Chapter 20

November

Two Weeks Later

Conrad:

I saw her before she saw me.

And as soon as I saw her everything in the world made sense again. I could finally breathe again. There she was. My girl. My Belly.

She was fluffing flowers into a vase in the same room we had danced in for the Debutante Ball. She had on a light cream sweater dress. It looked nice. More than nice. She had her hair pulled back, pinned up on the sides. I hadn't seen her wear her hair like that in a long time. One barrette was coming loose and hair was falling into her face as she was adding more flowers to the bunch. I smile as I watch her from the doorway, leaning against it with crossed arms. She had a concentrated look on her face as she stood back to admire her work. She didn't notice me at first and I didn't mind because I liked watching her in her element. I think I had always admired Belly from afar. I couldn't remember a time in my life where I hadn't felt drawn to her. She was the kind of beautiful that didn't have to try. And it was moments like this that reminded me of why I had fallen for her in the first place.

Suddenly my phone rings in my pocket, giving me away and I rush to silence it.

"Susannah used to play that song every summer." Belly laughs, without looking up at me. "You have good taste, Alli."

Alli? That was the name of her former coworker from the Country Club restaurant. She must have mistaken me for her. I decide to poke some fun at her.

"Yes, I do." I continue admiring my girl from the doorway.

As soon as she hears my voice, Belly turns to look at me and a smile breaks out across her face. I give her a small wave with my phone in my hand and she laughs. Before I know it, she is leaping into my arms. We finally embrace after two long weeks apart. We share the sweetest and longest kiss. Nothing could ever measure up to this. No one could ever measure up to her.

"Hi." She smiles when she breaks away to look up at me.

"Hi." My hands reach for hers, craving her touch.

Her eyes hold such a sparkle to them that I can't look away. They had me. She had me. Always and forever.

"You're early." She cocks her head. Neither of us can stop smiling.

"I am." I hold her hands between us. "I have some news."

Her face changes. "Is it good news?"

I nod. "Really good news."

The anticipation builds between us.

"Okay." Her breath catches. "What is it?"

"Guess who landed not one but two residency interviews in Cousins."

"What?" Her jaw drops, impressed. "You better not be joking right now!"

"Oh, I'm not." I smirk, stepping closer. "I'm dead serious."

"Oh my god!" She throws her arms around me and it's the best feeling in the entire world. "Conrad, that's amazing! You're amazing!"

We laughed like kids hugging each other because we both knew what this meant. We were one step closer to living together here in Cousins. It takes me back in time to the day I had passed all of my exams to get into Stanford. The day I had thrown her over my shoulder, weaving left and right like we were in a football field. I hadn't thought about that day for awhile. It used to hurt to think about that day but not anymore because it had all worked out. Everything was falling into place. For the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful. I felt happy. The future was bright. The future was ours for the taking.

"See?" She squeals when I finally set her back down. "I knew you could do it! I told you!"

I take her face in my hands and I kiss her again. I couldn't have done it without her. My rock. My support system. My girl.

"Do you even know how amazing you are?" Belly just shakes her head in awe at me after we kiss. "I'm so proud of you, Conrad. And I just know Susannah is too."

Her words meant more to me than she would ever known.

"Thank you, Belly." I look down at her with love. "You're the first person I've told actually."

"Well, I'm honored." She beams. "You're going to make one hell of a doctor, Conrad Fisher."

I step closer. "And you're going to make one hell of an event planner, Isabel Conklin."

She blushes then she purses her lips looking around the room.

"I don't know about that." She laughs, doubting herself. "I mean, nothing could beat Susannah's special touch."

"I don't know." I look around then I reach for her hands again. "This feels pretty magical to me."

Belly looks back up at me with a big smile and I could tell that she had needed to hear those words. I wasn't the only one making waves in my career. Belly had been working really hard these past few weeks too with her new role at the Country Club. After helping set up and cater a few events at the restaurant this past summer, Denise had been so impressed with Belly's eye for detail that she put in a good word for her and this led to Belly being promoted to the event planning committee. At first, she said she was surprised. She wasn't sure if she could do it. She always thought that was a job for someone like my mom but I don't think Belly saw herself the way everyone else did. She didn't know the effect she had on people. She had a knack for making others feel special and her sentimental nature came in handy for this type of thing. She truly was the magic of Cousins in my eyes and I couldn't be more proud of my girl.

I tell him to wait for me outside but Conrad helps me finish setting up for the event.

It was a Friday afternoon. Most of my help had already left for the day so I appreciated him stepping in. He does all of the heavy lifting with the vases and I love him for it. I direct him on where they should go then he helps me set up the last of the bouquets for the tables. It takes me back in time to the day we had gone to Michaels and he had helped me pick out flowers and vases. I shake my head at the memory. Now look at us.

"Does this look okay?" Conrad gestures towards a bouquet he had put together with hair falling into his eyes.

"Yeah." I press my lips together, fighting a smile. "Thanks."

Conrad just laughs. "You're a terrible liar, Isabel."

"It looks fine." I laugh. "Trust me. I wasn't even thinking about that."

"Then what were you thinking about?"

I turn back to the bouquet I'm working on and I just shrug. "Nothing. It's just nice to see some things never change." I look back up at him and I smile. "You still are a flower arranging expert."

I watch the memory play in his mind too then he just smiles at me.

I have this wild thought as he helps me finish the rest. Could this be us someday? Me and Conrad in the future? Picking out vases and flowers together? For our home? For our wedding? Ever since he had asked me about rings two weeks ago, I had been having a lot of those thoughts lately.

By the time we finish, it's dark outside and Conrad takes me to the boardwalk for a little date before the night is over. Every year the boardwalk had a small holiday market where people were selling everything from ornaments to hot chocolates and little knick knacks. The pier was lit up by Christmas lights and tinsel. Couples were engraving their initials in ornaments and hanging them off the pier. Families were dressed up in beachy sweaters. Couples were holding hands. There was an excitement to the air. The holidays were just around the corner. Conrad buys us hot chocolate and our hands sway as we stroll through the holiday market.

"It's so weird being here in the winter." I say out loud as we take it all in, sipping our hot cocoa.

I couldn't remember the last time I had spent the holidays in Cousins but then I do. It was the year I had run into Conrad at the beach house. The time he had left without saying goodbye. Now look at us.

"I like it." He sips his hot cocoa. "Nothing beats Christmas in Cousins." He winks.

We exchange smiles and I blush, looking away first. Christmas in Cousins would forever remind me of Conrad. Our first time. The time we had run into each other. Fate had brought us together here so many times during the holidays and I was just happy that we had finally found our way back to each other for good. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning with his hand in mine.

"Should we get one?" He suddenly stops short.

I follow his eyes to a stand that is selling holiday ornaments you can leave on the pier. I smile at him without having to say a word and Conrad buys us one. He engraves our initials into the ornament and below our initials he starts to engrave something else. I squint to see what it is in the dark then I recognize it right away. I would recognize it from a mile away. It was an infinity sign. We hang our ornament on a quieter spot at the pier where we used to eat our ice cream as kids. It was a true full-circle moment. We leave our mark on the boardwalk forever.

We finish our hot chocolates on a bench as we watch the waves lap along the shore. It was the same bench we had sat on when Conrad had taken me to the boardwalk alone for the first time. A callback to our unofficial first date. I smile at the memory as I rest my head on his shoulder.

"Venus is still an evening star." Conrad nods up at the sky as he sets down our hot chocolates.

I look up at the night sky to see that he was right. There it was. The Venus star shining brightly above us. I snuggle closer to him. It would never be close enough.

"I love it when you talk astronomy to me." I joke and he just laughs, kissing my forehead.

We stargaze for awhile.

I never wanted to leave this bench. This night. This person. I had missed him so much the past two weeks. I close my eyes as I memorize the scent of him and the warmth of his arms wrapped around me. My heart was so full tonight it could burst.

"Speaking of astronomy." Conrad starts, keeping his eyes on the sky. "Have you given much thought to what we talked about two weeks ago?"

I open my eyes and I'm grateful my face is hidden into his shoulder. I was sure I was blushing. But I was also smiling. He was referring to how we had talked about diamond rings and infinity.

"Yes." I admit out loud.

"And?"

"And I did a lot of Pinteresting." I smile.

"I knew it." He teases me and we both laugh.

Then he asks me, "See any you like?"

"Yeah." I look up at the stars. "A few."

He waits for me to elaborate and when I don't say anything more he just says, "Can I see?"

I hesitate then I say, "Okay."

I take out my phone. I pull up the Pinterest board I had put together and I watch his face as he scrolls through the rings. His reactions don't disappoint. I couldn't believe I was showing Conrad Fisher my ideal wedding ring. Was I out of my mind? Or were we just out of our minds in love? It felt like I was holding my breath as I watched him. His eyes light up all of a sudden and he stops scrolling. I can't see the screen but he turns it even further away from me as he types fast.

I look at him funny. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He says when he hands me my phone back.

I laugh, taking it from him. "That didn't look like nothing."

Conrad shrugs. "Let's just say I'm saving it for later."

