A/N I actually like this chapter (somewhat). I do think, however, that you guys will regret asking for this in the long run lol. I loved all your reviews! They mean the world. Please review this chapter as well, and look out next week for part two :)

The day after graduation, Ryan and Marissa planned on lounging around lazily all day. Sadly, his mom and Henry had other plans. Interrupting their Friends marathon, Henry and Dawn both moved so they were standing in front of the television.

Ryan and Marissa stared at the two. Finally, Ryan spoke. "Uh, what's up?"

"We wanted to talk to you two," Dawn said, looking between the teenagers.

"Okay, about what?" Marissa asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Ryan, go for a walk with me?" Henry asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Ryan glanced over at Marissa, and she merely shrugged. "Sure." He stood and went to his room, pulling on his black boots. He glanced Marissa's way and gave her a look that said he'd be back soon. She just nodded in his direction.

Outside, Ryan stuffed his pockets into his own pockets as they walked. He didn't know what was going on, but this was weird. Awkward. Finally, Henry decided to speak. "Did I ever tell you about my best friend Leonard?"

Ryan shook his head. "No."

"We were best buds all through school. We even planned on starting a business together. He would be the businessman and I would be the mechanic. He was the brains, I was the brawn. That kind of thing." He glanced over at Ryan. "You know?"

Ryan nodded, thinking of Seth. "Yeah."

"Well, Leonard went to college. He did really well. I continued working on cars. I did well, though in a different way. Got myself some money saved up for our business, got myself some experience. I even got myself a girlfriend. Real pretty girl, too. Brunette, tall, green eyes." He kicked a rock. "When Leonard came back from college, I thought we would finally start our business. I was so ready to see my buddy again. I'd missed him, as you often do when your best friend goes away.

"He seemed like the same guy at first, but I soon realized he'd changed. I'm not saying college makes people stuck up, but it made him stuck up. You could tell right away he thought he was the smarter of us two. He was the hot shot who graduated at the top of his class with a degree in business. I was the mechanic with grease-stained jeans."

"Sounds like a jerk," Ryan commented, looking down. He'd known the type of guy Henry was talking about. He lived in a town full of them.

"He was. But he was my best friend. So I let it slide. We were going to start our business. But then…" Henry trailed off, looking away. "I should've known. I mean, it was obvious by the way she looked at him. She had never looked at me that way."

"She didn't…" Ryan said, sighing.

"She did. Found them on my couch." Henry shrugged. "Broke it off. With both of them."

Ryan nodded, understanding. They remained silent for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Ryan asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I wanted you to know about Leonard because I want you to know I don't trust people. I've had a few friends over the years, but I never really got close to them. I'm more of a loner. It's why it was such a shock when I fell so hard and so fast for your mom." He looked over at Ryan, stopping. Ryan stopped and faced the older man. "And it's why I want you to know that I trust you, Ryan. I really do. And I think you're a great man."

Ryan looked down, embarrassed. "Um, thanks."

"Will you be my best man?"

Ryan's eyes shot up to Henry's. "Really? Me?"

Henry smiled, resting his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "I'd be honored if you stood by me."

Ryan smiled slightly, nodding. "Yeah, yeah….I mean, wow, of course. Thanks."

"No, thank you." Henry's arm fell back to his side, and they resumed walking. After a few minutes Ryan asked, "So…what ever happened to Leonard? Ever hear from him again?"

"Last I saw him, Leonard was broke and bald." Henry glanced over at Ryan, grinning widely. "Karma's the biggest bitch of them all."

Meanwhile, Marissa and Dawn were on the couch drinking orange juice together. Marissa knew the older woman well, and she knew Dawn had something to say. When she was ready, she would speak. For now, Marissa just looked at the TV and waited.

"So you and Ryan seem like you're doing really well," Dawn commented.

Marissa smiled, blushing at the thought of her boyfriend. She nodded, biting her lip. "I never thought you would be right after all these years and we would end up together, but here we are. I keep thinking one day I'm going to wake up."

Dawn laughed. "Oh, gosh, if you're dreaming, then I'm definitely dreaming."

"Henry's a really good guy," Marissa commented, watching the older woman blush as she thought of her fiancé.

"He is. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to find someone."

"I always told you that you would," Marissa reminded her, sipping some of her orange juice.

