Emily grabbed her backpack and tote bag from the car and walked into the house. Her father had already brought her dirty clothes to the laundry room and helpfully started the first load. So she turned towards her bedroom.

When she walked in, she was completely stunned to find that it had been painted a soothing green-grey color and there was artwork on the walls.

What the...? When was...? Why would...?

She walked over to look more closely at the wall behind the bed, where six of her favorite Beatles album covers hung in square LP frames.

Beautifully rendered hand-lettered prints were on the other three walls. Each featured lyrics from various Beatles songs. 

She read the first, "The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you."

The lines from "Dear Prudence" made her heart swell at the magnitude of Kelly's surprise.

I can't believe he did this...

Emily took her phone out with shaking hands to open her text messages.

How should I begin...

Her smiling father walked in through the open door. "Do you like it?"

"It's amazing! How could I not?" She gestured around the room.

"Well, I never would've guessed that Kelly had something this romantic in him. But I guess the boy really likes you."

"I guess so."

Emily folded the edge of her shirt and rubbed her hand against it. Her father straightened out the print hanging by the door with the and read it aloud, "There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be."

I wonder if Kelly picked that line from "All You Need Is Love" by himself or if he had help...

Her father cleared his throat.

"Well, from the way you jumped out of the car before, you must really like that Evan kid. Try not to break any hearts this weekend Bean."

"I'll do my best." She blew a chunk of hair from her face.

Her father patted her on the shoulder and walked out of the room. Emily looked back at her phone and typed.

Thank you.

But she changed her mind and erased it.

I shouldn't thank him over a text message... This is something that needs to be said in person...

She tried again.

Where are you?

Kelly's response was quick.

Work. Off at 7 then on my way to you.

A knock on the doorframe made her look up from the message. John walked in with a cocky grin on. "Pretty spectacular, huh?"

She nodded her agreement and asked her brother, "Why did he do it? How did he know?"

John picked up a bottle of her perfume and sniffed at it. "I mentioned to Kelly how depressing your room was and asked him why he never told me how bad it was. Cause you know, he tends to sleep in here when you're not here."

Emily mumbled under her breath, "And when I am."

Her brother paused for a moment to lift a skeptical eyebrow at her before he continued. "I'm ignoring that comment. So anyway, Kelly immediately said that we should paint it for your birthday. He asked me your favorite color. I told him you had always had a green bedroom for as long as I could remember. And one day a few months ago, I'd mentioned your Beatles obsession. I told him that you had read that massive biography about them when you were in the fourth grade. I explained how you didn't have any friends because all the the girls in your class were carrying around those American Girl dolls and books, while you were carrying around a four hundred page book about sex, drugs and rock & roll."

Emily laughed. "The Love You Make by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines."

I can laugh about it now, but back when she was ten years old it hurt my feelings to not have any friends that understood me... And once it was really explained to me, I finally understood that not many ten year olds want to discuss the seedy German strip clubs the Beatles played in... 

Her brother continued, "And that was all he needed to know. He showed up here the next day with the color and I helped him paint it. The following day he came by with the other stuff and he hung it all up. I think he asked Dad and Suzanne for permission, because I didn't."

Emily shook her head in disbelief. "After the epic-level horrible day I had, coming in to find this has now oddly made it one of my favorite days." 

John nodded. "Good. Well, I'm gonna go get ready for Samantha's party."

Emily passed the remaining time trying to distract herself with the mundane things she needed to do to get ready too.

Try not to think about how this surprise is exactly the type of thing you'd love to tell Jenny about... Or how get her advice on how to deal with both Kelly and Evan at the same party...

She finished her laundry, freshened up and picked out something to wear. She settled on a cute floral skirt, a black shirt with tiny white polka dots and her favorite Saltwater sandals. She wiggled her toes against the white leather.

They make me happy because they remind me of the ones I wore when I was little...

Finally, she heard Kelly's car pull in front of the house.

Emily looked around the room to tamp down the butterflies that suddenly took flight in her stomach.

With the overhead light off and just the lamp on, this paint becomes almost the exact color of Kelly's eyes...

The same very alluring grey eyes that now stared at her from the doorway. He still wore his filthy work clothes. He clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides.

He seems self-conscious again... Maybe he isn't sure if I like it... And he did have days to wonder and worry about my reaction...

Emily stepped forward and took Kelly's hand in her own. Wordlessly, she pulled him into her room and closed the door behind him.

She turned his palm up and began to write across it with her index finger in feather-soft strokes.

Kelly closed his eyes while she gently spelled out T-H-A-N-K-Y-O-U. Goosebumps rippled across his forearms and a smile spread across his face. He throatily replied, "You're welcome."

Emily pressed herself against him before he opened his eyes and whispered, "I love it and I think this is the nicest thing anyone that doesn't love me has ever done for me." 

Kelly opened his eyes. He put his hand to her chin. "I could love you, if you'll let me."

Perhaps he could, and perhaps I would...

Then he kissed her in a way that said he meant to prove it. Emily responded by wrapping around him and letting her body answer.

Kelly halted them long enough to pull his sweaty t-shirt off. "Don't want to get you dirty."

"Definitely not." Emily pressed open mouthed kisses across his neck.

His skin tastes salty... Luckily I've always preferred savory over sweet...

Kelly hoisted her thigh up against his waist and wedged his leg between hers.

When he leaned back against the door with a soft thud, it was answered with loud banging on the other side, and John's admonishing voice.

"Alright already, knock it off you two. Kelly you need to shower so we can get around to Samantha's. I told her we'd help set up."