Then it hits me. Had he sent pictures of the rings to himself to reference for later? Had he sent himself a link to the Pinterest board? I pull up our text thread on my phone to find out but Conrad was one step ahead. He had already deleted any and all evidence that would lead back to what he had just done. I look up at him and he just smirks even bigger. He was enjoying this.

"Good things come to those who wait, Isabel." He winks and the smirk doesn't leave his face.

I roll my eyes, laughing. "You are such a tease."

Then he opens his arms and I stubbornly fall back into them. I just shake my head at him and he laughs but inside my heart was beating a million trillion times per minute. I had never felt so alive. Only he had that effect on me. He made me feel it all.

Then Conrad says to me, "Thank you, Belly."

I keep my head tucked into his shoulder. "For what?"

"You know what." He whispers, his hands finding mine. "For everything. Thank you."

He didn't have to say anything else. I knew what he was thanking me for at that moment. He wasn't just thanking me for showing him rings. No, he was thanking me for opening up to him. For opening up my heart to the idea of another engagement. He knew how serious this all was and I appreciated that he wasn't taking it lightly. But didn't he know that for him I would travel endlessly around those curves?

"Thank you." I whisper back. "You make all of this seem so much less scary. I've never had that before." I plant a soft kiss against his neck. "So thank YOU."

"I'm glad." He holds me closer. "Glad that you feel that way with me."

Of course I felt that way with him. Sometimes it felt like he was the only guy I could ever be with. I look up at the stars and it reminds me of what he had said to me that one Valentine's Day.

"Remember that one Valentine's Day when you drove up to my house and we looked up at the stars like this?" I laugh.

"Of course." I can hear the smile in his voice.

"You said something to me that night that has always stuck with me." I breathe. "Do you remember what it was?"

He replays the conversation back in his head but I answer the question for him.

"You said that I was the only girl you could ever trust." I take my head off of his shoulder to look at me. "And Conrad, you're the only guy I could ever trust with my heart again."

Conrad smiles. "And I plan to keep it that way."

I rest my head back onto his shoulder and we both look up at the night sky. It was a beautiful night in more ways than one.

Then he says, "And Belly?"

"Yeah?"

"I know we've been having a lot of serious talks lately and as excited as I am about our future." He keeps his voice soft. "I want you to know that it's okay if you're not there yet. We have time. We have all of the time in the world and I'm not going anywhere. I'm all in on this and I will wait as long as it takes for you." He smirks. "Hell, I already waited years. What's a few more?"

I close my eyes and I snuggle closer to him. "Thank you, Conrad."

"I just wanted you to know that." He kisses my hair then he rests his head on mine.

He had no idea how much I loved him for saying all of that. I felt so safe and warm in his arms tonight like I was wrapped up in a blanket of security. I had never been loved so well or so right.

"Can we stay like this forever?" I whisper. "I never want to forget tonight."

"We can stay as long as you want." He keeps his head on mine and it fits perfectly. "Like I said we have all of the time in the world. Infinity."

We were just two young hearts looking up at the stars on a cold November night. Two young hearts who knew a little better now about life and what lied ahead of them. Two young hearts who were finally getting it right. The stars twinkled differently for them that night. Not only was the Venus star evident but so was the moon. It was bright and full with the promise of tomorrow.

The moon was just like their hearts – only complete when they were together.

Conrad:

We waste no time when we get back to the beach house that night.

After two long weeks apart, we can't keep our hands off of each other. Our lips move frantically against each other as I carry her up the stairs. I set her down at the top and she leads me by the hand to the bathroom. We take our time undressing each other, savoring every moment. Each article of clothing hits the floor but our eyes remain locked on each other. We take a shower together and it's the best we've ever had. She throws her head back against the fogged up glass and I commit the image to memory as I pleasure her. It just kept getting better and better. Every kiss. Every touch. Every moan. Every whimper. And I think to myself this is all I could ever want. This is all I could ever need.

How could I ever want anything else?

I wait for her to fall asleep first and when she starts to snore, I laugh then I kiss her forehead before I leave the bedroom quietly. Same old Belly. She only snored when she was really tired.

The longer I stare at the picture on my phone the more tears it brings to my eyes. This was it. This was the one. I was sure of it. As soon as I saw it on Belly's phone, my heart knew. It just knew that this was the ring I would have custom made for her. This was the ring I would propose to her with. I would add a few personal touches of course but this was it. It was nice to finally have a visual. I set my phone down to wipe my eyes then my eyes land on something else across the living room. It was an old picture on a shelf. I walk over to it and I smile as I pick it up. It was the four of us summer kids. Our annual summer picture. We were little in it. I stare at the girl with pink glasses. The girl I had loved my entire life. The girl who would become my wife.

Oh, Isabel. I think to myself as I smile at her. If you only knew all of the things I'm going to give you. All of the plans I have in store for us. We're going to share the most beautiful life together.

The moon, the stars, and infinity doesn't even begin to capture it.

It was the best day of the year.

A day I had missed out on one too many times but I never could bring myself to forget it. No, how could I? Erasing today from my memory would have been like erasing a part of myself. It would have been like erasing a part of Susannah and that just wasn't something I could ever do. Because it wasn't just any other normal day. It would never be. It was a date my heart had memorized since I was ten years old.

It was Conrad's birthday.

How do you forget such a date? You don't. You can't. Even when it hurts.

My junior year of college I was sitting in a classroom in Spain and I was writing down the date in my notebook when it dawned on me what day it was. It hit me hard. It was his birthday. I spent the rest of the lecture looking out of the window, drowning it all out. I couldn't focus. I couldn't think about anything else. All I could think about was him. Conrad. I wondered where he was. What he was doing. Who he was with. If he was happy. I sure hoped that he was happy.

Later that night, I couldn't sleep. I got up and I reached for the spot in my drawer in the dark. The spot where I kept his letters safely tucked away. He had written me a few up until that point and I hadn't responded to any of them. I wasn't sure why. I guess I just wasn't ready. I guess I just needed time to figure out who I was without the Fisher boys. But that didn't mean my heart had forgotten him like something you leave behind in the back of your drawer. No, how could my heart forget? It didn't matter how far apart we were or how much time had passed, my heart remembered everything when it came to Conrad Fisher. I took the letters back to my bed and I turned the lamp on. Then I sat and read each letter one by one with an ache in my heart.

But this year things were different.

I didn't have to wonder where he was or who he was with today. I didn't have to miss him from halfway across the world on his birthday because we were finally spending his birthday together. At our favorite place in the entire world. Cousins Beach. And all I knew was I wanted to make up for all of the birthdays I'd missed. All of the times I'd reached for the phone but never called. This weekend would go perfect. I would make sure of it.

Weatherwise it was a perfect day in Cousins. It was a little windy but it was like the sun had come out just for us which was more than we could have asked for in November. It was the perfect way to kick off his birthday weekend.

I lay out a beach towel to watch him. I had always loved watching Conrad surf. He had been surfing for as long as I could remember. I revert back to the little girl who had always admired him from afar, wishing she could be that good at something someday too. I think little me would be proud of who I was becoming. I sure was. The water was too cold for my liking this time of year but that never stopped Conrad. He always said fall was the best time of year to surf. The waves were bigger, the swells were even better, and it was less crowded because there were less tourists. He hadn't been able to come down to Cousins for months so I knew he was itching to get into the water. The ocean had been calling his name. It was in his blood. I go inside to grab a drink and when I come back outside, I lose track of where he is in the water. It takes me awhile to find him again from underneath my sunglasses but once I do, I can't look away.

Conrad emerges from the water with his surfboard tucked at his side and it's like a scene from Baywatch but it's even better because it's real. It's even better because it's him.

Bed Chem by Sabrina Carpenter plays on the bluetooth speaker next to her towel:

Ooh

Who's the cute guy with the wide, blue eyes and the big bad mm?

Like Ooh

Everything is in slow motion as Conrad shakes his wet hair back and forth. I had always loved Conrad with wet hair but this was on a whole other level. I wasn't sure which one was hotter: Conrad in scrubs or Conrad in a wetsuit? They were tied for first place. Steamy flashbacks from the night before play in my mind as I watch him run a hand through his hair.

But I bet we'd have really good bed chem

How you pick me up, pull 'em down, turn me 'round

Oh, it just makes sense (Oh, it just makes sense)

How you talk so sweet when you're doin' bad things (Bad)

That's bed chem (Oh, that's bed chem)

He flashes a smile that pops against his tan skin when he sees me and he waves. I try to wave back but I'm stuck in a trance. I'm stuck in a daydream. He starts to jog over to me in his wetsuit and I watch every single muscle flex. The way he was looking at me was even better though. And I had him all to myself this weekend. How were we ever going to get anything done?

How you're lookin' at me, yeah, I know what that means

And I'm obsessed (So obsessed)

Are you free next week?

I bet we'd have really good (Bed chem)

He kneels down to my level when he gets to me and he greets me with a long wet and salty kiss. He had only been surfing for an hour or two but I had already missed him so much. His hair is soaking wet. It drips all over me but I don't care. My favorite person was back.

"You're back." I laugh.

"I'm back." He smirks.

"How was the water?"

"Perfect." He runs another hand through his wet hair and I can't help but stare. "Nothing beats the waves in Cousins."