Dawn nodded, smiling. "You did." Dawn muted the TV, turning to face Marissa, getting serious. "Marissa, you know I love you like the daughter I never had." Marissa merely nodded. "And you know that I love your relationship with Ryan. You make him the happiest of all of us, and I thank you for that. You've brought so much joy to Ryan's life – to mine, too." Marissa slightly blushed from the praise, looking down.

"You two make me happy, too," she said quietly.

Dawn lifted Marissa's chin so that the younger girl looked into her eyes. "Marissa, I want you to be my maid of honor."

Marissa's eyes widened. "Your…really?"

Dawn smiled, nodding. "Yeah. I know the wedding is only a month away and we have a lot of planning to do – planning that I've been avoiding, god help me. But I want you to be there with me." She reached for the younger girl's hand, squeezing it affectionately. "I love you, girlie. You're more than my son's girlfriend – you're my friend. My daughter. And I want you to be my maid of honor – if you'll accept."

"Of course I will," Marissa said, her eyes filling with tears.

"You will?" Dawn's own eyes filled with tears now, and they both laughed at how emotional they were.

"Of course," Marissa said, wrapping her arms around the older woman.

Ryan and Henry walked in, and Ryan smiled seeing the two most important women in his life hugging. "What's going on here?"

Marissa pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Your mom just asked me to be her maid of honor."

Ryan sat on the arm of the couch next to Marissa, wrapping an arm around her. "Oh really?"

"Well that's good, cause I just asked Ryan to be my best man," Henry said, doing the same thing to Dawn on the other side of the couch.

Marissa turned to Ryan, questioning him with her eyes. He smiled and nodded, and she grinned. "Well, enough delaying. We have a month to go and only a date for the wedding," Dawn said, looking at all of them.

"All right, let's get started," Ryan said. "Where do we start?"

XXXXX

- One Month Later -

Ryan awoke to his phone ringing. Groaning, he slowly opened his eyes, seeing Marissa snuggled against his naked chest. He slightly smiled, careful not to wake her as he reached for his phone and answered. "Hello?"

"Ryan, hey, it's Henry."

Ryan sat up a little, trying not to disturb Marissa. "Henry, hey. Um, what's up?"

"I'm on my way. I'm stopping to get some breakfast, so don't worry about that. I'll be at your house in about half an hour. Be ready."

Ryan rubbed his eyes tiredly, glancing at the clock. 8:30 AM. "Um, okay. Should I get my mom?"

"No, just you. Might want to send Marissa home, though, before she gets up."

Ryan glanced at Marissa, wondering how Henry knew. "Uh…"

"Don't worry, I won't tell her. See you in half an hour?"

Ryan rubbed his eyes again, yawning tiredly. "Yeah, I'll be ready."

He hung up his phone, then glanced down at the sleeping Marissa. Usually she woke up when he stirred just a little bit, but she must be tired. He grinned thinking of how that probably had a lot to do with their nightly activities. They'd become good at keeping quiet, though Ryan's back had taken the brunt of it.

Life after graduation was blissful for them. Without having to worry about school, they relaxed and spent virtually every moment together. Most days they hung out with Seth and Summer, but sometimes they just stayed home and watched movies or The Valley. It had been a good month.

"Riss," he murmured, leaning down and kissing her temple. He brushed some hair from her face, amazed once again how beautiful his best friend was, even sleeping.

"Mmm?" she murmured, her eyes slowly fluttering open. She smiled seeing him, staring at him through her sleepy lashes. "Morning."

"Morning," he said, smiling crookedly at her. "Henry's on his way. Says you should probably go before mom wakes up…"

She quirked and eyebrow, sitting up, making sure to pull his blanket up to cover her chest. "How did he…?"

"I don't know," he said, shrugging. He let his eyes wander to her covered chest, wanting so badly to see her naked body beneath it. When it came to Marissa, he was insatiable.

She caught the look in his eye and her cheeks flushed red at his smoldering stare. She pulled the blanket tighter against herself subconsciously. "Ryan, Henry is on his way," she reminded him quietly, biting her lip.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, smiling. "I know. Doesn't keep me from thinking about it."

"Later," she said, smiling.

"I look forward to it."

XXXXX

An hour and a half later, Ryan and Henry were still driving. Ryan glanced over at the older man who was becoming more and more like a father to him. With the wedding a week away, Ryan had thought he'd be nervous, but he wasn't. He knew Henry was the guy for his mom.

