Young Love Was Such Dumb Love

When Bennett woke up the next morning she felt so much better. She saw the fact that she had just slept for about eighteen hours, she pushed herself up and saw John smiling still fast asleep. She assumed he had been up and at 'em while they she had been sleeping. She tried to sneak out of his room as gracefully and quietly as she could.

She smelt coffee and heard her stomach growl. Before she made her way downstairs, she pulled her hair into a ponytail but it revealed bruises and hickeys around her neck. That shook her to her core, she shuddered and ran her fingers through her hair and wiped her eyes. After deciding that she was done as far as physical appearances, she walked down quietly and made her way into the kitchen.

"Oh Benny, good morning sweetheart," Mrs. O'Callaghan gushed before wrapping her into a loving hug. It wasn't a pity hug which Benny appreciated. "How are you feeling dear? Would you like some coffee?" She said ushering her to the kitchen table.

"Good morning," Benny smiled before running her fingers into her hair to make sure her neck was covered. "I'm good, and I would love some," She spoke politely as Mrs. O'Callaghan nodded before preparing a cup for me just like I'd liked it for the past three years. "Thank you," I smiled as she put the cup down in front of me.

"Anytime darling, is John not up yet?" She asked looking upstairs towards his room, knowing that he wasn't the most graceful of people you could usually hear John trip on something in the morning. She turned to start doing dishes and chuckled to herself.

"No, he seemed pretty knocked out," Benny laughed before taking a sip of coffee and felt refreshed already from the hot liquid running down her throat. "Do you need any help?" I cleared my throat getting up to assist her.

"No, no, no Benny, you are a guest just sit your little booty down," She laughed and Benny sat down knowing there was no way to convince Mrs. O'Callaghan to think anything else. She sighed before turning off the water and wiped her hands on a dish towel before getting on eye level with me. "Benny, I love you like you were my own child and someday you'll be family to me, so if you need everything never hesitate to ask," She spoke with a sad smile, and both women were both on the verge of tears.

"Thank you so much, I love you like a mother too," Benny smiled letting a tear slide down before they embraced in a hug. She felt Mrs. O'Callaghan's hug and knew that she meant every word she said and so did Benny.

"Hey," John's voice made us both jump apart before laughing. Mrs. O'Callaghan hugged him good morning before returning to the dishes. At first, John wondered what went wrong, but once he saw his mother's face he knew everything was fine. "I was wondering where you went," John cleared his throat swiping a sip of her coffee.

"I was trying to runaway but your mom caught me," She joked with a little laughter. John was surprised at how optimistic Benny was being she had that same old air about her that seemed like sunshine, as John had commented a year and a half ago.

"Of course, my mom always catches the runners," John laughed and Benny raised an eyebrow before joining in on laughter. Mrs. O'Callaghan laughed shortly before kissing them both on the cheek on her way out. "Do you wanna get some breakfast?" He asked looking at Benny, already dressed. John just needed to throw on a shirt and a pair of jeans and he was ready.

"Yeah that sounds good," Benny grinned before following John upstairs so he could get dressed. They were quiet for a while and after John was dressed he looked at her curiously and opened his mouth to say something, but Benny spoke first. "I don't wanna talk about it, I just wanna forget it ever happened," She spoke sadness in her eyes but a smile on her lips. John sighed before nodding and she kissed him before they walked out of the house and towards his truck.

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"No, John! Don't," Benny laughed before erupting into a fit of giggles as he lifted her up over his shoulder, hoisting her up higher. He laughed before smiling brightly and walking her into her house again. He set her down on her front porch, both of them still having residual laughter along with their smiles.

"Thank you," She spoke with a giant smile before they entered her house, he had made her forget about everything wrong with the world and that's why she knew she could love him forever. She kissed his cheek quickly before walking into the kitchen before John could even ask "what for".

"Well, well, well if it isn't my little star, goodness how you've grown," John and Benny both heard a low, raspy voice say thick with a Tennessee accent, Benny looked up and smiled brightly before running to an old gentleman, wearing a full suit included with a vest and a pocket watch.

