AN: Hello, readers! Here is another chapter to the story…sorry it's a little short and took me forever to write- I've been busy these past few weeks. Well, enjoy! Please review!

Days turned to weeks; and weeks to months and before Natalie could exhale, it was time for graduation.

She was in her room straightening her usually wispy, curly locks when Henry burst through the door.

"Hello beautiful." He smiled as he awkwardly tried to hug her from behind. "Watch it Henry, this is hot!" Natalie cautioned him, snapping the iron in his face. She pulled a final piece through the hot plates and switched it off. "So…" Natalie inquired, turning around to face Henry, who was now sitting on her bed. "I, um, have something for you" Henry stuttered. Natalie turned back to her mirror, to fix an astray lock from her forehead and turned back around to Henry when she noticed he wasn't talking. She almost bumped into him as she turned around, as he'd moved from her bed to right behind her.

And he was kneeling. Presenting a diamond ring that glistened in the midday sun pouring in from Natalie's bedroom windows.

Natalie gasped. She was very surprised to be honest. Getting married? They were only 18! However though, she did want to spend the rest of her life with Henry. That she was sure of. She looked down at Henry, then again at the ring.

It seemed like yesterday Henry barged in on her practice time; when they would spend their free time together in the practice room, before and after school; when he asked her out and walked her home, kissing her for the very first time; when he spent his Wednesday mornings dragging her out of clubs, and trying his best to take care of her.

But, it was today, and Henry's eyes were starting to look worried after Natalie didn't respond for so long. "Yes" she whispered.

Henry's boyish smile returned as he slid the engagement ring on her finger, and kissed her.

"Oh, hey, Henry, I didn't hear you come in" Dan said as he walked by in the hallway on his way to the laundry room. Natalie and Henry broke apart. Light glared off of the ring as Natalie fondly looked at it. "That's nice, is it new?" Dan asked as he saw his daughter staring at it. Her hands flew behind her back. "Umm yeah, um Henry um… proposed." She said in a small voice, as if she was ashamed, even though she wasn't, not one bit. Dan looked confused for a second. Surely they're kidding, he thought. They're 18.

After a minute of waiting for Henry to flash his "Got you!" smile, and Natalie to roll her eyes playfully, Dan realized that their faces were completely serious.

"Married?" He managed to cough up. Not knowing what to say, he nervously called downstairs. "DI. COME UP HERE PLEASE."

Natalie scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "Really? I don't need your permission, you know. I'm 18. I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions. And Henry and I are getting married."

"You know Nat-" Henry took her hands and looked her in the eyes. "We don't have to get married now. Or this year even…or for the next 5 years. As long as you're wearing that ring, a promise that you're mine."

Natalie looked from Henry to her father.

"I'd be fine with that." Dan said in a small voice.

Natalie couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "You would?" She smiled.

"As long as you wait awhile, give it time; maybe go through college before you rush into the things. But I wouldn't have a problem with you marrying Henry. At all, actually. If I could pick one person I'd want my little girl to spend the rest of her life with, I think I'd want it to be Henry"

Henry smiled at Mr. Goodman, then returned his gaze to Natalie and kissed her again.

"Now let's get a move on you two! The graduation ceremony starts in a half hour and I'm pretty sure you two had to be there 15 minutes ago!" Henry and Natalie grabbed their caps and gowns and went to the car. The drive to the school only took about 5 minutes. Natalie couldn't believe this was it. They arrived and she and Henry exited the car. She zipped up her gown and put on her hat, then fixed Henry's, whose was sideways. She exhaled.

"This is really it." She scanned the vibrant landscape. This had been the place where she started as a lowly 6th grader, now she was leaving for good. Tears started to form in her eyes…did she want to leave.

Henry looked at her again. "Hey…" he took her hands in his. "It's going to be fine. We're going to spend this whole summer together. You and I, and your parents… then we're going to go to college together in August. It's going to be okay Nat." He gave her a small reminiscent smile as he too looked at the school. They walked toward the football field hand in hand, taking their seats as their classmates filed into foldable chairs neatly lined up in fashion. Natalie walked over to the warm metal chair with the label 'Natalie Goodman' on the back and sat down. She watched as classmates filed in and proud parents filled the bleachers.

The ceremony lasted almost an hour but it felt like only a second to Natalie. She clutched her diploma as she flung her navy cap into the air. This was it.