He still had to wonder where Henry was taking him, however. "Um, where are we going?"

"To get a present for your mom," Henry said, exiting the highway.

"All the way out here?" Ryan asked, staring out the window to see they were entering a neighborhood. They weren't in a major city, and Ryan honestly didn't know where they were.

"Yes."

"What kind of present?" Ryan asked curiously.

"You'll see."

Five minutes later, they arrived in front of a red house. "Here we are."

They climbed out, and the first thing Ryan noticed was the sounds of puppies. They walked to the front door and Henry rang the doorbell. A middle aged man answered, and smiled at the two of them. "You must be Henry!"

"That is me. And this here is Ryan." Henry patted Ryan on the back. "Do you have him?"

"Him?" Ryan asked, looking between the two.

"Yeah, he's right out back with the others." The man led them to the backyard, and Ryan immediately realized what they were getting.

"You're getting mom a dog?" Ryan asked, looking at the puppies running around.

"A puppy," Henry corrected, grinning. "And, yes."

"And we had to drive all the way out here for that…?" Ryan asked, not seeing anything particularly exciting about these dogs. They were cute – brown and black, some with floppier ears, some pointier – but there were cute dogs at any pet store.

"These are a special breed. Siberian Shepherd. Your mom thinks they're the cutest things known to man. She won't admit as much, but she's been wanting a dog for years. With you and Marissa moving to LA, I figured this is the best time to get her one." He bent down and held out his hand, and all the puppies ran to him, yelping. "And why not get her the kind she really wants?"

The man approached them, bending down and reaching for one of the puppies. This puppy was mostly black with a tan belly that had some white patches. He had bright blue eyes that even Ryan had to admit were pretty startling. "This is the boy."

Henry stood, dusting off his pants before reaching for the puppy. "Hey little guy," he said, petting the dog. He grinned over at Ryan. "Look, this is your brother Ryan."

Ryan gave Henry a look. "A dog will not be my brother."

"Au contraire, my boy, this is your new baby brother." He handed the dog over to Ryan, surprising him. "Hold him while I go pay."

"What...I've never held a dog before…Well, not since Marissa's dog died," Ryan stammered, holding the dog away from him.

"Ah, come on, it's easy. You just…hold him." Henry grinned. "Get acquainted."

Ryan pulled the dog closer to him, staring at it. The puppy looked up into his eyes, and Ryan quirked an eyebrow. "You are not my brother," he said, and the dog just stared at him. Ryan petted the dog, rolling his eyes. "You are maybe a little cute, though."

Needless to say – his mom loved the dog.

XXXXX

"Mom, your dog won't shut up!" Ryan shouted, groaning at the yelping of the dog outside his door. Marissa smirked from beside him, her eyes still closed. She had fallen asleep last night while they watched a movie in his room, and his mom had let it slide. For once, nothing happened between the two. Marissa was tired and so was Ryan – the damn dog kept him awake all the time.

"His name is Tramp and he just wants to get into bed with you!" his mom called back from her room.

"Well, Tramp is your dog, not mine!" Ryan called back, groaning again as the dog scratched against his door.

"He loves you!"

"I don't love him!"

Marissa rolled her eyes and sat up, throwing the covers off the bed. "My god will you just let the dog into the room!" She opened his door and scooped up Tramp, immediately silencing him. She brought him to the bed, kissing him and cuddling him to her chest. "Your big brother Ryan didn't mean that. He does love you."

"Will you stop calling me his brother. Dogs are not related to humans," Ryan argued, rolling his eyes at Marissa's affection towards the dog.

She placed the dog on the bed, and he immediately ran to Ryan, licking his face. "Aw, he loves you."

Ryan tried to push Tramp away, but the dog continued to jump all over him. Grunting, Ryan sat up. "Fine, fine, I'm up."

"About time. You have a wedding to get ready for," Marissa said with a smirk, sitting down beside him.

"So do you. I'm a guy. It takes me like ten minutes." He pet Tramp, and the dog finally settled down. "I am not a fan of dogs."

Marissa smiled, knowing Ryan was lying. She could see it – Ryan had a fondness for the little guy. "What if I want to get a dog for the apartment?"

"I would say too bad," Ryan said, looking up at her, smiling crookedly.

