July-October, 2005. "Do you really have to leave, Phil?" The young 18-year-old Story asked. He groaned, "You know I gotta leave, but you know I don't wanna." He squeezed her hand before letting his arm drape around her shoulders to pull her tighter against his side. They were swinging back and forth on the front deck of his house, the vintage porch swing in perfect placement for them to overlook a section of the Golden Gate park. "10 weeks just seems so freaking long!" She exclaimed, her voice whiny. The redhead turned her head up toward her newly official boyfriend, her lips pouting a little. "And you're missing the rest of the summer." She ended on an exasperated sigh. Fortunately, the teen that was older than his own 18 years held a lot of patience and was fairly used to her qualms. "Hey, it's not going to be that bad." He rubbed her shoulder encouragingly. "Like we've talked about - we can send letters back and forth. And when they give me phone privileges - which I intend on being on my best behavior just so I get them - then we'll be able to talk on the phone some, too. It won't be as bad as you think. Plus, you'll be busy with Carrie and your other girlfriends, so the time's gonna go by really quickly." His reassurances always helped, to some degree, so she nodded her head before resting her cheek against the top of his shoulder. None of this was a surprise to her. None of this was taking her off guard. His going to army boot camp was something they'd been talking about for months on end because he had always talked about going into the military. And she had always supported him in that. But that was then and this was now. That was when they'd just been friends and this was when they were dating. There was so much apprehension in her heart, but she knew she had to let him go. She had no choice, even if she felt like it was too soon for them to be away from one another; it was too early in the relationship for long distance. But she cared for him too much. And after the way that he had supported her through her abusive relationship and the subsequent trial, she would do anything to make sure she supported him in return - even if that meant saying goodbye. They were going to make the long distance work. * * * "Hey, handsome, how are you doing?" She said into the receiver of her flip phone - a 2005 Motorola Razr that had become the latest rage among the teens. "I miss you." "I miss you, too! Things are going great here, but I'm hella tired-- but I'm doing really good, Store, and after those first couple of weeks, things aren't so hard anymore. I think my Drill Sergeant even has a crush on me," he joked, his laughter loud before he stifled it quickly. Hearing such a familiar, comforting noise made her grin from ear to ear. Story shuffled her bare feet across her carpeted bedroom floor, back and forth, unable to sit still due to her excitement at getting to hear his voice. Life felt so empty when he wasn't around. And though she had realized how much he had meant to her a couple months back, what she hadn't realized was how he had literally implemented himself into almost every detail of her life. That's why his absence came as such a complete shock to her. She felt like a part of her had gone missing. "I bet you're out there making me proud - all the way in stupid Georgia," she heaved a weighty sigh before she finally allowed herself to plop down on her bed. She had a frown on her face and it was taking everything inside of her not to burst into tears and beg him to come home. "I love you." He said, soft and simple. "And I don't just mean like we usually say - as friends, because of course I love you as a friend, but I mean... I really love you. I'm in love with you. I know it's a crappy way to say it for the first time over the phone, when we're miles away, but I've been wanting to say it every time we've talked. Hell, I wanted to say it when I said goodbye to you at the airport... or you know, even before that, because it's been awhile..." Story sat up straighter, her eyes popping out from surprise. The other end of the line was silent for a few long moments before she regained her composure to realize it was her turn to speak. "I love you, too, Phillip." She'd said just after her lips had pulled into a big smile. "Even more than friends. Maybe not quite in love with you, but it's close." She laughed, showing him that she was being playful. "You mean it?" "I mean it." "Good. Then I'm coming home to you soon, baby. Five more weeks to go." They were so close to making the long distance work. * * * "Hey, Soldier!" She practically screamed, running up to him after the graduation ceremony was complete. "My man's in the Army now!" Phil was beaming when they bridged the gap between them. He quickly swooped her up, like it was the easiest thing for him to do - a clear sign that the boy had turned into a man during his days at boot camp. He wrapped his arms around her waist, bursting with pride at his new accomplishment and at the love of his life as he held her in his arms. "Your man's in the army now." Story hooked her arms around his neck, her feet dangling off the ground, but she hardly noticed while she was staring into the eyes of her best friend. "You did it. You survived. You excelled, and oh my God did you get big arm muscles!" She teased, giggling - then squealing in delight as he spun her around in circles. When the spinning stopped, Phil instantly captured her lips in his, the two young lovers easily finding a way to get lost in their passion for one another. Even though there were a lot of people there for the ceremony who were witnessing this display, they didn't care. Hell, they weren't the only ones sharing in a private (yet very public) moment of intimacy. "Will you marry me, Story?" He asked, barely a beat after he'd pulled his mouth off hers. He was still holding onto her tightly, keeping her feet off the ground so that she could be eye level with him. "Will you be my bride?" "Phillip!" She gasped. "Are you sure? Are you absolutely positive?" "I'm positive, Astoria." She gulped, searching his eyes and licking her lips to give herself even the briefest moment to think this through. But who was she kidding? Story had imagined, dreamed, hoped, and prayed this would happen. "Yes, I'll marry you. I'll marry you!" The two laughed, their foreheads gently clinking together as eyes closed and voices hushed to whispers while people continued to stare and/or walk around them. It didn't matter that he would be going on to his duty station in a few weeks to come. It didn't matter that they would have distance between them again because now it didn't need to be distance for long - they could get married and she would happily follow him where ever he was stationed. They'd figure out everything else along the way, but what mattered was that they'd be together. They'd made the long distance work. And now there was the rest of their lives to look forward to.