In a park under a shady tree sits Chelsea and a man with dark curly hair. The man moves to kneel in front of her and looks lovingly into her eyes,

" Chelsea you're the most beautiful, loving and sweetest woman I know. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

From his pocket comes a small golden jewelry box that he opens to show a small diamond set in a platinum band. Chelsea looks at the man with shock and excitement .

" Yes I'll marry you" she says with a huge smile.

"Chelsea, I'm going to make you so happy." The man picks her up and spins her happily.

"Tucker, please put me down!" Chelsea exclaims excitedly.

Tucker lowers Chelsea to the ground and moves in for a kiss. Chelsea loved kissing his full lips. He is the most beautiful man she has ever seen, with tightly curled locks, cooper brown eyes, smooth honey colored skin, and a lean muscled body.

'How did I get so lucky' Chelsea muses, as the sensual kiss ends.

"Chels we have to tell my mama right away. You know how she is. I won't have to tell anybody else when she's through." says Tucker, as he takes Chelsea's hand to leave.

As they leave the shade of the tree, Chelsea thinks about who she will tell. Of course she will tell her parents, Eddie, and friends from work. She knows they all will be happy for her. But the one person, she longs to tell she hasn't seen or heard from in years, Raven Baxter, the best friend she's ever had. No one has ever filled the void that Raven left.

There was hardly a week Chelsea didn't think about Raven, and the things that separated them. Losing Raven was the worst thing to ever happen to her. Chelsea remembered vividly the last day they spoke, a few weeks before Raven's departure to France.

Chelsea couldn't believe that Raven had finished school so quickly. But she guessed Design school probably didn't take as long as going to a university. Chelsea was just finishing her sophomore year. Also Raven had been designing and making her own clothes since they were in middle school. She probably breezed right through at the top of her class.

'Not that I would know' thought Chelsea. She hadn't spoke to Raven in a while. She didn't really know what was going on with her friend anymore, especially since she'd moved so far away.

It was the very last day to move out of the dorms for summer at the UC Berkley campus. Chelsea needed to turn in the keys to her room and pick up a few pieces of her work from the art department. She hoped the sculptures would fit into her Hybrid.

She had other things on her mind though like seeing if Raven and her family had gotten back from New York. Raven's family had left earlier that week for her graduation. Chelsea was very upset that she found out second hand from Eddie all this information on Raven. But that was the way it was for the three old friends now. Eddie had become the go between for Raven and Chelsea.

It had been this way ever since Eddie and her broke up. Not that communicating with Raven was any better before that, their friendship had never recovered from the trauma of two of the threesome dating. Chelsea would always regret how Raven found out about the two of them. Secretly, she regretted ever dating Eddie. It was good between them for a while but Raven's reaction had affected them both terribly. Even before graduation they had pretty much been acting as friends, instead of the couple they were. The breakup freshman year was inevitable.

With her sculptures securely strapped in the back seat, Chelsea set out for San Francisco. She was happy it was only a thirty minute ride to get home. She was anxious to see Raven. Eddie and her had plans to surprise her at home. Chelsea

didn't know why, but she was extremely nervous. Her stomach had started to do flip flops as soon as she hit the Bay bridge and the familiar streets of home. She tried not to think about how beautiful Raven would look after all this time.

Eddie and Chelsea stood waiting at the front door of the Baxter home, after knocking. The door was soon opened by Cory. Neither of the two friends could believe how much he had grown.

"Hey guys, here to see Raven right. She's up in her room." said Cory as he quickly ushered them in and toward the stairs.

His friend William was sitting on the couch, with something covered by a blanket. As usual they were up to something.

" Hey Cory " Chelsea said.

" What's up Cory" Eddie said.

Cory had already made it to the couch to talk business with William. He hadn't changed much. Chelsea and Eddie shook their heads and smiled as they walked up the stairs to Raven's room. They knocked when they got to the door.

" Dad, I'm really not that hungry" yelled Raven " I'll eat a little later."

The two friends looked at each other and went in the room.

