19 you and me. - Chapter 3 - zizza24 (2024)

Chapter Text

August 3rd

She met Ted in his driveway on Tuesday morning, wearing the Wichita State shirt he had given her with a pair of denim cutoff shorts over her bathing suit. There were two kayaks tied down in the bed of his truck for their day that they planned to spend on the river. It was a spot his mother had suggested, a place she and his father had frequented for years when they’d visit each summer. There was a lazy river about an hour from the houses, and the river had a few designated areas where kayakers could pull off to lay out in the sun and enjoy their surroundings.

Ted was dressed in navy blue swim shorts with a white t-shirt and a baseball cap and when he let the hood of the truck drop down, she flinched slightly at the sound. “You know if that sports management degree doesn’t work out, you’d make a f*cking fit mechanic.”

Ted laughed when he leaned in to kiss her before he rested against the side of the truck. “Well, good mornin’ to you too. And you’d just wanna see me all covered in oil stains and overalls, that’s why you’re sayin’ that.”

“Because every girl wants a mustached man in overalls,” she said through a giggle. “Good morning.”

“You ready to spend some time on the water today?” He asked as he pulled open the passenger door.

Rebecca nodded. “I am. I brought an extra camera for us to use too.”

There were three weeks left of her summer at the beach, and while she wasn’t trying to count down until the day they had to say goodbye, she was making it a priority to enjoy as much of those three weeks as possible. She wasn’t ready to stop making memories just yet.

Ted leaned in to kiss her before he closed the door and she buckled her seatbelt when she noticed the empty plastic cassette case sitting on the bench seat. She picked it up and saw Ted’s handwriting scrawled across the paper insert, Summer of ‘93 written across the front. There were no song titles written down, and she wondered what might be included on the mix while Ted slid in on the driver’s side. “Is this new?” She asked and Ted nodded.

“Yeah, I made it last night,” he told her as he started the truck. “I figured we could use a mixtape for our little road trip today.”

Rebecca pushed the tape into the deck and waited for it to start, Keith Whitley’s voice filling the cab of the truck as Ted pulled out onto the main road. The song seemed familiar, but she didn’t realize what it was until the chorus began to play. “This was our first dance,” she said softly.

“It was,” he replied. “The, uh, the whole mix is sorta songs that reminded me of us. Stuff we’ve listened to together, or stuff that made me think of ya while I was makin’ it. It kinda turned into a soundtrack for our summer together.”

She traced her finger across each letter of his handwriting as the song ended and changed to the next, and she couldn’t help but smile. It was such a simple gesture, and it wasn’t even something he had intentionally made for her, but it felt like it was hers. It was theirs. Neither of them spoke much on the drive to the river, the music playing softly as they went. Rebecca stared out the window, watching as the beach disappeared and turned to trees and winding roads. It reminded her of drives to visit her grandparents, when she would beg to have one of the window seats just so she could see better. They lived in a small house on a large piece of land and while the house was surrounded by the biggest trees and most vibrant flowers she had ever seen, so was a lot of the drive through the countryside. She had always imagined a life like that for herself, a home just big enough for her future family, and plenty of room to run around.

Lately, she had been imagining Ted as part of that future.

And as crazy as the idea was, there was a part of her, a very small part buried in the depths of her heart, that knew it was possible.

“We go out to a party somewhere, the moment we walk in the door.” The song had changed again and Ted’s voice had cut through her daydreams. “People stop and everybody stares, she don’t know what they’re starin’ for.” He slid his hand across the bench seat and she accepted it, smiling as he continued to sing. “She don’t know she’s beautiful, she don’t know she’s beautiful, she don’t know she’s beautiful, though time and time I’ve told her so.”

He lifted their joined hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles as the song played on. “Have you always enjoyed country music?”

Ted smiled as he slowed down to make a right turn. “Actually, no, if you’ll believe that. It was somethin’ I grew up with of course, but I never really listened to it myself until after I lost my dad. It felt almost spiritual in a way, if you believe in that kinda stuff. He had this old truck and mama was tired of seein’ it sit in the driveway, so she decided it was gonna be mine. I wanted to get it cleaned up, y’know, get it washed and change the oil, so one afternoon while I was home alone, I grabbed the keys and left. And I remember sittin’ in the driver’s seat, with the key in the ignition, and I couldn’t get myself to turn the key. Everythin’ in that truck felt like him. The spare change in the cup holder, the pack of cigarettes tucked in between the seats. Which was funny, because he kept swearin’ up and down that he had quit, but mama always knew better, and we just let him keep fibbin’.”

