Charlotte's POV...

Enthusiastic, thrilled, high as a kite; I can't decide what better describes how I'm feeling today. I have that anxious, butterflies in your stomach feeling of excitement preparing for what's about to happen. Levi's been working towards this day for a little over eleven months and I couldn't be more happy for him than I am right now.

Levi's been on the longest rollercoaster ride of his life, which is probably the best way I can describe his journey here. He's been strapped inside the car, guided by the track through steep inclines and descents, carrying him around sharp curves and changes of speed. At times he found himself stuck in a gravitational force, going around a continuous loop until the track finally changed direction and led him onto the next climb. Just as the car reaches the top of the next hill, there is a moment when everything pauses, when everything felt suspended for him and he enjoyed that moment because the anticipation of the drop was too much to bear. The drop represented everything Levi feared and lost, and he was convinced that this feeling of falling was never going to end and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Eventually he realized that the falls were a normal part of the climb and sometimes he felt the thrill.  He found that if he kept going on the track, the drops wouldn't feel so bad.

We didn't know exactly how long it would take for Levi to go from walking with one crutch to walking with no crutches at all, so it was decided that we would stream the big event today instead of having his family and friend fly over. Levi hasn't yet walked across the entire room on his own, although he chose today to try it. He wanted everyone he loves to witness his moment whether he falls or he makes it. He's gained so much confidence to be comfortable enough to show everyone without fear of failing. His parents, Mark, Landon, and Andy will all be in London waiting to watch online. They are all coming to Boston in a few weeks for Levi's big graduation party anyway, so they'll be able to witness all of Levi's accomplishments in person then.

There is just one thing that I need to do before Levi's big moment...come clean with Nate, tell him everything that's been going on with me and my new inconvenience.

Nate meets me privately in my office. "Hey Charlie, you said you needed to talk to me about something?" Nate's voice upbeat, I feel bad that my voice will not sound happy when he hears what I'm going to confess.

I ask him to sit down for this and naturally it makes him a little nervous. "Is everything alright?" He shyly asks me.

"No everything is not alright, but I hope it will be," I say and I see that I'm starting to frighten him.

I can't beat around the bush, so I just blurt it out. I tell him about my headaches, the dizziness and blurry vision episodes. I tell him about my eye exam and how it brought me to the neurologist, and I am on my fifth week of radiation treatment now.

After I finish spilling all of my secrets, I turn my head to face him. He's completely stunned silent, his brown eyes wide as he stares at me.

"Nate, are you okay?" I ask him, trying to break him from his frozen state.

"You've been going through all of that, and you are asking me if I'm okay?" He says in disbelief. "You are unbelievable," he says.

"That's why you were sick for a few weeks?" He confirms to himself more than asks. I can see him trying to put all the puzzle pieces together in his head.

I nod my head up and down.

"I thought this couldn't happen again?"

'Me too, but there's always been that 5% chance. I'm the unlucky 5%," I shrug.

"Does Levi know?" He questions, his voice beyond concerned at this point.

I move closer to Nate and look straight into his eyes so that maybe he understands the reason why.

"No, Levi doesn't know, and I am not going to tell him."

I can sense Nate's frustration with me now as his voice gets louder. "Charlie, you need to tell him, this isn't something you can keep from him, he loves you and you love him. Can you at least tell me why?"

"I have two good reasons and hopefully Levi will understand these reasons when he does find out. The first reason is that if he were to know or if he found out when I did, he would've stopped focusing on his own progress to turn his focus on me, and there is no way I would let that happen. Second reason is that he came here to us knowing that we would give him the best chance of returning to his normal life, as normal as it can be, the life he had before his accident. He needs to go back to his home and his work and figure out for himself if that's what makes him happy. I can't take that chance away from him. You know I need to let him accomplish his goals even if that means keeping this from him."

"That's why I've been driving you both around." He confirms with himself. "That wasn't your fault back then."

"I'm not taking any chances," I tell him.

Nate pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers and stays quiet for a few minutes before responding.