"Not even California?" I tease him since he had gone to college there.

"Not even California." He winks before he kisses me again.

The kiss is so good that I keep my eyes closed afterwards to savor it. I open my eyes again and we just smile at each other. Today was a good day.

"Hungry?" I smooth some of the hair falling into his eyes. "I made breakfast."

"Starving." Conrad kisses me again and the kiss is so good I never want him to stop. When he pulls away, he has a sneaky smirk on his face. His eyes linger on my lips this time. "But I think I'm in the mood for something else."

His eyes flash back up to mine and before I can even think to get another word out, he throws me over his shoulder and I don't even fight him on it. I just let it happen. It was his birthday after all.

I just giggle as he carries me inside.

Conrad:

Best. Birthday. Ever.

After we spend our morning in bed, we had worked up quite the appetite. We get ready for the day then we go downstairs to have breakfast.

"Surprise!" Belly throws her arms in the air as soon as we round the corner.

The entire kitchen was decorated for my birthday. There were blue balloons scattered across the room. A colorful Happy Birthday banner that hung high above the kitchen island. Presents, party hats, and party favors on the counter. And to top it all off, Belly had cooked a huge breakfast just like my mom used to do for all of our birthdays. The smell of bacon and coffee fills the room and it smells amazing. She had done all of this just for me? I don't think anyone had ever gone all out like this on my birthday except for my mom. It really touched me.

"You did not have to do all of this." I just laugh. "Thank you, Belly."

"Oh, but I did." She grins as she picks up a fake golden crown from the counter.

It looked like it was two sizes too small for my head but she puts it on me anyways. I give her a look and she takes a step back to admire me in it. She was having fun with this.

"Oh." She just laughs. "This is 100% your look, Connie Baby!"

I laugh as she takes a picture of me in my birthday crown with a polaroid camera.

"Oh yeah?" I smirk and she nods, laughing harder at the picture she had taken of me.

I take the fake tiara from the counter and I place it on her head. Both my crown and her tiara were way too small for our adult heads. They were meant for kids but we were having too much fun to care. I make a rainbow motion with my hands at her and she just laughs then she poses for a picture as I take one of her. We compare pictures and she just laughs even harder.

"Now let's take one of us." I say and she seems surprised I had suggested it.

I turn the polaroid camera around to take a picture of us. She hugs me and I turn to look at her. She is smiling from ear to ear. The tiara was fitting. She truly was my princess. My queen. My everything. I recreate the photo we had taken in Spain and I kiss her cheek as I click the button. We look at the picture together. It was cute. We would have to add it to our growing collection.

"Great." She smiles then she takes my hand. "Now let's eat! We have a long day ahead!"

"We do?" I laugh as she drags me to the kitchen table.

"Yup." She beams as we both take a seat. "And you're going to love it!"

The table was set for us and I almost laugh when I see the mickey mouse pancakes. It was a birthday tradition in this house. Same old Belly.

"How could I not when I'm spending the day with you?" I reach for her hand on the table.

Belly blushes as she pours herself a glass of orange juice and I help myself to the coffee she had made me. I start to pour maple syrup on both of our pancakes. I make an infinity symbol and we smile at each other as we hold hands on the table. It was a callback to her birthday where I had shown her what infinity meant as kids. Where it all began.

"So what are we doing first?" I ask her later after we had finished eating.

She was rinsing off our dishes into the sink and cleaning up the kitchen before we go.

"Hmm." She makes an adorable face as she scrubs her dish. "Let's just say we're going to spend today doing all of your favorite things."

Her answer intrigues me but I let her keep it a mystery. It was more fun that way. I come up from behind her and I move her hair so I can kiss her neck. I trail kisses and she laughs.

"Is that why today started with you?" I breathe against her neck. "You're my most favorite thing."

Belly turns around to look at me and I kiss her. She was my favorite thing. She was the best birthday gift I'd ever been given and I would never get enough of her. Honestly, it didn't really matter to me what we did today as long as I was with her.

I'd follow this girl anywhere.

"Ready?"

Conrad was blindfolded and I was guiding him by the shoulders along a wooden dock.

"Ready." Conrad laughs as I steady him.

Before I undo his blindfold, I kiss him and he kisses me back. I just couldn't help myself today. When I uncover his eyes, Conrad just stares at what is in front of us then he looks back at me.

"You did not." He laughs. He was genuinely surprised. Just the reaction I was going for.

"Oh, I did." I bite my lip. "Ready to show me the ropes?"

I had never gone sailing with Conrad before but I figured his birthday was the perfect time to go. I had become good friends with the wife of a local fishermen at the Country Club and they let me rent their sailboat for the weekend. I could tell Conrad was thrilled to go sailing for his birthday. I had told him to bring his fishing pole and bait which had been a small hint. He had always loved being out on the water. Surfing and sailing was the way to Conrad Fisher's heart.

As we set sail, he shows me around the sailboat then he sits down to show me a few sailor knots but all I can focus on is him. There was nothing hotter than watching a man in his element. His long windswept hair. His tan arms flexing against his white button up shirt. He had two buttons undone at the top and it was hard not to stare. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses I had never seen him wear before. He was dressed like old money and it really suited him. But more importantly, he looked happy and happiness was the best look he could ever wear.

"Your turn." Conrad hands me the rope, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, I'll be honest." I laugh nervously. "You're pretty distracting. I've learned nothing."

Conrad just laughs, shaking his head at me then he leans forward to kiss me.

"You're the worst crewhand ever." He laughs against my lips as he kisses me.

"Hey." I kiss him back laughing. "It's not my fault the captain is so hot!"

Conrad just smirks, kissing my forehead. "That's all you, baby."

Once we have made it out of the marina, we take a few pictures together on the sailboat with the polaroid camera. Some of them don't come out right because of the sunlight but we finally get a few good ones together and I could have sworn I saw him sneak one into his wallet. It makes me smile. I take a few pictures of him without him knowing too. I never wanted to forget today.

He anchors the boat then he sets up his fishing pole and he waves me over. He hugs me from behind and his hands guide mine as he helps me cast it out then reel it back in. We don't end up catching much that day but it didn't matter to me one bit because we were having the most fun. At one point I thought we caught something. The line is tugging hard and he helps me reel it in then the excitement dies when we see that it's just a bunch of seaweed clumped together. The line snaps and we end up losing the bait. I look at him worried but Conrad just laughs and he kisses me. He wasn't even mad. His face was relaxed. Easy. So yeah, I guess he did catch one thing that day. My whole heart.

He uses my hand to point out sea turtles and some dolphins we come across that day as I sit on his lap. We had always connected on our love for the ocean and it almost felt like we were kids again. He tells me old fisherman wives tales and superstitions he had grown up hearing as a kid and I could listen to him talk for hours and hours. I find myself looking at him in a new way from under my sunglasses. Out of everything we saw that day, he was the best view. My most favorite view. The best catch of all and I just felt so lucky to be spending the day with him. It was a date that kept bringing us closer and closer. We were living in the moment, letting our hair down and I felt closer to him than ever before. I kept asking myself how we hadn't gone sailing together sooner. It certainly wouldn't be our last time.

Halfway through our sailing adventure, I walk over to grab us some sodas and I end up getting splashed on the deck by an unexpected wave. The water is so cold it sends shivers up my spine and I jump backwards. The salt water stings my eyes and I could taste some of it in my mouth.

"Shit." Conrad hurries over to me. "Belly, are you okay?"

"Oh yeah." I wring out the excess of water from my shirt for comedic effect. "Never been better."

I wasn't going to let anything sour the mood on his birthday. Not even a little splash.

Conrad fights a smile. He was trying so hard not to laugh. "Are you sure?"

"Yup." I joke then I look down to see my sunglasses floating in the ocean below us. They were a cheap pair anyways. "Can't say the same for my sunglasses though." I point down at them.

Conrad looks down to see my sunglasses floating in the water then we both look at each other and burst into laughter. He reminds me so much of young Conrad today. Relaxed. Carefree. Happy. The boy I first fell in love with. There was nothing better than seeing him happy. Happy Conrad was my favorite Conrad and I was determined to keep that smile on his face all day long.

He walks over to grab the sodas and in the process he ends up getting splashed too. It was rough seas out here today. He turns around running a hand over his face and I can't help but laugh at him. His white shirt is soaked, sticking to his skin and I can see the outline of every muscle.

"Who's laughing now?" I tease him.

"Who's still got their sunglasses?" He teases me back as he tosses me my soda.

I catch it, laughing. "Hey!"

"Don't worry." He laughs as he walks over to me with a towel and he wraps it around my shoulders then he kisses my cheek. "I'll get you a new pair."

And I think to myself I'll love this man forever. I'd be a fool to not marry him.

Conrad:

We can't stop smiling and stealing looks at each other as we head back to the dock hours later.

Now that she didn't have her sunglasses she couldn't hide those beautiful eyes away from me. And our eyes said it all. We were happy. We were giddy. We were in love. Today was good. She sits next to me on the way back and I keep a hand on her thigh while my other hand steers the helm. She brings her windswept hair to one shoulder as she looks out at the ocean and I watch her out of the corner of my eye as she combs her fingers through it. I feel so grateful in that moment to know her. To have grown up with her. To love her. Because I did. I really did. I loved everything about her including the new freckles blooming on her nose from today. She was sunburnt but more than that, she was beautiful. The most beautiful there ever was.