He paused for just a moment, taking a left turn down a two-lane road before he continued. “So I’m sittin’ there, the keys just hangin’ from my hand, and they start shakin’. And I know I’m about to have a panic attack. It’s the same way I was feelin’ the day of his funeral. I lean my head back against the rest to try and take a deep breath, and that’s when I see it peekin’ out from the visor. I can tell it’s a picture before I even reach for it, and as soon as I saw it, I started to cry. It was a picture of me and him, from my sixth birthday, and he and mama had just bought me my first football. American,” he said with a wink and she let out a soft laugh.

“I think that was the first time since he had died that I really realized that he was gone. And I’m sure that sounds stupid, but the picture reminded me that we don’t get to make memories like that anymore, me and him. But there are still plenty of people I do get to make those memories with,” he said. “Like you, and my mama. And my grandparents and the friends I’ll make when I start school. It was the first time I felt any hope since he had died. So I reached forward and I started the truck and there was this song playin’, this really beautiful and almost painful song, on the country station he always listened to. And I just never changed the channel after that. Anytime I got in that truck, that’s the kind of music that was playin’. It sometimes felt like he was still with me through the music.”

Rebecca could feel tears slowly dripping down her cheeks, but she reached up to wipe Ted’s away instead. She didn’t know what to say, still couldn’t even fathom the idea of losing one of her parent’s, so she just held him in the ways she could while they drove. “Y’know he really woulda loved you,” Ted said quietly now.

“I wish I could have met him,” she replied softly. “I would have thanked him for you.”

Ted pressed another kiss to her knuckles and they finished the drive listening to the mixtape. It felt like the songs meant more now, like they weren’t just for her or for them, but a connection he made with his father on a trip she knew he had made with him previously. He pulled into a small parking lot, a few other cars already there. They applied sunscreen before they unloaded the kayaks from the back and headed down towards the river. Once they had the kayaks out on the water, Rebecca felt a bit stunned by just how beautiful their surroundings were as they moved lazily down the river. It felt reminiscent to their horseback riding through the private trails, but this somehow was better. Perhaps it was the fact that they were alone, with no tour guide to follow, or because so much had changed between them in those two weeks.

They floated down the river nearly side by side, quiet as they listened to the sounds of life around them. The water crashing against the sides of the kayak, birds singing from various trees, the far-off sound of other rowers farther down the river.

“You wanna pull off over there?” Ted asked, and she followed the direction of his extended finger, pointing towards a small pull-off spot that was partially shaded. They paddled up to the small shore and climbed out, making their way up to the raised area that sat up over the river. Ted sat in the grass first before he moved to lay on his back, his head tilted up towards the sky. Rebecca joined him, her head rested on his chest while she laid perpendicular to him.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to go back,” she whispered and she let her eyes fall closed.

“I know I ain’t ready to watch you go back,” he whispered in response. “This place is never gonna be the same.”

She sighed, and she could feel tears stinging her eyes. “I can’t imagine not seeing you every day, or knowing you’re right down the street.”

His knuckles brushed against her cheek. “Baby, you’ve got such an incredible future ahead of you. Think about all of those little kids that are gonna be able to learn so much from you, includin’ the ones that are gonna be yours. The friends you’re gonna make, the places you’re gonna see. And you’ll always have this summer to look back on.”

“You want me to tell my future children about you?”

Ted laughed. “Heck yeah! I know I’m gonna tell mine about you. They’ll know all about the beautiful girl from England who always woke up early enough to watch me run on the beach.”

Rebecca scoffed. “I did not wake up early enough! I am already awake when you decide to go running. It’s not my fault you pass through my view of the sunrise.”

He leaned in to kiss her, a wide smile on his face. “Happy accident, I guess.”

“I know I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I think I can confidently say I’ll never love someone the way I love you, Ted.”

He let out a long sigh before he pressed a kiss against her hair. “That feeling is mutual, sweetheart.”

They laid together in silence for a while, the sun shining down bright on them, the warmth comforting against her skin. It was another one of those moments she knew she’d never forget, a sliver in time from the best three months of her life.

