~Annalee~

"Is everything alright?" I called Raina, my roommate as I heard a big crash come from the kitchen. I was finishing up changing the sheets on my bed before going back to my five-year high school reunion.

"Yep, I'm okay" She called. "The pot fell off the counter" She finished. As soon as I finished making my bed I went to the kitchen to double-check and make sure everything was okay.

"Hey Lee, I'm okay, I was getting a pot out to make spaghetti and then remembered you aren't eating here with me tonight so I am gonna go out with Cale," She said. Cale Travers was Raina's longtime boyfriend. they've been dating since they were freshman in college.

"Sounds good, I should be home by ten," I said.

"Tell Jason I say hi" She called after me.

Jason was my high school sweetheart that I thought I was going to marry. By the end of senior year, we realized that our plans were too different and that we wanted different things in life. He wanted to be a lawyer and I wanted to be a radio host, I wanted children and he didn't and it went on. I loved him and still do, but I've finally come to terms with us not being together. We left things on good terms so that we could still be friends though I haven't spoken to him in over three years.

My dad really liked Jason, he approved which is something I probably would never say again because my dad held high standards for the guy allowed to date me. Though it's been only a year since my dad passed away and doing anything was hard because the memories of doing it with my dad brought a stream of tears along with it knowing that in the future I'd never get to have him walk me down the aisle, that he wouldn't get to hold his grandbabies, that he could never meet the man I marry. Slowly I'm getting over it. Time heals it does.

My mother on the other hand has never been in the picture. She left when I was 2 and never came back. All I knew of her was that she had long brown hair like mine and was tall. ================================

I walked to my car, a 2020 Toyota Avalon my dad left me, and got in. I buckled my seat belt and started on my two-hour trip to the town I grew up.

As I pulled out of my apartment parking lot I turned up the radio and listened to Shawn Mendes' song Stitches. I'd never really liked the song before but today it hit differently. As I drove I thought of the memories Dad and I had driving to the ballpark to play softball in the summer and the times he took me fishing or to get ice cream. "Good memories," I thought to myself. About an hour and fifteen minutes into my drive, I heard a huge popping noise come from my car so I pulled over to see what it was. I had blown out a tire.

"Great, just what I needed," I said to myself aloud in an angry voice.I went and checked the trunk for the spare tire and wrench, luckily they were where they were supposed to be, and started unscrewing the greasy bolts.

A few minutes later a shiny grey pickup truck pulled up behind me and a young man got out and walked up to me. I looked up from the bolts I was unscrewing and noticed he was wearing a light blue shirt, khaki pants, and a baseball cap that created a shadow so I couldn't see his face from where I was.

"Annalee?" The man asked.

"Um, yeah, how did you know that?" I questioned.

"We dated for four years and you still don't know what I look like?" He chuckled taking off his hat.

"Jason?" I asked.

"The one and only." He smiled.

"How have you been? It's been so long" I asked him seeming interested in his life. I had missed him for sure but it was awkward seeing him again.

"It's been good! I graduated from Harvard as an early graduate this last spring" He said.

"Wow! Congratulations Jason, that's awesome. I'm so happy for you!" I smiled back at him hugging him.

"What about you Lee, how's that radio show you put on that I listen to every week? He asked.

"You listen to my show?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, my friends and I at Harvard love it, none of them really believe that I've dated you" He chuckled.

"Now I got to meet your friends, I always love to meet my fans." I laughed.

He nodded and looked at his watch. "Oh shoot, the reunion starts in less than an hour, you could ride with me and we can get your car fixed after?" He suggested.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked.

"For you Lee Lee, anything, and it's no problem my parents have a lake house on Jasper Lake now and it's only 10 minutes from here so you could stay there tonight if you wanted, I'm sure they wouldn't mind they always liked you." He said.

Christine and Henry McGregor had always liked me, they always treated me like a daughter and even after Jason and I had broken up they loved me just the same.

"Okay, sure!" I smiled.

Truth was I didn't want to stay at my dad's house. After he passed I didn't even want to walk back in the house so it still sits there with all his stuff waiting for me to go through.Jason and I both got into his car and he started driving to Naperville High School.

On the way, we made small talk because I didn't think either of us wanted things to be awkward."Hey we have a few minutes, let's drive by your old house." He suggested and I froze unable to respond.

He went down Lark Street and turned at my road, once he approached my house he pulled into the driveway and put the car in park.

When I saw the house, I noticed it needed the lawn mowed and the garden weeded. Tears began to roll down my cheeks, and Jason had noticed because he asked "Lee I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, no it's not you, it's just I'd not been back here since ya know," I said.

"Oh Lee Lee, you should have said something and I wouldn't have suggested we drive by. I'm so sorry about your dad he was a good man and he really loved you." He said and grabbed my hand trying to comfort me.

I looked up at him, "He was wasn't he, remember when he made us pizza that one night and he was flinging the dough in the air and it stuck to the ceiling." I recalled.

He started laughing "Of course I do, that was so funny, and that was the day you introduced me to him." He mentioned.

"Yeah, It was... I'm surprised you remembered that." I said wiping the tears."I remember a lot Annalee Hunter, those were good times." He smiled. 

A/N: I'm leaving this up to you guys... Do you guys want me to post pictures of what I believe the characters look like or do you guys want to leave that up to your imagination. If you wanted I can do just certain characters too, up to you because I want you guys to enjoy this story to it's fullest.

Thanks so much for reading, Enjoy!

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EDITED 1/1/2024 LMK how my writing has improved and any thing i need to work on!!!