To. Marry. Him. And I said yes. I cover my hands over my mouth. I’m engaged.
“Hannah.” Ford glances over at me, concern on his face. “Are you freaking out?”
“Um—yeah—but in a good way. ”
“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Ford holds his hand out, and I take it.
“I’m thinking that we’re engaged. Have you thought this through? How? When? There’s so much running through my mind I can barely think straight.”
“I’m always thinking about us. I’ve never thought about the future so much until you became a part of my life.”
“Ford, you still haven’t signed with a school. You need to decide.”
“We need to decide.”
“Where will you be the happiest? Not all football programs are created equal, and you need to go somewhere where you’re going to be happy because it’s going to be the next four years of your life.”
“You mean our life.”
“Yes, our life, but I won’t be the one playing football.”
We pull into Tyler’s house, and all our friends are already here. Ford takes his seatbelt off. He turns to me, taking my hand in both of his. “Coach () from Sutherland came over to my house today. He offered me a full ride scholarship to play football.”
“Ford!” I lean over the console, throwing my arms around him. “You’re serious? You’re not joking?”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I said I’d let him know tomorrow.”
“Is that where you want to go?” I ask.
“Is it where you want to go?”
“Yes,” I scream.
“Good. It’s where I want to go, too.”
“Does that mean—you’ve picked school?”
“Yes.” He takes a deep breath. “Yes.”
“How does it feel?”
“I feel good, like a weight has been lifted off me.”
“Cascade, here we come. Now I have to get accepted.”