"Grandpa!" She gushed hugging him tightly before stepping back, both of them laughing a little before he noted the tall, awkward boy standing in the background. "Oh this is my boyfriend John O'Callaghan, John this is my Grandpa Reginald Fallon the third," She said, both names with a happy pride.

"Nice to meet ya' son, I finally get to meet this boy that has captivated my little star. You know when she was born her eyes shined brighter than Georgia stars and even now she's grown up to be a fine young woman," He chuckled, she nudged her chin with his big thumb.

"I know Benny loves you, she's told me so many stories about her awesome Grandpa," John chuckled instead of being awkward. John had actually met Reginald on a couple occasions but as the little kid next door and Max's friend. "You know we've actually met before I'm friends with Max, I live next door?" John continued.

"MY LORD," Reginald let out a bellowing laughter as Benny remembered as well, her smile showing her slight embarrassment from forgetting. "Little Johnny from next door, good lord! Finally manned up and asked her, huh? Oh yes I remember you, the look in your eyes when you looked at her. I got a hell of-a eye for these kind of things son," Reginald chuckled, before slapping him on the shoulder as if to say there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Is momma upstairs?" Benny asked excusing herself as Reginald nodded. Her accent came out around her southern-gentleman grandfather, John loved it. She hugged her grandfather once more before running upstairs to do whatever she wanted.

"I'd hate to say this, but shucks I gotta know, what are your intentions with my granddaughter," Reginald asked taking a sip of his ice tea, leaning back into the kitchen chair. John straightened up, trying to think of the right answer that Reginald wanted to hear. Then a smile came onto his face and he knew the best answer was the truth.

"I know I love her, and I know that when I look at her I feel like I could stare into her eyes for the rest of my life. My intention is to love her for as long as she wants me to, probably even after that," John said, decrescendoing until he was speaking in a near whisper. Reginald remained quiet for a while then smiled.

"John O'Callaghan, eh?" Reginald spoke with a coy smile on his face. "My father always said, 'If you ever find a girl who makes you feel like there ain't nothing in this world you'd rather have, marry her, love her and treat 'er right for the rest of your doggone life.'" John waited for a second after Reginald finished his piece of advice before speaking, wondering if this was an idea or his approval.

"I would marry her," John spoke without thinking, before he realized what he had said he looked like a deer in the headlights, "I mean when we're older of course. She's still a junior in high school, I-I'm eighteen," John stuttered trying to reason with himself.

"Son, I was nineteen when I married my Annabelle May, may her soul rest in peace, we were both young, scared shitless and most importantly," Reginald chuckled twisting his wedding band around his finger, a sadness coming into his voice. "We were in madly, deeply and truly in love. You ask her daddy for his approval, you already have mine, but after that it's up to you," Reginald laughed lightly before they heard voices coming down the hallway and he tried to get one last private word it, "Just remember son, life doesn't wait around for us. You blink and it's half way over," Reginald smiled at him before Benny and her mother were visible.

"Child, I remember when you were four-years-old running around like a boy and now you're such a lovely young lady," Reginald chuckled before kissing his daughter-in-law on the cheek. "Shame you didn't grow up in "Bama like your momma, you'd be the belle of the debutante ball," He smiled before sipping his sweet tea again.

"That was forever ago, Reginald, makin' me feel ancient over here," Mrs. Fallon gushed before starting to make lunch. She smiled as Benny asked to hear the story of how her father proposed to her mother after her debutante ball. John listened to their story of young love, Mrs. Fallon being the prettiest girl in all of Birmingham and Mr. Fallon just a scrawny boy working at a construction site fresh out of college- lingering in Birmingham for her despite numerous job offers everywhere.

"That's so romantic," Benny smiled before and stood up to help her mother. John just sat quietly while his head spun with everything Reginald had just said. Should he propose to her? Even though he was young and she was younger, but he couldn't stand to lose her. He watched her laughing with her mom and to him she was like sunshine. She could make everything better, make anything feel better with just a touch and if you weren't careful you could get burned, but he was certain he loved her. Until he made a decision, his head would still be spinning.