Belly catches me midstare.

"What?" She laughs. "Do I have like seaweed in my hair or something?"

"No." I shake my head, drowning in those chocolate eyes.

She laughs again. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." I smile and for the first time I actually meant those words. I was the happiest I'd ever been and it was all thanks to her. My girl. "Everything is more than okay."

She blushes then she looks back out at the ocean. I keep my eyes on her.

I'm not sure who fell first when it came to Belly and I. When I look back on our story, there are several moments where I remember feeling a certain way towards her and I'm sure she could say the same. I don't think it really matters who fell in love first. All I knew was that I fell harder. What I felt for Belly was deeper than the entire ocean. My heart yearned for her. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Our love was the kind of love that finds you when you are young and never lets go. The kind of love that only finds you once if you're lucky enough to experience it. The kind of love that bewitches you body and soul. And I understood today more than ever what Ernie had said to me all those years ago about how people are meant to be with one person. Because Isabel Conklin was my person. She had always been. She was my other half. My better half. The half of my heart that had been missing for so long that I never wanted to know a world without her in it ever again.

"So what's next?" I ask her when we're close to the dock.

"Well, I was going to let you pick since it's your birthday and all." Belly smiles. "We still have a few hours until our dinner reservation."

And that's when the idea occurs to me. There was something we had to do first.

"Hey." I squeeze her leg. "Do you remember Ernie from the seafood restaurant?"

"The Godfather of Cousins?" Belly laughs. "Of course. Why?"

I smirk, steering with one hand. "How would you feel about paying him a visit?"

We pull up to Ernie's house just off of the highway.

I couldn't remember the last time I had seen Ernie. It had to have been when I was really little. The boys used to tell me he used to be a prince in Italy and that he was a mafioso so I think I had always been secretly scared of him as a kid. The yard looks abandoned as we walk up to Ernie's house and I can tell it bothers Conrad. He had mentioned to me that he used to mow his lawn and that Ernie didn't have a lot of family around to check in on him. Conrad knocks on the door a few times but nobody answers. I begin to think the worst like what if Ernie had passed away? Maybe we should have called first but Conrad knocks again and the door slightly opens. It was unlocked. We step inside. I guess it wasn't the first time Conrad had let himself in.

"Ernie?" Conrad calls out. There was a hint of worry in his voice. "You there?"

"Depends." A voice answers. "Did you bring any cigarettes?"

"Ernie, I quit." Conrad laughs and he shuts the door behind us. "You know that."

"Then get the hell out!"

I look at Conrad's face for his reaction but he doesn't seem the least bit bothered by it. I guess Ernie was a little rough around the edges. He was witty. Conrad just laughs it off.

"Come on." He smiles. "Let's go say hi."

He leads me by the hand down the hallway and we find Ernie sitting in a recliner watching tv at a high volume. No wonder he hadn't heard us knock. He has his back to us and we walk closer to get in his eye line. It looked like he was alone which concerned me because of his age. As we get closer, I can't help but stare at all of the pictures on the walls. Everything from grandkids to family reunions and holidays. Last but not least, there are pictures of Ernie and his wife front and center in black and white. Conrad had told me she passed away a few years ago.

"Hey Ernie." Conrad greets him first. "Long time no see."

"Conrad." Ernie grunts then he notices me. "Ahh, it's about time you bring her."

Conrad and I look at each other then he looks away first. Ernie knew about me? I blush.

Conrad laughs. "Ernie, I haven't seen you in years-"

"Yeah, like I said." Ernie grunts. "It's about time you bring her. Happy Birthday by the way."

Every kid in Cousins knew who Ernie was just like how Ernie knew every kid. He never forgot a face or a birthday. Probably because all of us kids would come into his restaurant for free dessert on our birthdays. I would always have to fight my brother off for mine.

"Can I get you anything, Ernie?" Conrad rests his hand on the back of his recliner. "Have you take your meds today?"

"Eh." Ernie scratches his stubble. "Just bring me some peanuts, will you?"

Conrad nods then he squeezes my hand before he lets it go. He walks into the kitchen and I wonder if I should follow him to help him but Ernie says something before I can.

"I remember you." Ernie says to me. "You used to curtsy at me when you were really little."

I laugh. "And you used to run the best seafood restaurant in Cousins. It never was quite the same after you left. Even Susannah said so."

Ernie's face softens. He perks up. Conrad had filled me in on how Ernie had gotten kicked out of the business and I could tell my words had meant a lot to him. He smiles for the first time since we had arrived.

"Damn straight." He turns back to the tv.

I sit on the couch and we watch an old cop show together. I had to admit it was pretty funny. I think Susannah would have liked it. During the commercial break, I ask him about a picture that my eyes kept wandering back to on the entertainment center. His wife was beautiful.

"Did she play a lot?" I point at the picture.

I was hoping it wasn't an intrusive question but Ernie didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, my Elizabeth was the best at piano." He knows exactly what picture I am referring to without having to look at it. He just keeps his eyes on the tv. "Sometimes I can still hear her play." He starts to hum a few notes to himself then he trails off and he coughs. It hurts my heart.

"What was her favorite song to play?"

"She had a few." Ernie clears his throat. "But she really loved Stay by Maurice Williams and-"

"And the Zodiacs?" I finish his sentence for him and he looks at me. "I love that song!"

"Me too." Ernie finally looks at the picture of Elizabeth. "She played it at our wedding. Best day of my life."

I didn't have to see his eyes to feel what he was feeling. There was a sadness and longing there that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. I knew what it was like to lose someone you loved.

"She was not only the best wife but the best piano player in all of Cousins." Ernie says.

"Damn straight." I echo him from earlier and he just looks back at me with an amused smile.

Conrad comes back with peanuts and water for all three of us. He administers some medicine he knows Ernie should be taking. The pills were all different colors. It was the doctor in him I guess.

"Thanks." Ernie grunts as he washes each set of pills down with water.

Conrad sits down next to me on the couch with our peanuts and water. I thank him and he kisses my cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ernie smiling at us then the show comes back on. During the commercial breaks, that's when Ernie would ask Conrad about medical school or about his birthday. We tell him all about our sailing adventure from earlier. Conrad teases me about the seaweed we caught and we can't stop laughing. Ernie smiles at us.

On the next commercial break Ernie asks, "So when's the wedding?"

I almost choke on my peanut. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw Conrad blushing.

"Ernie, we're not-" Conrad starts but Ernie cuts him off.

"Don't be cute with me." Ernie laughs. "I know love when I see it. I'm not in the ground yet, boy."

Conrad and I look at each other then we look away. I was the one blushing this time.

"So when's the wedding?" Ernie repeats his question.

Conrad just laughs. "I'm going to get you a refill now, Ernie."

"How about a beer?" Ernie suggests and everyone laughs.

Conrad just shakes his head as he heads back into the kitchen and as soon as he is gone, Ernie looks at me and I look at him. I was growing pretty fond of Ernie. I could see why Conrad had liked him so much.

"Did you know I'm part of the reason behind why you're getting married?" Ernie raises a brow.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that we weren't engaged so I just stare back at him.

"I told Conrad that if a girl is the one all bets are off family or no family." Ernie recites it like it's a line from the cop show. He shells a peanut then he winks at me. "You're welcome."

I smile at him but on the inside I had so many burning questions. Conrad told me on the drive over that he hadn't seen Ernie in years. The last time they talked was the summer I had been engaged to Jeremiah. It melts my heart after all of these years to learn that Conrad had confided in Ernie about me. It sounded like it had been more than once too.

Ernie shells another peanut then under his breath he says, "Want to know something else?"

"Sure." I laugh.

"That boy has always had a thing for you." Ernie says it matter of fact. He coughs then he says. "When he used to work for me at the restaurant I saw the way he looked at you when your family would come in. He's always looked at you like that. Ah, yes. The look of love." Ernie looks back at the picture of Elizabeth. "I would know because it was the same way I looked at my girl."

Ernie's words do something to my heart. They couldn't have come at a better time. There was something in the air today. I felt like today was just bringing Conrad and I closer and closer.

"Thank you for being good to him." I speak up and Ernie looks at me. "I-I think he really needed a friend that one summer and I'm glad he had you." I smile at him. "Thank you."

"I'm glad he took my advice." Ernie pops a peanut into his mouth then he looks back at the tv. "He's a good guy that Conrad. You'll never find a guy with a bigger heart. Hold onto him. But don't tell him I said that."

I just laugh then Ernie lowers his voice.

"And if you really want to thank me." Ernie looks at me. "I won't say no to a wedding invitation."

We exchange smiles then Ernie looks down so fast that if I blinked I would have missed it. He just looks back to the tv with a knowing smile on his face and it hits me. Ernie knew I wasn't wearing a ring yet he still had talked like we were engaged. Like there would be a ring on my finger soon enough. Conrad returns with not only a freshly poured glass of water for Ernie but a warm tv dinner and extra peanuts. I watch Conrad as he takes care of Ernie and it makes my heart swell for him. Ernie's words bounce around in my head as I watch the two of them.

