Jake was right, I was his and his alone! He had shown me a whole new world that I never knew existed and I knew that I would never want to experience those things with anyone but him.

Even though it took us months to get there, he was so patient, kind, and gentle with me. He was always fighting to defend my virtue. When the time finally came it was more than worth the wait.

He continued to fill up the holes in my heart with each passing day. We spent the next weeks soaking up every moment between us, knowing that soon we would have to separate. It was difficult but we tried to push that thought to the back of our minds as much as possible. We wanted to have fun and not let the sadness that loomed ahead over take us.

We tried to fit everything in we possibly could. There were so many double dates with Jenny and Tag. It was so nice to just be with them as a couple, nothing held back. 

We even went as a group to New York to celebrate our last summer together. Jake of course put us all up in the best hotel, overlooking the breathtaking highrises it's known for.

We hit all of the highlights and did not even care that we looked like every cliche tourist. The Statue of Liberty was amazing, we saw the dancing cowboy in Time Square, visited Grand Central station, took a stroll through Central Park, and of course saw the Rockets. We had to drag the boys to the last one, kicking and screaming.

As we walked down the streets of that city, I soaked in every site, every smell, loving every moment of it. The city was so exciting, it was as if it had its own heartbeat. I fell head over heels in love with every inch of it and they practically had to force me to get on the plane to return home. Jake thought it was adorable of course. I love that he loves all of me, including my quirks.

Once we were back in Georgia we continued trying to pack in as much as possible while we still had time. We made a point to visit his biological father and siblings several times. Ross had become not only a friend to Jake, but a confident.

Jake had taken it really hard when his parents cut him off and Ross was there to listen and offer some very wise words of advice. I was glad that Jake had found him, he needed to fill that missing puzzle piece in his life. To our surprise, it turned out better than he could have ever imagined. Ross had even promised to be at every single game, he bought season passes, a box seat no less.  

He continued to treat me like a daughter as well and for that I was grateful. There was no obligation for him to do so. Just accepting Jake would have been enough, but he was always careful to welcome me at every occasion. Each time I saw him he hugged me like I was his long lost daughter, he had the best hugs. I guess in some ways I was, sort of.  He only had boys so I was the only daughter type he had around him.

There was something else I knew I had to do before the summer was over. I had to properly thank Mrs. Christy. Knowing, I would never hold it together long enough to do it in person, I sat down at the table and attempted to put into words what she had meant to me.

It was harder than I thought it would be. How do you say thank you to someone for literally being your life preserver? But I knew it had to be done. There was no way I was leaving that place without letting her know how amazing she was and so I attempted to put into words.

Mrs. Christy,

I am sorry I am too much of coward to do this in person but I would just wind up blubbering like a baby and never get through it. I wanted to tell you how much you have shaped my life, my outlook, every part of me. I was just a straggly little girl, with absolutely nothing to offer you or your family. You still welcomed me in with open arms and for that I will forever be thankful. You took me on vacations, without which I would never have had one. You made sure I was beautiful for Prom, as if I was your own daughter. You took me to church, trying to make sure I knew everything I could about the God you believe in so passionately. You know my mom was never really a mom at all, and I want you to know that you filled that void for me. You have shown me what a real mother is, how she loves unconditionally, is patient, kind and loving. Without you showing me the way, I never would have known how to be a mother to my future children. Most importantly, you made me believe in myself. The times that I was at my lowest, you always reminded me that I was special, that I was set apart for a purpose. You may have thought that I was not listening, but I was soaking up every single word. Thank you for the gift you gave me at graduation, it my favorite gift of all! You have shaped who I am today and I struggle to find the words to express how much you have truly impacted me. So I will just say thank you  and I love you Mrs. Christy.

Forever Grateful,

Your Beautiful Sky

When I was finished, I gave the note to Jenny to give to her mom. She called me later that night and told me that her mom cried like a baby from the first word to the last. It made my heart happy to know that maybe in some small way, she really understood how much she had meant to me.