And then she had an idea.

“Ted?” She whispered and when he hummed in response, she wondered for a moment if he was half asleep.

“Yeah babe?”

Rebecca smiled. “I want to get the tattoo.”

He laughed lightly, the movement shaking her head a little. “Oh yeah?”

She nodded. “And I’d like for you to come with me.”

“Just tell me when and I’m there.”

August 5th

Rebecca could feel her nerves starting to build the closer they got to the tattoo parlor. She had always thought maybe she’d get one someday, even after the pain she watched Sassy go through for her own. But she knew, despite any pain she might suffer through today, the end result was going to be worth it. It would be a beautiful reminder not only of this summer, but of Ted as well.

He pulled the door open and let her step inside first, and the studio was overwhelming in the best ways. Walls covered in different designs, some simple lines and other elaborate pieces with colors and exquisite shading techniques. There was an older gentleman laid out across a table, the artist tracing a pattern on his left thigh. There was another artist cleaning up her station, wiping down surfaces and sanitizing her tools. When the door closed behind them and the small bell chimed, she looked up at Ted and Rebecca.

“Hi guys, welcome in,” she greeted. “What can we do for ya today?”

Rebecca reached into her bag, pulling a folded piece of paper out. “I’d like to get this done today, if that’s alright.”

It was a drawing Ted had done for her the day before, when they were laid out by the pool. She hadn’t considered any other option for the tattoo besides a sunflower, and she thought having Ted draw it was her only choice. She laid beside him on a lounge chair on her stomach, watching him sketch and erase and re-do lines until he deemed it perfect.

And it was perfect.

“Oh, this is gorgeous,” the artist told her, the paper in her hands. “Did you draw this?”

Rebecca shook her head. “He did.”

“Okay, well, why don’t we get you started. My name’s Shannon,” she introduced.

“I’m Rebecca.”

Ted extended his hand. “Ted, nice to meet ya.”

Shannon showed them over to her station. “Rebecca, why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll get this ready as a stencil. Where were you thinking for placement?”

“My left side, along my rib cage,” she told her.

Shannon nodded with a smile. “Sounds great. I’ll be back soon.”

She disappeared and Rebecca sat on the long table across from Ted in one of the plastic chairs. “You nervous?”

Rebecca shrugged. “Maybe a little bit.”

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be here the whole time, don’t worry. I’ll hold your hand and tell you jokes and make you forget about the whole dang thing.”

“I appreciate that, thank you.”

Her leg bounced up and down while she waited for Shannon to return. “Thank you for coming with me,” she said quietly.

Ted smiled. “Of course, baby.”

“Alright, love, how do we feel about this size?” Shannon came back, the stencil in one hand with Ted’s drawing in the other. “I can go bigger or smaller, whatever you want.”

Rebecca smiled. “It’s perfect.”

“Okay, let me get the privacy screen set up for us then. Rebecca, we’re gonna need to lose that shirt, but I assume it’s alright if Ted stays?” Shannon asked.

“Yes please,” she answered, and when they were closed off from the rest of the studio, she pulled the shirt over her head. She laid down along the table and looked over at Ted, who was smiling at her. Shannon moved around them, preparing her station and making sure she had what she needed, so Rebecca stayed focused on Ted. He had become her pillar of calm over the last few months, and she thought sometimes it was too big of an ask for him to represent that in her life. But he didn’t ever seem to mind, and she often felt like she was the same for him.

It always seemed like they were two halves of the same whole.

Shannon stood beside her now, the stencil held delicately in her fingertips. “Where are we thinkin’ honey? Right below the bra line?”

Rebecca nodded. “That’s perfect.”

She placed the stencil against her skin and pressed gently, making sure the lines transferred over correctly. Ted moved the chair closer to her while they waited for the stencil to dry, reaching out to take her right hand in his. “Why the left side?” He asked and she turned to face him.

“Keeps you close to my heart,” she whispered.

Shannon turned on the tattoo gun and gave Rebecca a warning before she started on the first line. When the needle touched her skin, she gasped, the pain unexpected but tolerable. Ted squeezed her hand as Shannon slowly traced along the lines, the pain becoming less annoying the longer she laid still. She studied Ted’s face while she looked at him, noticing little stray hairs in his mustache or freckles that had formed beneath his eyes. Every time she looked at him, she found something even more breathtaking than the last time she saw him, and she fell even deeper in love.

