Always Loved

Shawn sat on the faded red porch and spun a ring on his finger. He looked at it closely and read the familiar engraved words, Always Loved. Sliding the ring down where it belonged he pushed off of the porch as a blue car drove up the gravel road. He could tell it in her face, she knew. He reached for her and clasped a hand on her thin wrist. Tears leaked out of her brown eyes and they each handed the other their own ring. They embraced for a second and she hesitated before placing a quick kiss on his tanned cheek. He closed his eyes to remember her as she was now, hair loose with the sunset as a back drop. She took a step back and whispered, "It's gonna get better." And nodded as if to reassure herself. He knew she would, she was strong. They wouldn't forget about each other very soon. He called her name softly as she drove away, "Avery" then dropped her ring between the slats of wood on the porch. He glanced once more down the empty road and entered the house.

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Five years later that same house, now fixed up and the faded porch a new bright red, was alive with activity. A Welcome To the Neighborhood Party was starting but a girl, fifteen years old, sat mesmerized on that old porch. She let the tears fall and dark hair curtained her face. Her boyfriend, Chris, was miles and towns away from where her parents had up-rooted her. She let her fingers trail on the splintered wood feeling the roughness and her fingers caught on an uneven spot. They slipped down and something hit her fingers. Pulling them swiftly back she pressed her eye to the crack and glanced around for something to fish the object out. She grabbed the nearest stick and slipped it between the slot bringing up the dirt covered object seconds later. She brushed it off and held it up to the setting sun, catching a glare. It was a ring, and engraved in the inside was the words, Always Loved.