Author's Notes: Whew! Another chapter. It's been a long time but we're getting there. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think.

Chapter Eight: The Things We Said Today

Kirsten's POV:

I push myself off the couch and reach for my crutches. I'm starting to work my way back to where I was before the accident. I can slowly walk around my house but I haven't left the house in a few weeks. But visitors haven't been in short supply. Sunshine has been here everyday, along with the football team, Coach Boone, Coach Yoast, and every other person I have and haven't met.

I slowly make my way out the porch, where I sit on the porch swing. My left knee is resting in its brace, which makes it hard to move.

"Hey Kirsten."

"Hi." I say, as Sunshine leans down to kiss me. Sunshine's been here everyday, helping me around the house but mostly, just being there for me.

"What did you do today?"

"I watched TV and tried to read a few books. Oh, I went to the kitchen for lunch."

"Sounds like fun." Sunshine says.

"How was practice?" I ask.

Sunshine puts his books down on the porch rail and comes to sit down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close, "Fine. You know Coach, he demands perfection."

"And he will get perfection." I say, "I admire Coach Boone so much. He has turned two very different teams into a perfect team."

"I agree with you." He says, looking at the big oak tree.

We sit for a few minutes before Sunshine sighs, "Kirsten, I hate to tell you this but…"

"Sunshine, what's going on?"

"My dad just got his new orders. He's been transferred to Texas."

"Ronnie…."

"We leave in a month. A month. We haven't even been here six months."

I feel tears come to my eyes as I look at him, his head in his hands, his blond hair falling around him, trying to protect him from the horrible world outside.

"I can't stand to leave you, Kirsten. We have something special." He says.

I rub my hand across his back and try, somehow, to comfort him.

"I think that I love you, Sunshine." I whisper in his ear.

He sits up and looks me right in the eye. "Kirsten…"

"There's something special about you, Ronnie. You make my heart beat a little faster enough time I see you."

He takes a deep breath and gets up to leave.

"Sunshine." I say as he walks down the driveway. "Ronnie. Please, come back."

He turns to look at me and then just keeps walking.

"Ronnie!" I call again. "Please." I whisper.

Sunshine's POV:

"Mom, it's me." I call as I walk into the house.

"Oh good, Ronnie, you're home. I need some help in the kitchen."

"Mom…" I say. She's so use to these moves now. We've moved so many times that it's so routine.

"Can you move that box over to the front door?"

"Mom, why are you packing already? I thought that Dad didn't have to report to the base until next month."

"I'm just packing what I don't use." She says as I pick up the box and move it towards the front door.

"Anything else?" I ask.

"You want to help me?" I ask her.

"No, it's okay. Have you told Kirsten about this yet?"
"Yeah. Ma, I can't do it. I can't leave her. And it's not just her. It's this town, it's my football, and it's the woman that I love."

"I had no idea that you and Kirsten were so serious, Ronnie." Mom says, putting down the box that she's packing our special dishes in.

"Me either." I say, smiling, "But when Dad told me that we were moving again, something clicked in me."

"Something about Kirsten."

"Yeah. She's so special, Ma."

"I know that she is. And I know how important the Titans are to you." Mom says, going back to her packing.

I collapse on the couch and look at my mom, "If only there was a way for me to stay here."

"There might be. There's only a few more months of school left, we could send your father down to Texas and we could stay here."

"Mom, I can't ask you to give up living with your husband to stay with your son and his girlfriend. This is part of life. You have a move on." I say, trying to convince myself of that and also my mother.

She goes over and puts her hand on my face, "Yes, you can. You are the most important thing to me, Ronnie. I'll talk to your father about it."

I kiss her cheek, "I love you, Mom."

Later that night, I decide to head over to Kirsten's. Walking up the front stairs, I start to ring the doorbell when I hear a voice.

"Hello."

I turn to find Kirsten sitting on the same bench, wrapped up in a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate in her hand.

"Hey." I say, sitting on the porch railing, "Look, we need to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about, Ronnie."

"Yes we do." I sigh, "I'm sorry about earlier. I was upset about having to move again. I love it here, I love the football, I love all of the friends that I've made, but most importantly, I love you."

Kirsten looks up at me, "What did you say, Ronnie?"

"I said that I love you."

"And I love you, Ronnie Bass."

I smile and lean forward to kiss her gently.

"Oh, and Sunshine?" Kirsten says, breaking the kiss.

"Yeah?" I say.

"You're taking me out Friday night, some place romantic." she says, grinning.

Finish Chapter 8.