Emster and I have been through a lot. Lots of downs, but plenty of ups. But lately, it seems like one major down, and we'll never come back up again.

While I was at college, we kept in touch, and although her suspicions sometimes grew, I always convinced her of the truth: That I loved her more than anything. Soon she joined me at NYU. I was majoring in business and she majored in journalism.

I think everyone was surprised she didn't pursue singing more seriously, but with the way she was always writing in that journal, I knew she would leaving singing behind.

We did better being together again. I, however, became highly aware of the college guys' behavior around her. They'd look at her and sometimes tried to make a pass at her. That's when I went into what she called 'bodyguard mode'. Sometimes she would argue with me about being so overprotective and paranoid, and other times she'd think it was cute.But you know how women are. So undpredictable. And confusing.

She graduated from NYU fourth in her class and received her Masters Degree. I couldn't have been more proud of her. But at this point, Emily was getting annoyed with me.

All her friends often pointed out how we'd been together for so long, but were not engaged. Emily shrugged it off at first, knowing that we'd cross that bridge when we were ready for it. However, that bridge seemed to be getting closer and closer, whether we were ready or not. Soon she began confronting me about our future, but I was uncomfortable talking about it.

That's when she got worried.

I'll never forget that one phone call I overheard the night before her graduation...

"No, he hasn't proposed...He doesn't want to talk about 'future plans', Nat...Maybe he just doesn't want to be with me...I don't know. I guess I'll just see how it goes..."

'Maybe he just doesn't want to be with me.' The words echoed through my mind the whole night and even during the graduation ceremony. That's when I decided what to do.

It was a few weeks after graduation...

I knocked on the Boltons' front door, scared to death.

Emily answered it groggily. "Chad? What are you doing here?" A smile appeared on her face. She had been moving back home all day, and I wasn't supposed to be back for two more days.

"Come on." I held out my hand.

Emily looked from my hand to my face, trying to figure out what I was up to. A sly smile appeared on my face as she raised her eyebrow and took my hand.

"What are you up to, Danforth?"

I didn't respond, but led her back to my old house.

She gasped once she crossed the threshold. Old memories flooded back to her. The relaxing smell of vanilla was strong, and Gerbera Daisies were everywhere. I fixed the same food, and wrote her a letter for her to find at the end of the night, after we had said goodbye. There was only one thing different...

"This seems oddly familiar," Emily said as she strode out to meet me in her backyard. She giggled softly in the moonlight, which never ceases to take my breath away.

"Oh, I think it's about to get a bit unfamiliar," I heard myself say. I didn't know how I pulled that one off so smoothly, when on the inside I was scared out of my mind.

"What are you tal--? Oh my God, Chad." She put her hand over her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes.

I was down on one knee with an engagement ring in my hand. "Emily, I love you more than anything in this world, and I know for the past year or so it hasn't seemed like it, but I really do want to be with you forever. So, Emster, will you marry me?"

It took her a moment to get out her answer. "Yes!"

She cried tears of joy as I slid the ring on her left hand. I kissed her gently and hugged her tight. It was the happiest moment of both of our lives.

Her father was thrilled, and her mother was politely happy about it. My mother was ecstatic to have Emily finally an official part of the family. Troy (who had proposed to Gabriella a year earlier) was happy. Emily and Gabriella squealed together like they were teens again. They loved to tease each other about whose engagement ring was shinier, and when Emily won, Gabriella would retort "But I have a wedding ring, too! So, ha! I win!"

The wedding wasn't intricate, but not plain. It was the right balance to make it elegant and beautiful in a simplistic way. Emily looked as gorgeous and breathtaking as ever. And the honeymoon was...well, a usual honeymoon, if you get my drift.

We found ourselves a nice apartment in Lubbock, Texas, where Emily began work at the local newspaper Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Troy and Gabriella remained in New Mexico. I soon opened my own sporting goods store, which was prospering considerably.

Two years went by, and everything seemed to be going perfectly. Until it got even more perfect...

"Chad? Chad, are you home?" Emily called out once she walked in the door.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Emily's head appeared in the kitchen moments later. She had a big smile on her face.

"What's go you in such a good mood?" I asked.

"I have good new. No, wait, great news."

"What?" I laughed gently at her excitement.

"Chad, I'm pregnant."

Emily and I couldn't have been more thrilled. Emily had always loved children, and she was great with them. And I'd always wanted a family.

Both of our families were overjoyed, and couldn't wait...

That was...until that one day.

I came home, by request from a forlorn Gabriella, to find Emily curled up on the couch, crying her eyes out.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.

She uttered a few unrecognizable words through her sobs.

"Shh. Shh, slow down. What happened?"

She sobbed some more before answering. "I miscarried."

Who knew two words could wreck your whole life?