"So I rush back to the farm and see Comet running from Stevie and my dad. That little horse was giving them a run for their money, and you hear Stevie cussing him out and my mom in the background screaming Langnauge Steven!"

Mercedes laughed, covering her face as Sam continued to tell her about the time Comet got out of his stall.

"So I jumped in because I could see my dad was getting winded. Stevie finally grabbed the reins, and Comet tried his best to drag him through the mud." Sam laughed.

"Oh, my poor baby. You two better not have hurt him."

Sam smiled. "Of course not. Stevie even let Comet think he was pulling him along for a moment. It was adorable."

Mercedes smiled brightly. "I see he is just as wild as his mother."

Sam nodded as he grabbed the fruit salad. "Okay, enough about the farm and how much it misses you; tell me about you?"

Mercedes grabbed a grape and popped it between her teeth. "London, it's a beautiful place. And don't get me started on the culture. I love the plays and the arts."

"And is that where you met your ex?"

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Oh, we doing exes now?"

"Well, I mean, you know mine now." He said, a glint of teasing in his eyes.

"Talking about exes can get… dangerous." She said.

Sam smiled, moving closer, and placed a strawberry to her lips. "Talk to me, Merce."

Taking a bite from the strawberry, she nodded. "Okay." Licking her lips, she sighed. "We met when I was sitting in a cafe, and he asked me to borrow my sugar. He was gorgeous and fun. He reminded me of you, which is why I agreed to go out with him."

"So what happened?"

She sighed, grabbing another grape. "I wouldn't sleep with him. He would try, and I would pull away because I couldn't."

Sam stared at her, sitting up a little as he spoke. "Why? What happened?"

She stared at Sam and shook her head. "No, it's embarrassing."

"Merce, I threw up all over you and myself on a date; I know about embarrassing."

She smiled. "That doesn't count, you had food poisoning,"

"It was still embarrassing. Come on, you know you can tell me anything."

She sighed heavily. "Well, we had had a great night. He took me to this fancy restaurant and said all the right things, did all the right things, and we just clicked."

"So what happened?"

Mercedes chewed her bottom lip. "We went back to his place and made out and some other things."

Sam tensed up as she spoke but encouraged her to continue.

"Well, he went downtown if you catch my drift, and it was amazing, and the first and second and third orgasms I had had with anyone who wasn't you…and when he was done, he looked at me, and I started to cry,"

Sam froze. "You cried?"

She nodded. "Needless to say, he didn't want to be with me after that."

"What an asshole."

What?" She asked, surprised,

"Any man worth his salt would have understood," Sam said, taking her hand. "If it makes you feel better…I couldn't… let go unless I thought of you for the longest time."

She stared at him. "So you don't have that problem anymore?" She questioned.

"If I didn't have that problem, we wouldn't be sitting here. You are engraved in me, Mercedes. Your touch lights every part of me on fire. I was asleep until you crashed into me all those years ago, and when you left, I fell back to sleep. Then we crashed into each other, and you woke me up again. I love you and still love you after all these years."

Mercedes sighed heavily as she shook her head. "No. Sam, we can't…"

"When we separated, it wasn't because we weren't in love with each other, it's because our life went different ways. Mercedes, you are my heart's desire, and I believe you are here for a reason."

Mercedes shook her head, standing. "Sam, I don't want to have this conversation."

"Why not?" Sam said, standing with her.

Mercedes walked towards the pond, exhaling. "Sam, it took so long to get over you."

"And yet you aren't over me," he said, moving behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist. And before you try to spew some nonsense, just close your eyes and feel me, feel us."

Mercedes closed her eyes, listening to Sam's words. He was right; the way he made her feel was unmatched.

Sam's hands traced up her arms and to her shoulders. "Do you remember where we thought we would be right now in our lives?"

Mercedes smiled, eyes still closed. "We thought we would have at least two kids by now."

"With you pregnant with our third, and me waiting on you hand and foot. Teaching them how to ride and work hard. Giving them the best of both of our worlds."

A tear slid down Mercedes's eye as she thought about their dreams. It was clear as day, clear as the first time they thought about the future. Sam was certain they'd get pregnant immediately, but she wanted to wait until she finished her internship.

"It was so long ago, but it still feels the same," Mercedes said softly. The feelings, the needs. It's like we are right where we left off."

"Yeah, except you are more beautiful than I remember." Sam breathed.

Turning to face him, Mercedes swallowed. "Sam, yes, those feelings are still here, but we can't just erase five years. The things that happened…they…"

"Please don't ruin this by saying you can't forgive what's been done. We both found ourselves in situations, and yes, I shouldn't have gone out with Jane, but everything is meant to teach us something, Mercedes, and it's a lesson I didn't learn until you walked back into my life."

"And what lesson is that? Don't hook up with your exes so called best friend?"

"No." Sam linked his hand in hers. "Don't let the love of your life leave you. The day you left, I called and called. I was headed to the airport but felt foolish. We had our goodbye, and I felt that if you really wanted to leave, what I should have done was tell you that either we both leave or we both stay."

Licking her lips as she laughed, Mercedes folded her arms across her chest. "You are so sure that this can work, but you aren't even taking into account that we have changed."

"Oh, have we?" He said in a slightly mocking tone.

"Yes! It's been five years, Sam."

"Do you still love tots?"

"What?" Mercedes asked, confused.

"I said, do you still love tots?"

"Yeah, I guess," Mercedes answered, confused.

"And on rainy days, do you still sit at the windowsill and pretend to read, but really you are watching the rain?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I do."

"And when you watch romance movies, do you still cry even though you know how the story is going to end?"

"Sam…"

"See, Mercedes, you may think a lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same, too. I still love to ride, I still have my voices, and I still play the guitar. And at night, I still look at the stars and thank God for those I love, even if it's a brief nod. I still eat steak almost as much as you, and I still wear socks to sleep. I read Star Wars fanfiction, and I really, really am still so very in love with you."

Sam wiped another tear from Mercedes's eyes. "I hurt you, but I am hoping that you will forgive me anyway because I think we have spent enough time apart."

"So you want me to just give up my life in London and move back here? I have people who depend on me, Sam; I am due for a tea party with my Goddaughter next week. I can't just not go back. And I refuse to have a long-distance relationship with you. So see, we are in the same situation we were in before."

Sam stared at her for a moment before he smiled. "I like tea parties, and I have a pretty good English Accent if I do say so myself."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she smiled at his accent attempt. "Sam, what about your family?"

"Wait…" Sam said, holding his hands up. "Will they not be my family anymore if I go to London?" He teased. "Now, is that the whole family or just like one person 'cause we can get rid of Stevie... that's what he gets for eyeballin', my woman."

"Boy, you are crazy!"

"Crazy about you, Mercedes. And you are crazy about me. So put me out of my misery already."

Sam pulled her close, kissing her soundly as her arms snaked around his neck.

"Marry me again." He whispered against her lips.