Ending 2

The laughter filled my van as Hayley jammed the brake pedal and we flew against our seat belts.

"Hayley!" I exclaimed laughing. "You need confidence! Now step on the gas!"

She did, but with too much force and we shot forward, spraying up dirt and gravel. I was bent over in my seat, my stomach hurting from laughing.

"C'mon, Hal, you can do it!" Melanie exclaimed from the backseat. She had decided to brave it and be a witness as Hayley learned to drive. Back when…it had been happening, she had not seen reason to learn, but now there was nothing she'd rather do.

Hayley nodded to herself and glanced in the rearview mirror.

"You're right! Okay Max, what do I do?" She asked me, her wide eyes sliding over to look at me as she waited for my instruction.

"Put your foot on the gas and press down slowly," I said, sitting up straight and placing her hands on the wheel in the classic ten and two position. When I removed my hands she stepped gently on the gas pedal and we moved forward.

"Little bit more," I coaxed, turning to share a smirk with Melanie. She smacked my arm but laughed. Hayley's face was screwed up in concentration as she pressed more on the gas, too hard, and we shot forward.

"Hayley! Brake!" I shouted in unison with Melanie as we came up to the curve in the road. She took her foot off the gas and slammed it on the brake, rocking us all forward again.

"Thank you, seat belt inventor," Melanie said, looking up at the roof of the van in gratitude. Hayley glared at her in the rearview mirror and then her eyes widened as she saw something else. Throwing open her door, she jumped out of the car. Melanie and I followed suit, racing after her only to see her meet Grace a couple feet behind the van.

"Let's go, guys! We're going to miss it!" Grace exclaimed and both her and Hayley were grinning, their faces excited.

"Where are you going?" I asked as the three girls sprinted back towards the house, their flip-flops smacking the gravel.

"Come on!" Melanie shouted over her shoulder, waving her hand, as they pounded down the road. I followed quickly behind them, not quite sure what was going on, leaving the van where it was. It wasn't like anyone would steal the ratty old thing with the duct tape covering the hole slash dent in the front bumper.

Arriving only ten seconds after them, I bent over, putting my hands on my knees.

"What the…" I paused to take a breath. "…hell is going…" another breath. "…on?!" Looking around, I saw where we were at for the first time. The sky was darkened by now, something I hadn't realized, and the stars and moon were reflected in the lake that sat in the middle of our neighborhood. It seemed everyone was out of their house for at least one night, gathered together around one side of the lake, looking excitedly towards the other side. The Fourth of July, I thought. Of course.

It was only eight months ago that we all believed Hayley was going to die, something that tore us up inside every day. Now eight months seems like an eternity but when it was happening it was like Hayley's life could end any day and we almost tiptoed around her without letting her realize it. But now, eight months after that dreadful day, she is alive and healthy, her entire being shining with the miracle she holds inside of her. The miracle that I can hold in my arms, and kiss, and love.

The actual miracle is a phenomenon. One minute we all thought she was gone. And then her heartbeat came back and when the doctors looked, it seemed as though the tumor had shrunk immensely. Enough that they could simply stick a tube in her and pull it out. Not only did it have us baffled, but it had the doctors baffled. They had never seen anything like it. Thankfully, they kept it from the news as a medical miracle but there had been a camera outside our house the other day.

Now, eight months later, as I look over at Hayley, she turns and meets my gaze, smiling. I extend my hand and she grabs it with hers, letting me pull her to my chest as the first fireworks explode in the sky. Our one-year anniversary is tomorrow.

"I love you," I tell her, resisting the urge to shout it at the top of the highest mountain.

"I love you too," she says, and its obvious our feelings are mutual.


Even though I have had these written for a few weeks now I was somewhat scared to put them up. Not sure if they were good enough to end this story, and I didn't even want to end the story, but it had to.

Let me know, honestly. Rewrite soooooon + surprise. It will be on a different username just for fun, a whole new account. I will let you guys know...somehow. In my profile, or you will just see it in the someone like you thing.

But thank you. All of you. For everything you ever did for this story. Like I said, this is officially the first story I've ever finished. And it feels damn good. I looked on Word and it says I created this story over a year ago, February 2nd. Wow...

I love you all.

-zoomie