I think the biggest surprise of that summer came when I was alone at Jake's one day. He had ran out to get a hair cut and pick up a few groceries. The door bell rang and when I went to answer the door, I was shocked to see his mother on the other side. I immediately became nervous, remembering her last visit.

"I'm sorry but Jake is not here at the moment," I informed her. She smiled a warm smile at me which took me completely off guard.

"That's perfect dear because I am actually here to see you." 

I nearly hyperventilated but steadied myself long enough to invite her in. She must have noticed my uneasiness when I offered to get her a drink because she declined my offer and asked me to come sit next to her. I reluctantly found my way to the sofa to sit next to her, eyeing her like a rabbit eyes a snake just before it is eaten.

"I owe you a very sincere apology my dear," she started.

"For what?" I asked her curiously.

"For a lot of things darling, first of which being the way that I treated you the first day we met. It really had nothing to do with you. I was just so upset and worried about Jake, I wasn't taking anything or anyone else into consideration," she continued.

I told her I understood and that it must have been difficult with everything that had happened.

"Oh my dear, you have no idea. I have cried myself to sleep every single night since he left. I have even started taking anxiety pills. This whole thing has just turned into such a mess. We only wanted what was best for him, we never dreamed we would wind up losing him forever," she explained with tears beginning to find their way down her cheek.

Even though she had not exactly been cordial or welcoming to me in the past, I couldn't stand to see anyone in pain, let alone a mother grieving over losing her son.

I grabbed her hand and tried to comfort her, "You haven't lost him forever, he loves you and your husband very much." She looked down at her lap, her tears still falling.

"Oh I don't know dear, I think we pushed him too far. And even worse, Ross has replaced us," she honestly admitted.

I gave her a sincere hug and continued to reassure her.

"You could never push him too far. You are his mother and father and he needs you in his life. Ross has been wonderful to him and they have a great relationship but he could never replace the father who raised him. What does he think about all of this?" I inquired.

"He misses him like crazy, he's just too stubborn for his own good, just like my Jake is," she revealed.

"Well, I am sure that we can find a way to fix this as long as you guys understand that Jake is not going to give up UGA or our relationship, do you think you guys will be willing to live with that?" 

She looked at me with relief in her eyes, desperate for a way out of such a tragic mess.

"Honey, we will take him however we can get him. We just miss him. And I can see what he sees in you dear, I think you are a keeper," she said reassuringly.

She gave me the sweetest hug after that and mid-hug Jake walked in. He looked at us apprehensively. 

I stood up, still holding on to her hand, "Jake, I think you and your mom should talk."

Before I even got the words out, she ran over to Jake and practically tackled him, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing into his shoulder. I took that as my cue and left the room, retreating to the bedroom to give them some privacy.

Jake and his mom worked things out that day and we even got an invitation to dinner at their home the next evening. I was so happy for Jake, the separation from his parents had taken such a toll on him and after she left it was as if a thousand pounds had been lifted from his shoulders.

After their reconciliation Jake seemed so light and carefree. We were able to soak up every day and really be in the moment with ech other without him hiding all of his worry. The last week before we had to leave, Jake and I spent our time packing up our things and getting ready to head to college.

We didn't really go out much. It was if we wanted to stay in our own private world where no one else existed.  About mid-week, after we had finished another Netflix binge, Jake looked at me and said, "Don't make any plans for this weekend."

I smiled at him, "And why not Mr. Stephenson?" 

"Because I am going to take my girl somewhere very special," he replied.

"Well, your girl sounds like she is pretty lucky," I said, giving him a flirtatious wink.

"The luckiest," he replied with that crooked little smile that still makes my heart melt.

******

A/N

Well guys, this little adventure is winding down. Chapter 30 will be the last one and I cannot wait to write it. I have practically had the entire thing in mind since I started writing the book. I hope you are enjoying it and truly appreciate every comment and vote!