It was going to make her last day with him so bittersweet.

“You’re doin’ great, baby,” Ted told her, his lips landing on her temple for a brief kiss. “I’m proud of you.”

The needle was slowly moving down a sensitive spot and Rebecca gasped at the feeling. “Christ, and people do this sh*t for fun?”

Shannon laughed. “Yes we do. It gets easier the more you have.”

“Plus, if you start off with the most painful spot in the world, it’s gonna be a breeze after that,” Ted replied.

“Ted, do you have any ink?”

He nodded. “Yes ma’am. I’ve got a magnolia on my chest for my mama.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes. “He drew that one too, the show off.”

Shannon smiled, dipping the needle into ink before she continued with the pattern. “So how long have you two been together?”

“Just about two months,” Ted answered.

“My family is staying in a beach house just a few away from his,” she added. “We met the first night I was in town and just never stopped hanging out.”

Shannon wiped at the wet ink with a paper towel, leaving a smear of black on Rebecca’s skin. “You know, I met my husband on this beach when I was nine years old. I had just moved here and my parents wanted to get to know the area, so we came down to the boardwalk and grabbed ice cream and then we went down to the ocean. And I was standing there, with two scoops of Rocky Road on a cake cone, when this kid just plowed into me. He had been playing catch with his friends, and wasn’t paying attention while running backwards. It turned out we were in the same school, same class, and we were best friends for years before he asked me out. We’ve been together for ten years, married for five, and I’ve still never forgiven him for ruining my ice cream that night.”

They both laughed, Rebecca making every effort to hold still for Shannon. Her story made Rebecca wonder just how lucky they’d have to be to defy all of the odds and find their way back to one another some day.

“Rebecca, where’s home for you?” Shannon asked.

“London,” she replied, a quick gasp at the touch of the needle. “I’ll return home in a few weeks.”

She smiled. “Well, I hope you make the most of the time you have left here.”

Rebecca looked over at Ted again, who hadn’t stopped looking at her. “I don’t think that’ll be too difficult.” He smiled at her and kissed her knuckles before squeezing her hand again. Shannon started to shade the petals of the sunflower when she finished the outline, and Rebecca was finally beginning to feel uncomfortable on the table. She kept her eyes on Ted, an attempt to distract herself from the feeling.

“Hey, whaddya think your mama’s gonna say about this?”

She smiled. “Honestly, I have no idea. But I’m not so sure I care. She’ll probably have herself convinced it’s fake, like it’ll come off after a few hot showers and some scrubbing.”

Shannon’s head popped up from where she had been staring down at Rebecca’s side. “Please promise me you will not scrub this, at least not until it’s fully healed.”

“I promise you I will not,” Rebecca replied.

Shannon returned to Rebecca’s side, her head ducked down close to the skin to finish her work on the flower petals. Rebeca turned back towards Ted, who had a wide smile on his face. “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothin’, just enjoyin’ this.”

It was almost two hours before Shannon finished the tattoo and when she set the tattoo gun back down, Rebecca took a deep breath. Shannon held a mirror up for Rebecca to look at the finished design. “How’s it look, sweetheart?”

“It’s bloody perfect,” she replied.

Shannon smiled. “I’ll get you all cleaned up and wrapped and then you’ll be on your way.” She stepped away to gather some plastic wrap and paper towels and Rebecca turned back to Ted.

“Could you get my camera from my bag please?”

He nodded and reached inside, pulling out her disposable camera. “You want a picture before she wraps it?”

Rebecca nodded now. “Yes please.”

He walked to the opposite side of where he had been standing and crouched down, the camera held up to his eye. “Y’know, I think I deserve some sort of award or somethin’ because you’ve been shirtless for the last two hours and I’ve been on my best behavior.”

She broke out in laughter as he returned the camera to her bag and sat back down in his chair. “I see, and what kind of reward would you like for being such a gentleman?”

“You,” he answered, his voice low. “And maybe some Rocky Road, Shannon’s story gave me a hankerin’ for ice cream.”

Rebecca smiled. “Let’s get some ice cream for the walk home. My parents are gone for the afternoon anyways.”