"Mmm, no I would tell you too bad," she said, leaning in to kiss him quickly. "I'm going to go shower so I can dry my hair and start getting ready. Take Tramp out."

"Why do I have to take the dog out?" Ryan asked, practically whining.

"Because you're his big brother," Marissa said, smirking before walking into the restroom.

Later that day, Ryan and Henry were walking Tramp while the girls were getting ready for the wedding. They were getting married at a little church by the house, and the reception was at a little venue by the beach. Marissa was his mother's maid of honor, which pleased Ryan greatly. How many women could say they got along with their boyfriend's mother as well as Marissa and Dawn? Ryan certainly didn't get along with Marissa's mother as well.

Ryan glanced over at Henry. "I still can't believe you cut your hair."

Henry ran his hand over his now-short hair. "I know. Feels weird. My hair's been long for at least a decade."

"And shaved that goatee. You look like a new guy."

Henry rubbed his smooth face. "I feel like a new guy," he said, grinning.

"I can't believe you and my mom are getting married," Ryan said. At Henry's worried glance, he quickly added, "Not that I don't want you to. It's just…I don't know, weddings are…yeah."

"What's wrong with weddings?" Henry asked.

"You stand in front of a bunch of people and say really sappy stuff, for what?" He shrugged. "You both already know you love each other. You don't need a piece of paper to prove that."

"You don't need it, but it's nice," Henry said, shrugging. "One day you'll understand. You'll want to stand in front of a room of people and say really sappy stuff because you love someone so much you want the whole world to know she's yours for the rest of your life."

Ryan didn't say anything, but he certainly didn't see that happening. He loved Marissa, and he couldn't fathom a life without her – but he wasn't the sappy, romantic kind of guy. And he definitely wasn't into public speaking.

Marissa, meanwhile, looked at Dawn with tears in her eyes. "You look beautiful."

"I do?" Dawn asked, looking into the mirror.

Marissa nodded. "You really do. I've never seen you look so happy. And that dress…." She grinned. "Henry's going to love it."

"I certainly hope he does. I guess we'll see tonight on the honeymoon." She looked at Marissa, her eyes widening. "Oh my god. I can't believe I just said that."

Marissa laughed, shaking her head. "It's okay. Just don't say anything about a honeymoon to Ryan. He'll freak if he thinks of what you and Henry will be doing."

Dawn blushed, nodding as she laughed. "I remember when I had the sex talk with him as a kid he wouldn't look at me for a week. I couldn't understand why until Trey explained Ryan finally understood I had to have sex to have them."

Marissa laughed. "I didn't know that."

"Really? He must have been so horrified he didn't even want to talk to you about it." They both laughed for a while until they couldn't anymore. Finally, when they had settled, Dawn looked over at Marissa. "Speaking of honeymoon… be careful, okay?"

Marissa gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean me and Henry will be out of town for a week, and don't think I don't know what you and Ryan will be doing." Now Marissa blushed deeply, looking away. "Need I remind you of a little incident with Casey?"

Marissa shook her head emphatically. "God, no. Believe me, I'm very aware." And she was. She and Ryan were very, very careful. She'd gone on the pill a few months ago, and she was glad. Now they had two things working in their favor.

"Anyway, just be careful. And keep an eye on Tramp." She looked around and saw her puppy in the corner staring at them lazily. "He's a cutie, isn't he?"

"Are you going to get him a Lady?" Marissa asked. Dawn had named the dog after her favorite cartoon character, after all.

"Maybe someday. Right now he's a handful." She pet Tramp, then looked back at Marissa. "Ryan loves him, right?"

Marissa laughed, nodding. "He likes to appear macho, but Ryan secretly likes puppies. Don't let him fool you."

Dawn glanced at the clock. "Oh, it's time to go." She stood, checking herself out once more in the mirror. "You sure I look okay?"

Marissa was sure. She'd never seen Dawn look so beautiful. Her makeup was carefully done, and her hair beautifully styled. Her beige dress was floor length and elegant. Mostly, Dawn's eyes made her so much more beautiful. Marissa had never seen Dawn so happy, so radiant.

"You look incredible," Marissa said, smiling at the older woman.

Dawn glanced over at Marissa gratefully. "One day this is going to be your wedding, kiddo," she said, smiling softly.

Marissa looked down, trying not to show her reservations. "I don't know about that. Ryan doesn't believe in weddings. Or commitment. It's enough that he just wants to be with me."