He's always looked at you like that.

You'll never find a guy with a bigger heart.

Hold onto him.

When's the wedding?

My heart felt lighter after leaving Ernie's house that day. It really did.

Conrad:

We can't stop smiling after we leave Ernie's house later that afternoon.

"He was sweet." Belly says as she puts on her seatbelt. "We should visit him more."

"Yeah." I put on my seatbelt. "Ernie's the best."

Then she says, "You never told me that you two talked about me."

My cheeks got hot. Of course Ernie had said something to her. "I-I guess it never came up."

Belly laughs. "You should see your face right now."

I start to say something but Belly just reaches out across the car and she kisses me. We smile at each other when she pulls away.

"Wow." I smile. "I should take you to Ernie's more often."

And she just laughs, kissing me more. Like I said how could I ever want anything else?

We hold the hands the entire drive home.

We play music with the windows down and she puts her head out of the window. It was the best day we had shared together in a long time. I find myself admiring her every chance I got from the drivers seat as I replay the knowing look on Ernie's face when he had asked us when the wedding was. It gives me an idea. I decide to take her somewhere. A place I had always wanted to take her. A place that was special to the Fisher family. I take a slight detour and I can feel her eyes on me.

"Where are we going?" She laughs.

"I'm taking you on the scenic route."

I drive us to the Cliffs. It was a spot only locals knew about at Cousins Beach. I park the car then I lead her to one of the best panoramic views in all of Cousins. You could see everything from up here. All of the boats and people looked like small dots floating in the distance. Being up here really put a lot of things into perspective. It used to be one of my favorite thinking spots.

"Wow." Belly takes in the view around us. "This is breathtaking."

"Have you ever been up here?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think so."

"Come on." I take her by the hand. "I want to show you something."

I help her climb a few rocks and I don't let go of her. I don't let her out of my sight. We weren't super close to the edge but I was still protective over her. My body was acting out of instinct. When we find the clearing, I keep her close. We sit down and she rests her head on my shoulder as we admire the view.

"I've never brought a girl up here before." I admit to her.

"I find that hard to believe." Belly laughs. "This seems like the perfect makeout spot."

"I'm serious." I laugh. "I've only brought one girl up here and that's you."

She buries her face into my shoulder and I hold her closer. I trace her hand in mine.

Then a few minutes later I tell her why we had come here.

I say, "Did you know my parents got engaged here?"

Belly takes her head off of my shoulder to look at me. "Adam proposed to Susannah here?"

"Yeah." I point to a clearing to the left of us. "He proposed right at sunset over there."

Belly looks over at the spot I'm referring to and she takes it all in, picturing it. "Wow."

"My mom showed Jere and I the pictures once." I nod as I remember the story. "She said my dad was so nervous that she thought he would drop the ring into the ocean. He was shaking."

Belly laughs. "I would pay to see that. To see Adam all flustered and nervous."

I smirk. "Me too."

Before Adam had sold the house in Boston, I went through every single box in the garage. I didn't want him to throw anything before I could get to it. In one of the boxes, I had found pictures of my parents from their earliest years of marriage. Their happiest years. A few of the pictures were of my dad proposing to my mom in this very spot. I had thought about throwing them away but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I had kept the box even though I would never admit to anyone. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to bring Belly up here today. I thought it would be a good way to pick up where we had left off on our conversation about the future. But now that we were here it was bringing up a lot of feelings. I just felt sad.

"Well, if I knew anything about Susannah." Belly looks back at me. "It was that she was always a sucker for a good sunset."

Belly smiles at me and I smile back at her. Leave it to Belly to turn a frown upside down. This is why I needed her in my life. She made everything better. We both look back out at the view.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Belly hesitates.

"Anything."

"Do you miss it?" She asks me without looking at me. "What your family was like back then?"

I think about it. I had never been asked that question before. Then I finally say, "No."

She looks at me. "Come on. You really don't miss seeing your parents being romantic together?"

"They weren't that happy, Belly." I shrug. "Not at the end. They were quite the opposite."

"Don't say that." Belly says.

"It's the truth." I look at her.

Belly looks back out at the ocean and it's a moment before she says anything else.

"My mom once told me that love has different seasons." Belly nods to herself. "I made fun of her at the time for saying that but as I get older I realize she's right. Sometimes people have the best of intentions when they get together but it just doesn't work out. You either grow together or you grow apart." She looks at me then. "But that doesn't mean there wasn't love there to begin with. Your parents really did love each other in the beginning, Conrad. I remember."

"I know." I look down. "I know they did. I just wish my dad could have loved her the way he did in the beginning through all of it, you know?"

I look at her with sad eyes and Belly just nods.

"I get it." She lets out a breath as she faces the view again. "I mean, I used to hold so much resentment towards my mom about my parents divorce." She shakes her head. "I just couldn't understand how she could fall out of love with my dad just like that. How she could sign divorce papers like it was nothing. I used to think my mom was made of stone." Belly pauses. "Then we lost Susannah and I realized that she wasn't."

I study her face as I listen to her. We had never talked about all of this before.

"I didn't understand falling out of love until I went through it myself." She looks at me then back out at the ocean. "My relationship with Jere taught me a lot. It made me realize love does have different seasons and that's okay. Some things aren't meant to last forever. Some things aren't meant to be and the more you try to force it, the more you only end up hurting yourself and that person." She looks down at the ground. "I think there's a quote about that actually."

I look back out at the ocean. "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours." I look at her and she looks at me. "If not, it was never meant to be."

"Yeah, that one." She says and we both look out at the view again.

Then I finally get the courage to ask her, "So what season are you in?"

"What?" She laughs.

I look at her. "What season of love are you in, Belly?"

Her eyes hold mine for a long time and neither of us can look away. There it was. That spark. That invisible string.

"You tell me." She says, searching my eyes.

"Well, I always told myself I wouldn't bring a girl up here unless I was sure that she was the one." I reach out to trace her hair. "Does that answer your question?"

Belly just laughs, shaking her head. "And you say you aren't good with words."

"And you say you aren't good with heights." I make a gesture with my hands at the view from below us. "Look at us now!"

Belly just laughs then she shoots me a look. "I never said I was scared of heights."

"You used to cry when you looked at the Tower of Terror." I laugh at her. "You've always hated heights, Belly. Don't even try to deny it. I know you."

We both laugh together and it's really nice then she scoots closer to me.

"You're right. You do know me." She rests her head on my shoulder. "Which means you also know this I'm really glad you came back into my life, Conrad Fisher. I'm really glad we're not spending another birthday apart this year."

I wrap my arms around my entire world, smiling. "Me too."

By the time we get back to the beach house, we only have an hour before our dinner reservation.

I was keeping the restaurant top secret but I had told him to get all dressed up for it. I figured we should go all out for his birthday. I curl the ends of my hair then I put on a long sleeve black dress on that hugged me at the waist and flared out. I decided to wear some heels too. The outfit reminded me of something Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina would wear. Simple but chic. I think Susannah would approve. Then I put Susannah's earrings and pearls on to complete the look. I looked in the mirror and I felt beautiful that night.

He finds me downstairs, laying out all of his gifts. He was buttoning up his long sleeve dress shirt and it was a shade of teal that matched the color of his eyes. He paired it with tan slacks and nice dress shoes. I had never seen him dressed like that before. He looked incredible. I didn't even know that he owned clothes like that but then again I guess doctors did have to dress nice, especially for residency interviews. I kiss him right away then I kiss him again and again just because I can. I get some lipstick on him and I rub it away. Conrad laughs then he tells me I look nice. He tells me I look beautiful. It was truly a dream come true to get all dressed up together and to spend his birthday together like this.

Then he eyes the presents on the coffee table. "What's all this?"

"What does it look like?" I laugh. "Did you really think I wasn't going to spoil you for your birthday?"

"We don't have a lot of time." He scratches his neck. "How about we open them after dinner-"

"Nope." I ignore him, dragging him to the couch by the hand. "You have to open them now."

"Alright." He laughs as we sit down on the couch. "Hit me."

"Start with this one." I smile, handing him the first gift.

"You really didn't have to do all of this." He holds it in his hands. "You know that right?"

Conrad hated being the center of attention. He had always had a hard time accepting gifts but today I wasn't going to let him get out of it. Today was all about him whether he liked it or not.

"I know but I wanted to." I smile. "It's your birthday!"

He kisses my forehead. "You spoil me too much."

"Okay." I laugh. "Now stop stalling. You're going to make us late."

"Late to my own birthday dinner?" He teases me and I just roll my eyes.

He opens the gift. It's a watch with a brown leather band and it has a white face with a navy blue anchor in the center that says Cousins Beach. I had set the time to what time it was in Cousins.

"I saw it in a window and it reminded me of you." I smile. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." He squeezes my leg. He had been doing that a lot today and I never wanted him to stop. "Thank you, baby. I'll wear it to dinner tonight."

I help him put the watch on and we both admire it on his wrist. It was a really nice watch and it suited the outfit he was wearing. Dr. Fisher vibes.