"What'd your dad cook? I'll eat it." exclaimed Eddie.

" Yeah, is it anything vegetarian? I'm starving " said Chelsea, rubbing her stomach.

Raven froze when she heard the voices of her friends. She slowly turned around and smiled. Next thing she knew she was the middle of a group hug. Chelsea couldn't help but smell Raven. Her scent brought to mind nights spent telling secrets, and days getting into trouble.

'God I've missed her' Chelsea muses as her and Eddie free Raven from their hug.

"What are you guys doing here? Nobody said you were coming over "exclaimed Raven.

" We wanted to surprise you Ray" said Chelsea,

Raven was indeed a beautiful sight to behold. Chelsea couldn't help but stare a little.

Her hair was intricately braided on the sides, with loose hair in the middle combed back in a faux hawk. It was different then her usual pony tails, but it fit her. Chelsea wondered what else had changed about her friend. What had been going on with her?

Her love life? All the things they used to share with each other with so much ease before. She felt a pang in her stomach with the realization that she didn't know Raven anymore. She decided to start that day to regain the relationship they once had.

"It so good to see ya'll. It's been a while." Raven said taking a good look at her friends. Then it was like all the things between them had never happened. They talked about school, Raven's visions and the future. Eddie talked about interning at a radio station for the summer and hopefully getting into the business when he graduated, Chelsea talked about her plans to become an art teacher. When it was Raven's turn to tell her plans for the future she got quiet. Her plans had already been set in motion.

"Well guys, I have some great news. I already got a job with a big clothing label."

"Congratulations Ray!" Eddie said giving Raven a hug.

"I'm so happy for you" as Chelsea did the same.

"Your going to actually be making some real money?"

"When do you start?"

"Who are you going to be working for?"

"Guys slow down. I'm going to work for Jean Luc."

Both Chelsea and Eddie looked at each other to see if the other knew who Jean Luc was. Neither did. Raven continued,

"You guys don't know who Jean Luc is?" They both shook their heads.

"He's a really famous designer from Paris." Their faces wore blank expressions.

"Sorry Ray" they say together.

"That's Ok, but anyways I start in two weeks with really great pay."

Raven took a deep breath, "It's also in Paris."

Chelsea didn't know what to say.

"Paris? The Paris? Like in France, Paris?

"Yeah Eddie, Paris, France."

Chelsea was still quiet.

"Wow Ray, that's so far away. And you leave in two weeks?"

"Yeah"

The silence in the room was deafening. Chelsea saw all of her hopes dashed.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice Eddie say good bye, leaving her alone with Raven. Raven went over to Chelsea.

"Chels, you okay?"

"Huh"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm just so surprised"

Raven wanted to hug Chelsea . Chelsea wanted a hug. But neither moved.

They didn't know how to be around each other anymore. With Eddie in the room it was easy to pretend like things hadn't changed. Now the situation was very awkward. The two friends didn't know what to say to each other .

"Ray, I'm going to go. I promised my parents we would have dinner together." whispered Chelsea.

"I'll see you before I leave?"

"Of course Ray, you'll see me."

"Chels, baby, you ok?" asks Tucker, trying to keep his eyes on Chelsea and drive at the same time.

It was Sunday and the streets of Oakland were hardly crowded. They were nearly to his mother's house.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just day dreaming.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?"

"Of course not, Tuck. Just thinking about everything. Keep your eyes on the road."

"Ok baby, just making sure. You know we can talk about it if you were, right?

Chelsea shake her head and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

She felt bad lying to Tucker. But she had never really talked much about Raven to him. He had no idea how Chelsea felt about her. She had a feeling he would be very jealous of the Raven Chelsea would describe. Besides what's the point, it's not like Raven would come to the wedding after Chelsea avoided her those two weeks before she left, and hadn't tried to contact her. She just couldn't bring herself to face her again, knowing she was leaving. Thinking about Raven just brought unresolved feelings to the surface. Feelings Chelsea didn't want to think about now she was getting married