"I won't say anything, you have my word. I only hope that he forgives you for not telling him. You two need each other. You may both be from different places, but your hearts are both the same," he softly tells me.

"I wish you would've told me sooner so I could've helped you more. You're so stubborn and selfless that you forget it's important to let others help you too, you don't always have to be the one taking care of everyone else. You need to realize that you are important to a lot of people even if you think you're not, and you are worthy of others help. So from now on, no more secrets, you tell me everything and I will be here for you." His stare is firm, he wants me to promise him.

"You're right Nate, I'll try to be less stubborn and ask for help more." Nate grabs me and pulls me into a tight hug.

"Okay, enough of this gloomy aura, let's get everything set up for Levi," I say.

I head to the gym where Levi is waiting for me, sitting in a chair on one end of the room.  He looks so happy and the way he is fidgeting with his lower leg brace tells me he's nervous as well. I walk up to him and run my fingers through his hair so that he looks up at me.

            "Hey Handsome," I say and then plant a soft kiss onto his lips.

            "Are you ready for this?" I ask him while cupping his face with my hand and brushing my thumb across his cheek.

            "With you by my side, I'm always ready," he breathes while kissing me again.

"I love you so much," I breathe while pressing my lips harder onto his, trying to suppress the guilty feeling creeping its way into my soul. I need him to know how much I love him, no matter what happens and I need to remind myself that the decisions I'm making are because of my love for him.

Nate has the live streaming all set up and ready to go. We wait until Levi's parents and friends are on the big screen watching.

"Can everyone hear and see alright?" Nate asks everyone back in London.

Levi's parents both greet all of us while Levi's friends shout wisecracks through the mic. "We're ready! Show us what you've got Levi," Landon boasts with excitement.

I turn to Levi and give him my most encouraging smile, "Have I told you how proud I am of you today?" I say softly into his ear.

"Not yet," he gives me a smirk. "I love you too by the way."

Levi reaches his hand out for me to hold while he stands himself up from his chair. We stand hand in hand, perfectly still for a moment. I can feel him tense up a bit, so I give his hand a squeeze before attempting to let it go.

"Don't let go! I don't know if I can do this without you," he says, his voice shaky.

I stand in front of him and stare up into his ocean blues. He's having second thoughts, so I reach up with one hand and softly brush his cheek. He leans into my palm slightly and gives me a shy smile, so I whisper, "Just breathe beau, you've got this, I believe in you." I smile up at him and then make my way to the other side of the room.

Levi removes his hand from the chair that was supporting him and stands up straighter. His pace is slow and steady as he takes his first step, then his second on his own, without any crutches, without anyone holding onto him. Levi's mom is screeching and crying at the same time and his friends are rallying him with each step he takes. Levi is grinning ear to ear with every cheer. He almost makes it across the room when he pauses to adjust his gait. His leg brace causes him to walk with a slight limp, but he's learned how to convert his weight to his right when he lifts his left leg. He quickly regains his composure and carries on, until he reaches another chair on the other side of the room.

His mom is hysterically crying happy tears and his friends are yelling and giving each other high fives. I can't seem to move from my current spot, tears are streaming down my face, I'm in awe of him, my mind trying to wrap around what he just showed us. I can't explain it, the way I feel from watching him walk again on his own, is as euphoric as when I first fell in love with him.

He turns around and notices me crying. "Why are you crying?" He holds both his arms out towards me.

"Don't make me walk over there," he teases me.

I practically jog into his arms and embrace him.

"I love you," he says and kisses my head. " My Hero," I say while I cry into his chest.

"I love you Levi, I am so happy for you," I sniff.

The tears are uncontrollable now, I can only anticipate what's to come next. I'm a mess, physically and mentally. I care for this man with all my being and nothing will change that.

Levi lifts my face and wipes my watery eyes, then turns to the screen and thanks his parents and his friends for watching. They all congratulate him and promise to be here for his party in a few weeks.

"This was perfect! Thank you!" Levi says to Nate and I.

"You were perfect," I say in return, hugging him again. I don't know how I can let go.

"We're perfect together," he kisses the top of my head.

Yes, we are.