"Alright!" I set an even bigger gift on his lap. "Next one!"

Conrad just laughs. "How many are there?"

"Will you just open it already?" I laugh.

The second gift is a brand new pair of over-the-head headphones. The most expensive kind they had in a shade of dark blue. I had been saving up for it for that gift for awhile and it felt so good to finally buy it for him. It had been on my mind since Spain.

"I saw you wearing your old ones on the flight to Spain. You know, the ones you used during the all-nighter we pulled to get you into Stanford?" I lean into him. "So I figured it was time to retire the old ones and to get you a new pair. What do you think?"

Conrad just shakes his head. "You did not have to spend this much money on me, Belly."

"You're worth it." I shrug. "Think of it as an early graduation gift."

"But I don't graduate until the spring." He laughs.

"I know but I also know how hard you have been working. You deserve them, Conrad." I smile. "It's okay to accept presents on your birthday, you know. It won't kill you."

Conrad laughs. "Well, thank you." He squeezes my leg again. "Seriously, thank you."

"Do you like the color?" I hesitate at the dark blue. "I wasn't sure what color to get you-"

He interrupts me with a kiss before I can finish my sentence. He reassures me with that kiss. The way he was kissing me today I would never recover.

"They're perfect." He pulls away to look at me, cupping my face in his hand. "Just like you."

I blush then I look down. I see the time on his watch and I clear my throat.

"Alright, time to pick up the pace." I hand him another one.

He feels the weight of the present in his hands and he just looks at me. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Just open it." I smile.

The third gift was really special. It was a watercolor painting on canvas of the beach house.

"No way." He leans into me to tease me. "I didn't know you could paint."

"Haha. Very funny." I roll my eyes then I nod at the painting. "Look closely on the left."

It was Susannah. The best hidden detail of the painting. She was sitting on the pier with an easel and paint brushes at her side. It was all done in watercolor but it captured every detail of Susannah beautifully. She was smiling at us, the summer kids, who were taking a picture on the pier. My mom was the one taking the picture. Conrad is quiet as he looks down at the painting in his hands.

"You have no idea how much this means to me." He looks up. "Thank you, Belly."

"I thought you should have a piece of Cousins with you wherever you are." I say. "So when you're studying and you're missing home, you can have a piece of home with you."

When I had gone to seen Conrad two weeks ago during the Halloween weekend, I got to see his room for the first time and I knew he needed something of Cousins in there for when he was homesick. I had grown close to a painter at the Country Club and I had asked her to paint the beach house. I had given her a few pictures to go off of when it came to Susannah and us kids. She had gone above and beyond with her watercolor work. It was truly one of a kind.

I reach for the very last gift as I give him time to admire the rest of the painting.

"This one." I hesitate as I hold it. "This one's sort of cheesy."

"That's okay." Conrad sets down the painting to give me his full attention. "I love cheesy."

He kisses my cheek and it melts me but my heart still felt anxious. Why was I so nervous to give this last gift to him? Maybe because of how much it meant to me. How important it was.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." I say as I hand him his last and final gift.

He opens the gift. He picks up the large book in his hands and it has no title. Just a blank cover. He looks at me and I don't say anything. It wasn't a gift you could put into the words. He had to see it and experience it for himself. He opens the book to the first page and it's the polaroid picture of us he had kept in his wallet for years. The polaroid he had given back to me this summer. From the party where we wore orange retro outfits and he was looking at me in it.

It was taped next to the words: Our Story.

Conrad looks up at me and I smile at him then he starts to flip through the book. It was like a scrapbook but even better. It was our story. The pages were full of pictures, letters, momentos, anything I could find from over the years. The pictures went in order from our childhood to our adult years. Our annual summer kid pictures. Birthdays. Fourth of July Barbeques. Beach days. The Debutante Ball. One of my favorite pictures I had found was a picture of Conrad and I in the pool when he was teaching me how to swim for the first time. We had popsicles smeared all over our mouths and I was using unicorn floaties. We were cheesing hard for the camera. Conrad and I both laugh at how little we were.

Another favorite of mine was Conrad throwing me on top of his shoulders because I couldn't see the fireworks on the beach one year. It was one of my earliest memories I had of him holding my hand. Susannah had taken that picture of us on the Fourth of July. Another favorite of mine was Conrad with his hand on my shoulder as he was teaching me how to throw a football. Another one was Conrad and I asleep on the couch after watching a movie. Our heads were touching and we had to be toddlers in it. Another favorite was Conrad and I burying Steven in the sand. You could barely see Steven in the picture but his feet were sticking out. I was patting Steven's head laughing and Conrad had his hand over mine. I had even snuck in a few pictures from our own personal milestones like our graduations and big sports highlights. I left the page next to it empty for Conrad's medical school graduation. Last but not least, I had put in a few pictures from the trip to Spain and some of the polaroid picture we had taken today. It had taken me hours and hours to put all of it together and it had all been worth it to see his reaction. I watch his face as he strolls down memory lane.

"You made this?" He looks up at me with tears in his eyes and I nod.

Ever since Conrad had given me the box of letters for my birthday, I knew I wanted to give him something just as special. A gift that money can't buy. A gift from the heart and I think I had accomplished that. It was a collection of our top moments and memories all in one place.

Conrad sets the book down and he opens his arms to me. "Come here."

He wraps his arms around me and I'm home. I had never felt so close to another person in my entire life. I could tell the gift had really touched him. Conrad was just as sentimental as I was.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" He rests his cheek against my hair. "How did I ever get so lucky to call you mine? You are by far the best gift I've ever been given, Isabel."

His words melt me but couldn't he see? He had it all wrong. I was the lucky one.

"It's our story." I say in his arms. "From start to finish. The good and the bad. All of it." I pull away to look at him and I cup his cheek in my hand. "And I love our story, Conrad. I really do. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I hope today out of all days you know that." I brush some of the hair that is falling into his eyes. "Trust me. I'm the lucky one."

Conrad just smiles and his eyes fill with tears as he looks at me. He takes me in for a moment.

Then he says, "If you saw what I was looking at right now, you would say I'm the lucky one."

It was all in the way he looked at me for those few seconds. Just one look. One touch from him and I was shaking. He was looking at me like I was his entire world because I was looking at him like he was mine. He was looking at me like he was about to get down on one knee and ask me to be his forever. And the crazy thing is I wouldn't even have to give it a second thought. I wouldn't even hesitate. We were entering unchartered waters in our relationship and as scary as it was to dive into the deep end with him it also just felt right. Nothing could spoil tonight.

Conrad:

Belly takes me to a new restaurant in Cousins for my birthday dinner.

They seat us at a table outside under a large pavilion with a perfect view of the ocean. We start with a few appetizers and drinks. I could see why she had kept the place a secret from me because every item on the menu was expensive. She was spoiling me so much tonight. When they serve us our drinks, she raises her glass in the air. There was so much to celebrate. My birthday. Her new promotion. My residency interviews. Us most likely moving in together next year. The taste of new beginnings.

"Here's to the greatest guy I've ever known." Belly makes a toast just for me. "The hardest worker. The hottest surfer." She winks and I laugh. "The smartest and coolest summer kid there ever was. May this be your best year yet!" She smiles then she clinks my glass. "Cheers!"

"Cheers." I smirk, clinking her glass with mine. "May this be our best year yet."

Belly smiles then she looks out at the view as she sips her glass. I couldn't take my eyes off of her tonight. She was everything in that black dress. Absolutely stunning. She was taking my breath away from her curly hair to her dress to the sparkle she had in her eyes and to the lipstick stain she was leaving on the glass. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I felt a familiar ache in my heart for her. It was like I was falling for her just as hard as the first time, if not harder. I was in love. I was in love like I had never known.

She sets down her glass and my eyes land on her ring finger then I have an interesting thought. Could this be the last birthday we spend not engaged? I smile to myself as I finish my drink.

Belly smiles. "What?"

I just shrug. "Just thinking."

"About?"

I reach for her hand. The look of a man in love. "You."

I don't break eye contact and Belly just blushes, looking down. She smiles at me.

I start to trace her hand in mine and I can't help but stare at her ring finger. I look back up at her.

"I have a question for you." I was feeling more confident with liquor in me.

She looks back up at me. "Okay."

"Do you know your size?"

She blinks, confused. "My what?"

"Your ring size." I chuckle, holding her hand. "Do you know it?"

"Oh." Belly nods, looking down again. "Um, yeah. I do."

There is something about her expression that almost seems sad then it dawns on me. Of course she knew what her ring size was. She had been engaged before. Before I can say anything more about it, the waiter comes back to take our orders for our entrees.

The rest of the night is filled with good food, tasty drinks, and even better company. I don't bring up the ring topic again. After I saw the look on her face, I wasn't sure if I should. Maybe I was moving too fast. After the day we had spent together, it was hard to not want to ask her about the future. It had been in the back of my mind all day especially after our talk at the Cliffs. But I meant what I said to Belly. I would take it one step at a time. I would wait until she was ready. That was the right thing to do. Even if my heart was yearning to know every detail of hers.

After we finish our entrees, Belly excuses herself from the table. I think she is in the bathroom until I catch her talking to the waiter in the corner. They talk for a moment then she comes back to the table like nothing had even happened. She sits down and she winks at me.

