The sun was shining, birds were singing, and Landon Carter couldn't have felt more helpless. In the distance, he heard the honk of a boat coming into the harbor.

Landon hadn't realized how tired he actually was until he'd gotten back to his house. He hadn't even made it inside, and within the past few minutes, had woken up on one of the lounge chairs that adorned the porch.

He was thinking about her.

But, what else was new? Landon knew she wouldn't be with him much longer, and he intended to make the most of their time together...whatever it took.

'Lord, what can I do? I'd give up any number of days of my life to give Jamie just a little longer. She's so young, and the most perfect person I've ever met...ever. Why not me? I'm the prime example of how you don't want people to live their lives, but Jamie, she's spent her whole life believing in you, spreading your Word. How could you do this to her...?'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shoes crunching in the gravel of his driveway. Landon jerked his head up to see Belinda slowly, hesitantly, making her way up the steps to where Landon sat. He sat up a little straighter, surprised by her visit. When she had reached the porch, he stood up quickly.

"Hi..." she started, obviously not having the slightest idea of what she was going to say next.

"Hey." Landon decided to make it easier on her. He gestured to the envelope she held in her hands, questioning her with his eyes.

"I wanted to give you these. Pictures from the play." Belinda ran a nervous hand through her ponytail, unsure of where to go from here.

Landon didn't know what to say. It was obvious that Belinda was trying to make amends, but Landon didn't know if he was going to be able to forgive her quite yet. He looked up at her, trying to ease the tension of the awkward situation, when she practically shouted out, "I'm sorry about the fliers!"

Landon figured this was as good an apology as he was bound to get from Belinda, so he said exactly what he was feeling at that moment in time. "Hey, it doesn't matter." And it didn't. The things that had happened earlier in the year seemed so trivial, almost juvenile, now, with everything else going on. Landon was worried about far greater things.

Belinda scoffed. "I guess you're with who you should be..." She looked up at him, on the verge of tears. "It's like she chose you."

'Well,' Landon considered, 'at least she's right about one thing...' "Yeah, I don't even know why."

The brave front Belinda had been trying to hold up was finally torn down, and her eyes filled with tears. She wanted to tell him that she loved him one last time, but there was only one way to say it so he could except it. "I do."

Before Landon could even take in what she had said, Belinda had grabbed him and given him a peck on the cheek and was already halfway down the drive, hand covering her mouth as she sobbed lightly.

Landon looked up at the sky, not quite sure what to think, until he remembered the pictures in his hand. He opened the outer envelope, and lifted the top flap of the inner one.

The first thing he saw broke his heart. It was a picture of him and Jamie, but it had captured one of their most intimate moments ever.

He looked down at the image before him. He was leaned over that small wooden table, and his lips had not yet touched Jamie's. His eyes beamed pure love, hers pure shock.

Landon closed the envelope quickly, not able to look at the picture anymore, and sat back down. He knew what he had to do next.

Now all he needed to do was talk to Reverend Sullivan.