"Hey." Dawn lifted Marissa's chin. "My son is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. And he'd have to be stupid not to want to marry you." She gave Marissa a look. "After college. When you're both ready – emotionally and financially."

Marissa laughed at the mini lecture. "Don't worry, we're not going to run and elope in Vegas."

"You better not. I'd disown you." She gave Marissa a smile "Kidding. Well, maybe."

Marissa laughed. "Come on, let's go."

XXXXX

Ryan stood at the front of the church with Henry as the music started playing. He rested his hands behind is back as he watched the back of the church. Some of his mom's friends from work walked down the aisle, and they looked pretty enough. But Ryan's breath caught when Marissa appeared at the back.

She was wearing a gorgeous blue gown that defied every single bad stereotype of bridesmaids dresses. The blue brought out her eyes, and her makeup was simple, complimenting her features. She wore her hair down, framing her face, and for a moment Ryan forgot what it was like to breathe. Her eyes caught with his and she smiled simply. He found himself immediately returning with a crooked smile, his eyes sparkling.

Suddenly, his mom was walking down the aisle, and Ryan could honestly say he'd never seen her look so beautiful or alive. He had thought it might look weird to have his mom wearing a wedding dress, but her simple yet elegant beige dress was just made for her. She was a beautiful bride, and he felt proud to stand there and watch her, her eyes caught with Henry's.

Ryan stood in a daze during the whole ceremony, busy thinking of how beautiful everything and everyone automatically seemed during a wedding. He'd never understood the appeal of a wedding before, but now he could say at least he didn't hate the idea, even if he still didn't necessarily believe in marriage. Maybe for some people it was a good idea.

He was torn from his gaze when the minister asked for the rings. He reached into his pocket and handed the two rings to him, fumbling around nervously and almost dropping them. That would've been embarrassing.

Henry turned to his mom and smiled, looking mature and happy and handsome (surprisingly to Ryan). "I never believed in love. I certainly never believed in falling in love. I had my heart broken before, and I didn't think I'd ever let it happen again. And I was right. I will never have my heart broken again." He squeezed Dawn's hands. "Because I finally found someone who will take care of it. I love you, Dawn. And I will spend my whole life spending every moment taking just as good care of your heart as you are surely to do with mine."

He slid a ring onto Dawn's finger, and a single tear slid down her face. She held onto his hands as she spoke now. "I've been hurt more times than I can count, and I don't have a lot I can depend on. In a lot of ways I'm a very broken woman, just trying to keep it together for everyone." Ryan frowned at that, looking down. "But you make me not feel like the broken woman anymore. With you, I'm whole. And I love you so much for that."

She slid the ring onto Henry's finger, and both of them looked into each other's eyes. Ryan caught Marissa's eyes over Henry's shoulder, and she smiled softly at him. He smiled back. He was so happy for his mom. And Henry. And himself, for now having Henry officially in his family.

"By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He grinned at them. "You may kiss the bride."

Henry leaned in and kissed Dawn, and Ryan looked down, smiling to himself. He clapped with everyone else in the room, and then followed his mom and Henry down the aisle, along with Marissa. Marissa reached for his hand, and he laced their fingers together.

At the reception later, he sat and watched his mom and Henry dance to their first song. Marissa came and sat next to him, handing him a glass of champagne she had swiped. He smiled at her and took the champagne, sipping it. "They look so happy," he commented, placing the champagne down.

"I'm so happy for your mom. I mean, Henry too, but look at that sparkle in her eyes." Ryan knew just what Marissa was talking about. He'd never seen his mom this happy his entire life.

Before Ryan could say anything, Seth and Summer walked over. "Hey Atwood. Beautiful ceremony. Your mom is so pretty in that dress."

"Thanks," Ryan said to Summer, smiling.

"When are you two getting married?" Seth asked, smirking at the two.

Marissa looked down, not appreciating that. It wasn't that she didn't want to get married to Ryan. Someday she would love to marry him. But they were kids, and Ryan already had a hard enough time with commitment to be reminded of marriage every five seconds by their friends. "Guys…" she warned.

Summer sensed the tension, and turned to Seth. "Cohen, dance with me." Other couples had taken to the dance floor already, so Summer dragged him to the floor.

Marissa looked at Ryan, hoping he wasn't upset by the wedding comment. He was looking down at his shoes, lost in thought. "Don't listen to them," Marissa said quietly, biting her lip.

