The Journey Home: Last Chapter

3 months Later...

Billy's body healed nicely. The scrapes and bruises had healed untill you would have never knew he was ever hurt.  The only lingering reminder was a light scar near his temple and the totaled pickup sitting on his families property.

We had to postpone the dinner that he offered. My aunt got sick and I went to care for her and after his ribs healed, Billy continued helping his father on their farm. It was harvest time and there was endless jobs to be done.

We kept in touch though. Long phone calls that lasted late into the night. We got to know each other in the days of our seperation.

In no time at all I had fallen in love with the stranger that I had once held in my arms. Wishing for him to survive.

It's funny how a bad situation can bring strangers together. Billy's family lived and ran a farm not far from my grandparents. Yet we had never met untill that day.

So here I am. Sitting on the couch in my new dress. Waiting for Billy to pick me up. This was a special night. The night of our long awaited dinner.

We had gone out several times before when time allowed.  Nights spent watching movies at each other's houses. Take out from a fast food resturaunt ate on the tail gate of his new truck. Fishing past dark at my grandparent's lake.

But, tonight was special and even though it had been post poned a couple times, I couldn't wait. I got up off the couch when I heard tires crunching on the driveway.

Peering out the curtained window I could see Billy. All cleaned up in dark jeans and a light blue polo getting out of his silverado. I opend the door before he could knock and he embraced me in a big hug.

"You look beautiful tonight." he said love shining in his eyes.

"You do too," I told him with a playful giggle.

I called out to my parents that we were leaving and headed out to the truck where he opend the door for me. "Wow, such a gentlemen tonight." I said winking at him.

"I always am." he said with a grin.

I got inside the truck and watched him as he made his way around. Stopping beside the driver's side door he smiled at me through the window before going back to the truck bed. Returning, he opend the door and handed me a bouqet of  pink and purple tulips.

"Awwww, thank you." I told him taking them, inhaling their perfume.

Tied to the purple ribbon that held them together was a small pink envelope. He got settled in and I opend the card to find a note inside.

Close to tears I put the note back inside it's envelope, laid the flowers on the dash and wrapped my arms around him. "I love you too." I wispered.

And as we drove to the resturaunt I couldn't help but think how my drive home that day wasn't just a trip. It had been a journey, a journey that had led me to the man of my dreams.