Standing on the side of the road, Sean held Sue in his arms and gave her a long goodbye kiss. Axl said " Oh gross! Dude, that's my sister!" Mike said "Come on guys, Let's get back in the car. We can give Sue and Sean a minute to say goodbye. Frankie, put the phone down and stop recording now." "Sue! Sean! You guys have one minute. We have to get back on the road and Sean has a plane to catch!" Sean replied " Thanks, Mr. Heck!"

Sean kissed Sue deeply and longingly. He stopped kissing her long enough to whisper in her ear. "We have the worst timing! I promise I am going to text, call or email every chance I get. I'm not sure how good the cell or Internet service will be. When I get back, I promise I will make it up to you. Suzy Q, will you give me the honor of going out with me on our first date when I get back?" Sue turned her head and kissed him on the cheek. She said "Is this really happening?" Sean turned his head and kissed her on the lips. Sue answered him " I can't wait." Sue initiated another kiss and just as it was getting intense, they heard Mike honk the car horn. Mike yelled "Sorry guys. It's time to go!"

Sean reluctantly agreed. So they broke away from the hug and held hands and said their goodbyes. Sue said" I'm going to miss you Soo much!" Sean replied " I will miss you too. I promise, I will make it worth the wait. I love you, Suzy Q". Sue said " I love you Soo much right now" as she squeezed his hand one last time before turning away to go back to the car.

Sue got back in the car and was on cloud nine. She pinched herself because she felt like she was dreaming. Sean really had just chased them down and proclaimed his love for her. She sat in a dreamlike state for a little while just thinking about everything that happened on the side of the road. She really wanted to use her phone to talk to Sean again before he caught his plane and she really wanted to text Brad again and tell Lexie what had happened. However, they had to turn off their phones because they had almost exceeded the data plan limits and they didn't want to pay the overage costs. That's when Sue had a brilliant idea.

Sue said "Dad, I will pay for the overage of the data from my first paycheck from Sudsy's this summer. I don't know how often I will get to talk to, text or if Sean will even get to read emails all summer." Axl said "Oh my God, Sue! I will pay for the overage. Maybe if you are talking to Sean or someone else, I won't have to hear how much you LOVE my best friend the rest of the way to Denver. It's bad enough that you two are now dating, doesn't mean I want to hear about it..Ugh!"

Mike looked over at Frankie and winked. He said "Guys, Don't worry. I am going to pay for the overages with one condition, Sue." "Oh dad, Really? I'll do anything.. I just have so much to say to Sean before he leaves." Mike said "you remind Sean that no matter how long I have known him, that I will be watching how he treats you. He had better treat my daughter with respect." Sue was surprised her dad would even think that Sean would hurt her. "Dad, It's Sean. He is a Donahue! We have known him forever!" Mike said "I am aware. But to me, he is a 23 year old young man who is attracted to my daughter and he needs to treat you with respect. He better not rush you into anything or I'll kill him." Axl mumbled "Not before I do." Frankie was laughing softly. She said " Nancy loved my video. She said she can't wait for us to get home so she can talk to Sue. She is very excited". Sue said "Mom! You really took a video?" Frankie said " Don't worry Sue, I will send it to you. I'm sure Brad and Lexie will want to see it too." "Okay, dad, I am sure he already knows all that but I will tell him. Thank you so much!"

Sue turned on her phone. She had several texts and one video message from her mom. She opened the video first. She would watch this video a thousand times this summer waiting to see Sean again.

Then she saw Sean's texts. The first text said: Suzy Q, I made it back to the airport safely. Luckily, I found a later flight today. I have a little wait so I think I will send you an email. I am thrilled we finally talked. I just wish I hadn't wasted all those chances to tell you how I feel sooner. Knowing that you love me too makes me the happiest and luckiest guy I know.

The second text from Sean said: I forgot to tell you that I meant every word I said. I really believe we are soulmates and that will help us get through this summer. I just know that WE are worth the wait. Love you!

Sue was beaming. She forwarded the video from her mom to Sean. Then she sent him a text. "Sean, I miss you already. I had already decided to stay as busy as I could this summer so that I won't focus on you being gone. At least now I can focus on you and I being together when you get back. I am so happy. I love you too!"

Sean replied: "I love the video. I have a feeling that I am going to watch it A LOT this summer. I miss you already. Check your email in a bit. I just paid to have Wi-Fi on the plane to Ghana. "

The next text was from Lexie: OMG, Axl just told me that Sean chased you down to tell you he loved you. How romantic! I need details. Axl didn't seem to want to say more than that. I am so glad you guys worked it out. You guys have the worst timing though.. maybe it will get better from here on. Finger's crossed.