Ryan glanced up at her, and she saw a struggle in his eyes. Finally, he merely smiled at her and reached out his hand as he stood. "Dance with me?"

She smiled, blushing at the way Ryan stared at her. Sometimes he just overwhelmed her with one look, even when he wasn't being seductive or sensual. Sometimes he just looked at her and she was overwhelmed with how much he cared for her. She could see it. She didn't know how, but one look was all it took sometimes.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he rested his hands on her hips. She glanced around the reception, smiling to herself. "We really did it. We pulled it off."

"For a few weeks I thought we wouldn't be able to," Ryan said honestly, laughing softly. His mom's and Henry's procrastination had made it extremely difficult to plan the whole wedding in a month.

"It all came together really nicely. Beautiful ceremony."

Ryan's eyes found Marissa's face, and she immediately knew where his thoughts were. "I want to talk to you about what Seth said."

"Ryan, we're eighteen. Please. Marriage isn't on my mind, and it shouldn't be on yours, either," she told him honestly.

"I know, I know." He looked down, then back at her very seriously. "Look, I just want to get this out there. I don't really know how I feel about marriage. I don't know how I feel about standing in front of a lot of people and saying sappy vows and signing a piece of paper."

Marissa nodded, avoiding his gaze. She was a typical girly girl, and she'd dreamt of her wedding – to Ryan – since she was a little kid. But he didn't need to know that. Because she didn't need that. She just needed Ryan. "Ryan, it's fine. Like I said, we're eighteen."

"I know. But I want you to know where I stand, in case that doesn't change," he said quietly, looking over her shoulder, unable to look her in the eyes.

She couldn't look at him either. "Like I said, it isn't on my mind," Marissa said again, her voice softer.

Ryan remained silent for a long time, and they just swayed to the music. He looked around the whole room, at all the people smiling and laughing together. It was a small wedding – only close friends, and Trey hadn't shown because they couldn't find him – but it was nice seeing everyone so happy. He supposed love had a way of doing that to people – bringing them together to see the beauty in the world.

His eyes moved back to Marissa's face, and he saw her lost in thought. "I can't promise you we'll ever get married," he murmured.

"Ryan…" Marissa began, but he shook his head.

"And I know you want it. I know it's too soon to even think about it, so I won't. We won't. Until it seems like a good idea."

"Good."

He angled his head at her, staring at her very seriously. "Marissa, I know I can't promise you a wedding right now. Maybe that will change, and maybe it won't." He looked down before looking back at her, a soft smile on his face. "I don't know a lot about the future – where we'll end up, or who we'll be in five or ten years. But I know that my future is with you. And that won't change."

Marissa smiled, tears pricking the back of her eyes. "Good," she repeated softly.

He leaned in and kissed her softly, and she kissed him back. And they swayed back and forth to the music, not thinking about anything else, just that moment. And for them, that was enough.

XXXXX

- Two Months Later -

"Well, that's the last of it," Henry said, dropping the box onto the floor before wiping his face with his shirt. It was hot outside, the temperature in the 90s, and they had just moved multiple heavy boxes and furniture items up and down stairs. They were all tired.

Marissa's dad had offered to hire a moving company, but Dawn and Henry had insisted that they help the two move into their apartment. Julie Cooper wasn't one for road trips, so they had said their goodbyes that morning back in Newport. Now, it was evening and they'd had a long day.

"I can't believe you two aren't coming back home," Dawn said, blinking away tears. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"Mom, we're going to visit all the time," Ryan said, rolling his eyes. "You don't need to get so emotional."

"Hey, this is a big milestone. You're moving away from home. Into your own apartment…" A few tears fell again, and she buried her head into Henry's shoulder.

Henry chuckled and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Don't worry about your mother, kid. I'll keep her in line. And Tramp, of course."

"He's going to miss you," Dawn said, pulling away from Henry and wiping her face. "He's going to sit in your room and wonder where you are."

"He's a dog. He'll get over it," Ryan reminded her.

"Dogs never get over it, Ry," she said, shaking her head very seriously.

Marissa came up to them, wrapping her arm around Ryan's waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "Well, we will come home and visit Tramp, too."

"You better," Dawn merely said, staring at them seriously. "And call. All the time. And answer when I call."

