Forever Ends Too Soon
Making Progress
Laura's POV:
"You have a ring?" He asks me and it's like a bullet in my heart.
"Maybe I should explain it." I sit down and take a breath, fighting tears.
"Please do." He says, getting upset.
"No, Zach, don't get mad yet. I'm not married and I don't have a boyfriend. Last year my fiancé left for the military and 8 months ago, I got the news he was dead. I haven't had the heart to take off his ring." I tell Zach, tears falling.
"You're the girl who was in the paper? Well, about him dying. James or something?" He asks me and I nod.
"Jimmy was the best thing that happened to me, Zach." I dry my tears. "Sorry, you don't want to hear about him."
"No, if you want to talk about him, you can." Zach takes my hand.
"I've talked about him enough for now. I really miss him, but I know I have to move on at some point."
"Maybe this could be that point?" Zach asks.
"That would be nice." I laugh through my tears and so does he, sounding like a little kid. I like it.
"Do you wanna go out on Friday?" He asks me.
"Definitely."
"Cool, I pick you up at 7." I write down my address for him and we talk for a few hours.
"Well, I should go. I have a paper due on Friday and I know my sister will want to know about tonight. Sometimes I wish I had gotten a dorm." I laugh and he smiles. He walks me to my car.
"Laura, do you mind if I kiss you?" He asks.
"Not at all." I say and he kisses me. It's the perfect ending to the night.
"I'll see you Friday." I tell him and start to leave.
"Hey, I just want you to know, you can take the ring off when you're ready. Even if it's not for a while." I look at it and then back at him.
"Thank you for understanding." I tell him and drive home. I walk inside and Alison pounces on me.
"I haven't seen that smile in a long time. Was tonight amazing?" She asks and I roll my eyes.
"We aren't anything special yet."
"But." She begs for more.
"He's taking me out again on Friday." I tell her and she grins.
"Don't fall in love." She teases me.
"Ali, just for once, let me do something and not get teased."
"Not a chance, little sis. You're finally happy again, even if you don't realize it yet. I can see it and I missed it a lot." She tells me.
"Whatever." I start to go upstairs.
"Tell your friends." She reminds me.
"Are you my mom now?" I ask her and mom walks out of the kitchen.
"No, but she's your older sister so it's close enough."
"I just can't win." I smile and it does feel good to not miss Jimmy as much. He will always be in my heart, but maybe there's room for someone else, like Zach.
"Finish your paper." Mom tells me. I go upstairs and look at my hand. I place my ring on the table.
"You have a ring?" He asks me and it's like a bullet in my heart.
"Maybe I should explain it." I sit down and take a breath, fighting tears.
"Please do." He says, getting upset.
"No, Zach, don't get mad yet. I'm not married and I don't have a boyfriend. Last year my fiancé left for the military and 8 months ago, I got the news he was dead. I haven't had the heart to take off his ring." I tell Zach, tears falling.
"You're the girl who was in the paper? Well, about him dying. James or something?" He asks me and I nod.
"Jimmy was the best thing that happened to me, Zach." I dry my tears. "Sorry, you don't want to hear about him."
"No, if you want to talk about him, you can." Zach takes my hand.
"I've talked about him enough for now. I really miss him, but I know I have to move on at some point."
"Maybe this could be that point?" Zach asks.
"That would be nice." I laugh through my tears and so does he, sounding like a little kid. I like it.
"Do you wanna go out on Friday?" He asks me.
"Definitely."
"Cool, I pick you up at 7." I write down my address for him and we talk for a few hours.
"Well, I should go. I have a paper due on Friday and I know my sister will want to know about tonight. Sometimes I wish I had gotten a dorm." I laugh and he smiles. He walks me to my car.
"Laura, do you mind if I kiss you?" He asks.
"Not at all." I say and he kisses me. It's the perfect ending to the night.
"I'll see you Friday." I tell him and start to leave.
"Hey, I just want you to know, you can take the ring off when you're ready. Even if it's not for a while." I look at it and then back at him.
"Thank you for understanding." I tell him and drive home. I walk inside and Alison pounces on me.
"I haven't seen that smile in a long time. Was tonight amazing?" She asks and I roll my eyes.
"We aren't anything special yet."
"But." She begs for more.
"He's taking me out again on Friday." I tell her and she grins.
"Don't fall in love." She teases me.
"Ali, just for once, let me do something and not get teased."
"Not a chance, little sis. You're finally happy again, even if you don't realize it yet. I can see it and I missed it a lot." She tells me.
"Whatever." I start to go upstairs.
"Tell your friends." She reminds me.
"Are you my mom now?" I ask her and mom walks out of the kitchen.
"No, but she's your older sister so it's close enough."
"I just can't win." I smile and it does feel good to not miss Jimmy as much. He will always be in my heart, but maybe there's room for someone else, like Zach.
"Finish your paper." Mom tells me. I go upstairs and look at my hand. I place my ring on the table.