The next text was from Brad: I always knew he liked you too! Your mom sent me the video. Love it! I'm thinking Sue Sue Donahue sounds really catchy. Don't you? LOL

Sue smiled. She knew this summer was going to feel like forever but at least now she knew that Sean and her were a couple. She could look forward to their first date. She could already feel his love and she could now openly express hers. Even with him going to be thousands of miles away, she couldn't help but feel lucky. She couldn't believe it, she was actually dating Sean Donahue!

Sean was finally on his long flight to Ghana. Sue had sent him Frankie's video of them on the side of the road. And Frankie had sent the video to his Mom. Of course, Nancy had emailed him immediately:

Sean, I just got a video of you and Sue. I am so happy for you! I should have known that you liked her. I mean, the first time and only time you yelled at me was after you showed up to take Sue to her senior prom after I told you she didn't have a date . Then, by the time you drove 6 hours and rented a tux, she had already found a date. I remember our talk about communication. You were quite upset. Maybe that's why I never told you that Sue showed up all dressed up the night of the Chancellor's Ball looking for you. When I told her you had gone back to Note Dame, she said she was probably chasing something that wasn't even a thing. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be upset if I was wrong again. I thought she may have liked you then. I am just glad you guys finally worked it out. I just love Sue, she is a wonderful young woman. Just let me know if you need anything while you are gone. I hope you don't mind if I hang out a little more with Sue this summer. I have a feeling we will see even more of her after you come home.

Love, Mom

Sean's response:

Mom,

I haven't been this happy in a long time. Yes, I think we all need to work on communication. Sue and I have both fought our feelings and had enough misunderstanding for a lifetime. You asked if I needed anything. As a matter of fact, I just went online and ordered another snow globe for Sue. I am shipping it to you because I would like you to deliver it to Sue when they get back from dropping the Ax man off in Denver. I will also have you put a special message on it. My message should be " Suzy Q, You are my special snowflake. When you see this snow globe, please remember our first kiss on Christmas Eve when we were out in the snow. It was the most perfect moment of my life. I'm the luckiest man alive to have you as my special snowflake. Love, Sean". Thanks, Mom. I paid to get Wi-Fi on this flight but I want to email Sue and I need a little nap. I would love for you to get to know Sue more. I do believe she is my soulmate. Well, I better go, I need to study a bit also before I get to the fellowship. I love you and will miss you bunches, Sean

Sean's email to Sue:

Suzy Q,

I already miss you more than I thought possible to miss anyone. I will only be gone for 12 weeks. I plan to be home Friday, August 15th. I know school starts the following week but I would like for us to go out on our first date on Saturday the 16th if that works for you. I already have ideas to make it special. It kills me that I had to leave. This opportunity is once in a lifetime just like our special bond.

I just got a text from Axl by the way. He says that even though he hates it when one of his friends wants to date you, that he is sorry he didn't tell you that I told him I liked you on New Year's. He didn't realize that we both felt that way towards each other and he still claims he thought I was drunk. However, He said of all his friends, he knows I will treat you right. Then he said you had a message to give me from your dad and he backs it up. What does he mean by that?

I know it is going to be hell this summer not being able to see each other. At least it will feel like that to me, but please don't change your mind about loving me.

By the way, I have already ordered you a gift. My mom will bring it over when it arrives. I think you will see her a lot this summer. She saw your mom's video and she was very happy for us!

I have to go for now. I hope to hear your sweet voice soon.

I love you very much!

Love,

Your Sean

She fought back tears when she read his email. He was right. He was always right. He knew her so well. The only thing he was wrong about was thinking for a second she would change her mind about loving him. Looking back, when she developed a crush on him in junior high, it never really ended. She told herself it had, but if you put all of her exes attributes together, you would find each of them were like Sean in one way or another. Sue stopped fighting the tears so she could reply before his flight was over.

Sean,

You are right. This will be the longest summer ever. And it will be rough. As long as I can remember, we always saw each other all summer. You said you didn't know when you started feeling this way and I think back and neither do I. I remember realizing that I had a crush on you when I was in Junior High. I even thought for a second it could be mutual. But the timing didn't seem right so I moved on. The timing has never been our friend, has it? Until today, that is. Today our timing has begun. I am calling this the year of Sean and Sue!

Whenever I start to miss you, I will watch the video my mom took. How embarrassing that she recorded us kissing, but I will cherish it until I get the opportunity to kiss you again. Thank you for being my soulmate and not leaving for Ghana without telling me how you felt. You made my year!

Axl is teasing me relentlessly about you and me. He says that I am trying to gross him out by dating his best friend. I told him that he is dating mine and I had to get over it. He says that is different. I guess we will have to show him. I told him that since he is moving to Denver, it's not like we would be rubbing his nose in our relationship anyways. Oh Sean.. Axl and you will both be so far away. At least you will be back soon. I will miss you like crazy.

Oh.. and I promised my dad I would tell you that he said he is watching you and you have to treat me with respect. Maybe that was what Axl meant.

I love you SOO much back!

Love,

Your Special Snowflake Sue