Ted raised an eyebrow. “Does sex hurt with a fresh tattoo?”

“Only one way to find out, right?” She asked with a wink.

August 7th

“So where are you two off to today?”

Rebecca stabbed at a piece of pineapple on her plate. “An aquarium.”

Deborah chuckled. “An aquarium?”

Ted nodded from his seat across from Rebecca. “Yes ma’am. I wanted to make sure Rebecca got the full Myrtle Beach experience and that is not complete without a trip to Ripley’s Aquarium.”

“Sweetheart, do you remember when your mother and I took you to the aquarium?” Paul asked. “I think you were maybe six years old, and you were so fascinated with the sea turtle, you spent nearly three months begging us to keep one as a pet.”

Rebecca smiled, the memory one she looked back on from time to time. A moment she enjoyed being around her parents, when she was still young enough to believe everything was fine. “You bought me the biggest stuffed sea turtle you could find to try and make up for it.”

Deborah laughed. “What ever happened to that turtle?”

“I think we had to throw it away,” Rebecca answered. “I left it outside one evening and the rain ruined it.”

“Y’know, I think there’s a sea turtle at the aquarium,” Ted told her. “I don’t think we can kidnap it or anythin’, but we could probably get a picture of it.”

Rebecca smiled. “A picture would be just fine.”

It still felt weird to discuss parts of her past in front of Ted, a boy who had only known her for two months, but it felt even stranger to have him sitting here with her parents, over breakfast, reminiscing on a time where she never could have even imagined a moment like this. When she had first arrived in Myrtle Beach, and her and Ted had only just begun hanging out, she wondered if maybe she should keep this temporary life separate from her normal life. She considered making sure Ted never met her parents, that they never found out more than the bare minimum about Ted. But sitting here now with them, watching as her mother passed another blueberry scone to Ted, it filled her with hope.

Like maybe this wasn’t the last any of them would see him.

“Well, don’t let us keep you, darling,” Deborah said. “Please do enjoy yourselves.”

Ted offered to help clean up but both Deborah and Paul refused, insisting that they leave to enjoy their day. After their goodbyes and hugs and handshakes, they were out the door and on their way to the aquarium.

“Thank you,” she said quietly as they got into the truck.

Ted looked over at her while he buckled his seatbelt. “For what?”

Rebecca smiled. “For having breakfast with them,” she replied. “And for being you.”

He laughed softly as he pulled out onto the road. “You don’t hafta thank me for that, Rebecca. But I did have fun with them, and it seemed like maybe you did too.”

She sighed, shifting in her seat to face her body towards him. “It almost felt like it used to,” she admitted. “Before everything with my father happened, we used to eat as a family. We used to do a lot of things as a family, but then I started pulling away.”

“Have you ever thought about talkin’ to him?” Ted asked now. “Tellin’ him how you feel about all of this?”

Rebecca nodded. “Nearly every single day. But I have no idea what I would say and even if I did, how would I bring it up?”

Ted slowed the truck to a stop at an intersection. “You’d tell him how he hurt you, how his actions have had a negative impact on your life since that day. I’m not sayin’ it’s gonna be an easy conversation, but I think it could be worth it.”

“And if he doesn’t care?”

“I saw the look on his face when he talked about your turtle phase, baby,” Ted told her. “He’ll care.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at that, the sheer disbelief that any of this was happening at all. “I’ll think about it,” she said softly through some stray tears. “But for now, I just want to see a freaking turtle.”

Ted laughed beside her, turning into the parking lot that was full of wandering families. “Your wish is my command, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

When the car was parked, they made their way to the entrance and stood in line to purchase their tickets. They were surrounded by children, little ones of all ages running amok while their parents tried their best to corral them. There was so much laughter, with just a hint of unhappiness from a few select children who looked like they'd rather be outside in the sunshine, that it warmed her heart over. She had always dreamt of being a teacher, a dream that had formed at a very young age, but she had also always dreamt of having her own children. She wanted a family more than she wanted almost anything else in the world.

Tickets in hand, they made their way through the entrance and into the aquarium, and excitement ran through her veins as she spotted the first exhibit. Children swarmed to the front, their hands and noses pressed to the glass as they watched schools of fish swim back and forth. She stood back, watching over their heads, and she felt just like a kid again.