"You told them to sing to me, didn't you?" I give her a look.

"Don't worry." She just laughs. "It's not that."

A few minutes later, my birthday dessert arrives and sure enough it had Belly written all over it. She had asked them to put a birthday candle on the dessert and she had them create an infinity sign with the sauce. It looked more like a heart though. I had to admit it was pretty damn cute. The waiter tells us to enjoy our dessert then he walks away.

"I'll spare you my singing." Belly leans forward. "But you still have to make a birthday wish. It's tradition."

"Hey, I like your voice." I tease her. "I heard you sing through the walls for years."

And I can tell she is mortified that I remembered. She scrunches her nose, embarrassed.

"I was hoping you'd forgotten all about that."

I smirk. "How could I forget?"

I start to hum the tune of We Love You Conrad from Bye Bye Birdie just to tease her even more and I can tell she is surprised I had remembered the exact song she used to sing. But didn't this beautiful girl know I had paid as much attention to her as she had to me?

"Are you going to make a wish or not?" Belly laughs.

I give her a funny look. "You're really going to make me do this?"

"It's not everyday you turn 80." She winks at me. She was more than buzzed at this point. "Come on, Conrad. It's your birthday. Humor me!"

I sigh then I give in to her. How could I say no to a face like that? It was the face of an angel.

Conrad leans in towards the dessert with his eyes closed.

He takes his time making his birthday wish and I wonder what he is wishing for. What he is thinking about behind those long dark eyelashes. A smile slowly stretches across his face and he blows out the birthday candle in one big breath. I make a note to ask him about what he wished for later.

"See?" I laugh, taking the candle out. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

He just laughs. "You're lucky I love you."

I smile at him. God, I would never get tired of hearing him say that. Those three little words.

We are on our last round of drinks before the night is over when the bill arrives. The waiter hands it directly to me and Conrad tries to stop him. The waiter looks at me then at him.

"Sorry, sir." The waiter clears his throat. "I've been given strict orders that it's your birthday and you are not allowed to pay for dinner tonight." He picks up the dessert dish and he walks away.

As soon as he leaves, I can feel Conrad's eyes burn into me.

"Isabel." He says it in a silly way but it also sounded sexy or maybe that was the drinks talking.

I ignore him as I slide my card into the holder. The best part about getting a promotion was the money. I was doing just fine and it was money well spent if it was money spent on him.

"Let someone else take care of you for a change." I say right as the waiter comes back to take my card and the bill.

As we wait for the waiter, I decide to change the subject. I ask him about the wish.

"So." I lean forward. Are you going to tell me what you wished for?"

"If I tell you, doesn't that kind of defeat the point?" Conrad laughs. "Won't that make my wish not come true?"

"Fine." I sigh dramatically. "Or just keep it to yourself."

"How about this?" He smirks. "I'll tell you what the wish is when it comes true."

"If it comes true." I correct him, downing the rest of my drink. "You never know with birthday wishes."

"Oh, this one will." He places his hand over mine on the table. "I'm sort of counting on it actually."

There is an intensity behind his eyes as he kisses my hand. It makes me believe his wish had been about us and I can't help but smile. Nothing or no one could take tonight away from us. It was perfect. He was perfect. And I hoped that every birthday of his was as good as this one from now on.

We don't go back to the beach house right away.

After we leave the restaurant, we stumble across a path that leads down to the beach. I had a little too much to drink and I start to stumble down it as I lead Conrad down it. He just laughs as then he scoops me into his arms. He carries me the whole way down. He said he didn't want me to trip in my heels. I rest my head on his shoulder as he carries me and I admire everything about his face. I tell him how good he looks tonight and before he sets me back down on my feet again, he wraps a coat he had brought just for me over my shoulders. It was too big on me but I loved it when he gave me his clothes. The beach could get chilly at night.

Then he kisses and that was it. I was a goner. I was falling harder than ever before for him.

We walk side by side in the sand close to the water. He holds my hand and holds my heels in his other. It was getting late and we had the entire beach all to ourselves. It felt like the world was at our feet because it really was. We smile at each other under the moonlight, our eyes speaking their own language. Ernie said it best. There was only one word for that look. Love.

"So." I hiccup from all the drinks I've had, leaning into him. "Feeling old yet?"

Conrad laughs. "No but I'm feeling happy." He smiles. "The happiest I've ever been."

"Good." I return the smile. "Because things are just going to get better from here on out."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." I hiccup again. "Because in a few months we'll be living together and then you can never get rid of me." I wink at him.

Conrad just laughs. "Who says I want to get rid of you?"

"Careful what you wish for." I lean into him. "I'm sure you'll be sick of me in no time."

He just kisses my forehead before I can break away again. "I don't think that's possible."

"I don't know." I shrug. "All I'm saying is things are going to change around here."

"You make it sound like that's a bad thing." He smiles.

"I guess we're about to find out."

"Well, I welcome the change." Conrad brings our hands to his lips and he kisses the top of my hand. "And whatever that change brings as long as I'm next to you."

I decide to have some fun with it. "Even if it means daily beach walks?"

He just laughs. "Whatever you want. Who knows maybe I can convince you to tag along on a few of my morning runs." He raises a brow.

"What about late night swims?"

"Anything for you." His eyes shine from under the moonlight.

"Crazy long movie marathons?"

"I'll even let you pick the theme and the candy." He winks.

"Big Fourth of July fireworks and barbeques?" I hiccup.

Conrad laughs. "You realize none of these are negative right? If you're trying to scare me away, you're doing a pretty bad job at it."

"Careful." I snicker. "I'll hold you to all of that."

He just smiles. "I hope you do."

We exchange a moment of silence as we continue to walk down the beach. Our drinks had been poured strong. I could feel each one hitting me harder like the waves on the beach.

"Hmm, what else?" I think out loud. "Oh! And our annual boardwalk showdowns where I kick your ass."

Conrad just shakes his head, laughing. "You just love riding the Tower of Terror, don't you?"

"Hey!" I lean into him. "I win too! Sometimes."

"You do. You do." He laughs and our hands sway between us. "So what else?"

I think about his question. My mind wanders back to the beach house.

"Well, we could fix up the beach house together." I smile at him. "Plant a few new flowers in the garden. Try to grow some fruit. Get some fresh paint. Fix it up real nice. Make it our own."

"I like the sound of that." Conrad says then he stops short. "But you're still missing one thing."

I look at him.

"How are we supposed to get through all of that work without a dance break?" He teases.

I laugh out loud. "I thought you don't dance." I tease him back.

"Only for you." Conrad winks then he pulls me into him.

He drops my heels in the sand and we start to dance. I had once told him dance breaks are essential for all-nighters once and he had never let me forget it. I almost trip from how drunk I am but he steadies me. We both laugh as I try to twirl us both around at the same time but it doesn't work. I almost trip over my own dress in the process. He just shakes his head at me.

"Alright." He laughs, catching me by the waist. "No more drinks for you."

"Oh, come on." I pout. "You're no fun."

"No fun?" Conrad smirks. "I can change that."

He throws me over his shoulder and he starts to run into the water.

"Conrad!" I giggle. "You're crazy!"

"Crazy for you." He scoops me into his arms and he acts like he is about to drop me in the water.

He pretends like he is going to a few times but he doesn't and I can't stop laughing. Then he kisses me midlaugh and I kiss him back. His lips were so warm. So inviting. So perfect. All I needed on this chilly night. All I needed for the rest of my life. His arms wrap around me and we kiss as he holds me in his arms above the waves crashing on the shore. It was like that scene from the Notebook.

When we get out of the water, I offer him his jacket back. He had to be cold now.

"Here, I think you need this more than me right now." I laugh.

"Keep it." Conrad smirks. "I've got your love to keep me warm."

He draws me closer to him and we start to slow dance right there on the sand. He keeps one hand on my waist and the other holds my hand in the air as we slow dance. He dips me and I let my head fall back then I come back up and we smile at each other. He spins me around and around like we're in a snow globe. Time stands still and it's just the two of us. It was the best slow dance of my life. One of the best nights of my life. Conrad leads me and I let him take control. I rest my head on his shoulder as we slow dance right there in the sand. Nothing could top this.

"I could get used to this." Conrad takes the words right out of my mouth.

"Me too." I sigh happily.

"So, tell me." His cheek rests against my hair. "What else do you want?"

"I think we covered it all." I laugh. "And then some."

But Conrad doesn't laugh. There is a sudden shift to the air. I could feel it between us. The tone of this conversation felt more serious.

"No, I mean." He hesitates. "I mean, tell me more about what you want, Belly."

"What do you mean?" I smile. "I think you know what I want. This."

Conrad is quiet for a moment.

"Tell me more about what you want for the future." He pauses. "When do you see yourself getting engaged? When do you see yourself getting married? All of it."

It was the most serious questions he'd ever asked me and I wasn't sure where to start or how to answer them.

"I don't think it matters when it all happens as long as it's with the right person." I finally say to him.

"And say you found the right person." Conrad smiles into my hair. "Paint a picture for me in my head, Belly. Where and how would you want it to be?" He pauses. "Tell me everything and don't hold back."