"We will, mom," Ryan said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Dawn, honey, we need to get going if we're going to get home before dark," Henry said, glancing down at his watch.

They all stared at the older woman, waiting for the inevitable fireworks. She didn't disappoint, and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, give me a hug," she said.

Marissa decided to go first. She walked over to the older woman and said, "I'm going to miss you. I want you to know that. You bet I'm going to call and tell you all the stupid things your son does."

"Thanks," Ryan called from his spot a few feet away, crossing his arms over his chest.

Dawn laughed and wrapped her arms around Marissa. "You better, kiddo. I can't believe you're just going to be gone." She pulled back, staring at Marissa seriously. "Take care of my son, you hear?"

"I will."

Marissa stepped aside and gave Henry a hug and said goodbye while Dawn stared at her son, smiling softly through her tears. Ryan stared at her too, blinking back the emotion. "Come here," she said, opening her arms for him.

He walked over to his mom and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair. She smelled like she always did – she'd used the same vanilla shampoo since he was a boy, and it reminded him of home. "I'm going to miss you, mom," he murmured into her hair.

"I'm going to miss you too, son." She rubbed his back soothingly. "But this isn't forever. You're welcome home anytime. Whenever you get homesick." She pulled back and rested her hands on his face, looking deeply into his eyes. "You will always be my son, and there will always be a place for you at home."

He nodded, looking down to keep from getting emotional. "Love you, mom," he mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

She patted his cheek affectionately, laughing. "I love you too, son."

Ryan turned to Henry and Henry smiled. "You have everything you need?"

Ryan nodded. "Think so."

"Good." Henry wrapped an arm around Ryan, patting his back. "You call me if you need anything, okay? I'll be here as fast as I can."

"I know," Ryan said, and he did. Henry would always be there for him.

They all pulled away from each other, and Henry wrapped his arm around Dawn's shoulders. "Okay, well, we better get going."

Ryan walked them to the door and closed it behind them after a few more tears and hugs. He turned away from the door and stared out at their new apartment filled with all kinds of boxes. He saw Marissa sitting on the couch staring at him with a smile. He smiled back and walked over to her, plopping himself down next to her.

She rested her head against him as he wrapped an arm around her. "Our own place," she said, looking out at the apartment.

"No parents.."

"No rules…"

He looked down at her and smiled, leaning in to kiss her quickly. "A lot to unpack, though."

She looked around, frowning. "Yeah. That's not going to be fun."

"Well, we could have some fun before unpacking," he said suggestively, raising his eyebrows.

She smiled, looking over at him. "Oh really? What kind of fun?"

He wrapped both arms around her, leaning his forehead against hers. "Well, we have this whole new apartment, right?"

"Uh huh."

"And all this new furniture…"

"Mhmm."

"Like this couch.."

She giggled. "Yeah."

He grinned. "And all this space to christen."

"Oh really? Like where?"

He pointed at the couch. "Um, we need to christen right here…" He pointed towards the bedroom. "And the bed." He pointed towards the bathroom, and various other places around the apartment. "And the shower… and the counters… and that wall…"

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his. "Mmm, we better get started, then."

So they did.

End of Part One.

XXXXX

Individual Replies:

Obsessed Nikki: I'm going to definitely try to include them more in parts two and three! I'm not really used to writing them, so it's going to be a little rough in the beginning.

TVDaddict22: Who will be together, who won't, and what will be happening in their lives? You'll have to wait for part three for that ;)

Sara: Invest in tissues. Plenty of them :)

FlyingForward: I'm so glad it brightens your day. Your review brightened my day :)

RMforever: I would say this was definitely a fluffy chapter haha.

Nadine: You don't have graduations in schools? That's insane. How does that work?

xoElle23: Originally I wasn't going to write any of this, and it was going to start after college. But I had to give a back story and I went a bit in depth lol. So that's why I'm skipping. As I've said, invest in tissues.

Sailaway: Yes. They will stay alive.

Jen: And I love your reviews.

Kerschi-Puky: There will be two more weddings in this story. But whose?

Skillz37: It was definitely a long chapter. I just had a lot to go into if there was going to be a chapter for the wedding!

Fatedtopretendd: You were outvoted lol. Part two will start out very fluffy and you'll wonder how there can possibly be any drama, but there will be, so don't worry.

Riss: You were also outvoted lol. Hope you liked this chapter though :)