I look out at the ocean as my head rests on his shoulder. My heart already knew the answer.

"I would want it here." I smile then I add this part just for him. To clarify that I had indeed found the right person. "At the beach where it all began."

Conrad holds me tighter. I can hear the smile in his voice. "I had a feeling you might say that."

I take my head off of his shoulder to look at him. "What about you? What do you want?"

"Well, I would hope that it would look a lot like this." He twirls me around again and I laugh as he pulls me back into him. "You. Me." He says as he rests his forehead against mine as we slow dance. "Us. Forever." He shakes his head smiling. "That's it. That's all I want, Belly."

We close our eyes and we rest our foreheads against each other as we slow dance in the sand. I get this sudden urge to look at him and I guess he does too because we both open our eyes at the same time to look at each other. We were so in sync today. We had always been in sync and I have this realization as I'm looking into his eyes. This absolute certainty that I'm looking into the eyes of my future husband. The moment is so powerful it sends electric jolts straight through me. This could be us slow dancing at our wedding someday. Spending every birthday together. This could be us for the rest of our lives and it shifts something inside of my heart.

It awakens the part of my heart that been asleep for so long. The part that did want another engagement and wedding but had been so afraid of getting hurt again. Because I could see it. A life with him and it was good. It was so good it was scary and I felt unworthy of all of it. Part of me almost felt like I didn't deserve to be happy but I also knew better now. I knew better than to let the past dictate my future. I knew better now about a lot of things. One of them being the simple fact that I would never love anyone the way I loved Conrad. When I saw him at my graduation again, I just knew. My heart just knew that things would never be over between us. It was like no time had passed at all. I would never have room for anyone else in my heart besides Conrad Fisher. He was my person and I had spent so many years trying to fight that. Trying to change it. Trying to run away from it but you can't run away from the future when it's staring at you in the face. You can't lie when the truth is right infront of you. You can't hide from the one person who knows you better than anyone else.

It was him. It had always been him.

There are moments in every girl's life that are bigger than we know at the time. That whatever you do next, there will be an impact. Your life could go into one of two directions. Do or die. This was one of those moments. They didn't get much bigger than this and I had my mind made up. My heart had made up its mind a long time ago. I had never stopped loving him and I wasn't going to let anything ever come in between us ever again. The thought of not being with Conrad for the rest of my life was worse than death. It made me feel physically ill. And it made me realize that I was ready to dive into the deep end with him. I was ready to take those next steps together. I think we already had dipped our toes in if we were talking about rings, right? It was too late to go back now. Not that I wanted to. I was ready to face to the truth that had been in my heart all along. The truth that he was the love of my life and what we had couldn't be replicated or replaced. When I had put together the book of pictures, I knew it then too. He was it for me. He had always been and I would never get over him. I would be a fool to think I could ever let him go and I wouldn't make that same mistake again. Not tonight. Not ever.

"So we're in agreement then." I breathe. "We want to spend the rest of our lives together."

We share a moment of looking into each others eyes.

"Yeah." His eyes twinkle under the moonlight. "I think we really do."

"Then let's do it." I say the words out loud. "I think we're both ready now."

Conrad stops slow dancing with me and he pulls away to look at me. We share a moment of stillness. He just stares back at me and blinks then I say the words out loud that will change everything. The words that I had been afraid to say out loud for so long but now that I was saying them out loud they didn't feel so scary anymore. They felt right. My heart felt free. Because I was finally saying the words out loud to the right person. My person. My Conrad.

"Let's get married."

The words hang in between us and Conrad blinks.

"Belly." He was in shock. "How- how drunk are you?"

"I'm serious, Conrad." I shake my head with tears in my eyes. "I know what I want and It's you. It's always been you. And to answer all of your questions, I don't care when or how it happens. I don't have a perfect timeline in my head. I just know that I want to marry you. I really do. And if you still want this too-"

Conrad is sweeping me off of my feet before I can even finish the sentence. He is kissing me the way every girl wants to be kissed. The hand placement. The kiss itself. Every detail is perfect. It was the best kiss of my entire life. There were no words to describe it. No words.

"Of course I want to marry you, you beautiful girl." Conrad has his forehead pressed against mine as he sets me back down. He shakes his head, smiling. "Of course I do."

Then he kisses me again. He sweeps me off my feet and I feel like a princess in his arms. I felt like we were back on the Cliffs. On top of the world. There were no words to describe this feeling. He made me feel it all but most of all he made me feel loved. He made me feel safe. He made me feel secure. He made me feel seen. And I hadn't felt that any of those things before. I was overcome by my love for him and the love we shared. So this was how it was supposed to feel? This was how it was supposed to be. I was overcome by emotions. Joy. Hope. Gratitude. Delight. Awe. Happiness. Love. I start to cry.

"Hey." He reaches out. "Baby, don't cry. Why are you crying?"

How could I put into words how my heart was feeling right now? How could I help him understand? This was what all of the love songs and stories talked about. This is what I had been missing out on the first time around. This feeling. This absolute certainty. This knowing that you were meant to spend the rest of your life with this person. I was just so happy it was him. My Conrad.

"I'm just really happy." The tears stream down my cheeks and there is no stopping them.

I can see it in his eyes that he almost doesn't believe me and I think about what I can say to him. How to convince him that these are happy tears. I say my own version of what he had said to me at the Debutante Ball all those years ago. I knew he would remember. I knew he would get it.

"I'm just glad." I smile at him through the tears and I meant every word. "Glad that it's you."

Conrad tears up with me then he hugs me. He kisses me all over my face, drying my tears over and over again. With every kiss, he washes away all of the pain of the past and paves a new path for our future. He consoles me. He comfortes me. And most of all, he loves me the way my heart had always needed to be loved. The way you should be loved without having to ask for it. He kisses me then he wraps the coat around me tighter as he just holds me and my tears die down. I had never had felt so loved and safe before. These were the arms of my future husband? I couldn't have chosen better for myself.

"Oh, Isabel." Conrad whispers into our hug. "I've waited so long for this. You have no idea."

He holds me like that for awhile then he pulls away to look at me.

"I guess I can tell you what my birthday wish was now." He smiles at me with love in his eyes.

I look at him. So his birthday wish had been about us?

"My birthday wish was to marry you." Conrad holds my face and it fits perfectly in his hands. "I wished that I would never have to know a world without you in it ever again, Isabel."

His words capture my heart as if it wasn't already his. I let out a breath as more tears fall. I had never cried so much but they weren't sad tears. They were a release of what I'd been holding in for a long time. My undying and unwavering love for him.

"There were times on this beach where I thought I had lost you forever." He looks out at the ocean then back at me. "And I'm just glad that isn't true anymore. I guess wishes really do come true." He smirks.

"You never lost me." I whisper. "We just had some growing up to do before finding our way back to each other."

Conrad looks back out at the ocean. "Yeah."

"And you know what all of that time apart taught us?" I take a step closer.

Conrad looks back up at me.

"That I never want to be in a world without you in it either, Conrad." I look into his eyes. "You're my person and I'm not just saying this because I've had a few drinks." Iaugh and he does too. "I'm saying this because it's how I'm feeling. It's how I've always felt. I love you so much."

Conrad tears up. "I love you too."

"And I can't wait to marry you." I smile at him, memorizing every detail of his face under the moonlight.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I quite heard you." Conrad smirks, stepping closer. "Say it again?"

I just laugh. "I can't wait to marry you."

Conrad smirks. "Louder."

"I CAN'T WAIT TO MARRY YOU!" I shout and he hugs me.

We laugh like the kids we are at heart. We were on a high that we would never ever come down from him. How could we? We were out of our minds in love. He spins me around then he sets me back down and we smile at each other. He leans into kiss me and our noses kiss before our lips do. It was the most soft and beautiful kiss of my life. Like he was savoring every moment tonight as much as I was.

"And I can't wait to marry you either." He whispers after our kiss. "I'm going to give you everything you've ever wanted. Everything you've ever dreamed of. I promise."

We embrace again. There was a magic to that hug. A magic to the air. A magic to that promise he had made to me. And I believed him. I believed every word he said to me that night. It felt like our love story was just beginning. It was coming to life in all sorts of colors and ways I had never seen before. I was just excited to experience it all with him. Everything. All of it. To infinity and beyond. We just smile at each other when we break out of the hug.

"Isabel Fisher." Conrad nods to himself as he looks out at the ocean then he smiles at me. "That has a nice ring to it."

The same smirk from last night when we had been talking about rings is back on his face and I was happy to see it. I smile at him. It did sound nice. More than nice. Then it reminds me of the question he had asked me earlier.

"Speaking of rings, I never answered your question."

Conrad just looks back at me.

"I'm a five and a half." I smile. "That's my ring size."

I had never seen him look so happy. He looked so much like young Conrad. Relaxed. Full of life. Youthful. Happy. He picks my left hand up then he brings it to his lips.

He kisses my ring finger. "Noted."

Then we go home and I let him unwrap his last gift. Me.

Author's Note: I can't thank you guys enough for all of the support you have sent me with this story. Thank you!

More chapters are coming your way soon.