Ted’s hand slipped into hers as he stood beside her, their fingers intertwined. He squeezed her hand once, then again, then for a third time, and when she looked up at him, he was grinning at her. “What was that for?” She asked.

“I love you,” he replied.

Rebecca leaned her head against his shoulder, movement all around them while they stood frozen in time. Her mind flashed to years down the road, when they were no longer teenagers falling in love, but instead grown up with kids of their own. Two hearts that, above all odds, still managed to find their way back to one another, like two magnets ready to come together again. It felt so familiar in her mind that it gave her hope for what the future held for her, and for them.

As they made their way deeper into the aquarium, she never once dropped his hand. She didn’t have much time left with him, and she needed to take advantage of every moment she did spend by his side.

They passed by different species of frogs and jellyfish, through exhibits of stingrays and sharks and various types of fish. Rebecca took a few pictures as they walked through, but eventually she shoved the camera into her bag and left it alone. It wasn’t until they spotted the green sea turtle that she tried to pull it out again, and she felt Ted’s hand wrap around hers when she retrieved it.

“Stand by the glass,” he instructed, and she laughed. “C’mon, you gotta take a picture with the turtle.”

Rebecca giggled. “Ted, I am not taking my picture with the turtle. I just need a picture of the turtle.”

But he shook his head. “No ma’am, that’s not acceptable. Because I’m gonna need a copy of the picture of you with a turtle to have for my dorm room.”

She shoved the camera back into her bag. “You are not taking a picture of me to college with you.”

Confusion covered his face. “Why not?”

“Because,” she started, but she realized she didn’t have a real argument. Wasn’t this what she wanted? For him to remember her and believe in the possibility of them reconnecting after they had graduated? For all of this to be more than just a summer love, more than just her first love?

His hand slipped into hers and when she looked at him, there was a softness in his eyes that warmed her over entirely. “If you don’t want me to,” he said softly. “Then I won’t.”

She shook her head. “No, you should if you want to,” she replied.

“I promise I won’t do anythin’ weird with it,” he told her and she couldn’t help but laugh. He always knew how to lighten the mood.

And then she pulled the camera out and handed it to him before she approached the glass, just as the turtle was slowly swimming by. “Go on then,” she said and he held the camera up while she smiled back at him. She gave him a thumbs up while he snapped the picture and then they continued on towards the final exhibit. They stood along the glass panes and watched as the penguins waddled across rocks and dove down into their small pool, colored bands tied around their arms. Each time one of them made any sort of sound, the crowd of children watching would burst out into laughter around them.

“I bet that one’s named Rebecca,” Ted told her, his finger extended out towards one of the quieter ones perched up on a rock.

Rebecca looked down at the brochure in her hand and smiled. “I’m afraid his name is Elton, love.”

Ted frowned. “Alright, well what about that one?” He asked, changing the direction of his hand.

She shook her head. “Haley.”

He pointed now towards two penguins near the very back, their hands joined together between them. “Right there, that’s a Ted and a Rebecca.”

“According to this list, that’s Norman and Scarlette.”

Now Ted shook his head. “Nope, not anymore. That is Ted Lasso of Kansas and Rebecca Welton of England. Look at ‘em, holdin’ hands, probably talkin’ about what they wanna make the kids for dinner tonight.”

Rebecca threaded her fingers between his and leaned into his side. “They have kids?” She asked.

“Oh yeah, three of ‘em, maybe four. Two boys, two girls, to keep things even in the house. That’s really just important on family game night, and when we play football in the backyard.”

“My football or your football?”

“Both,” he answered simply. “It’s important to teach the kids about all of it.”

She smiled. “Where do we live?”

Ted pressed a kiss to her temple. “London, but we take the kids to Kansas every summer. My mama visits every winter for the holidays and to help out while the kids are outta school. Plus she insists we ring in every new year together, just the two of us.”

Rebecca let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. “That sounds nice,” she said quietly.

“It does, doesn’t it?”

She nodded. “Do you think we’ll ever get it?”

Ted let out his own sigh at her question. “I dunno, baby. I think fate put us in each other’s paths once, no reason why it can’t happen again.”

The topic of their conversation changed as they made their way to the gift shop, but returned when they stood out on the boardwalk together, the sun slowly starting to make its descent, the sky a mixture of purple and orange and yellow. She had an ice cream cone in one hand and her new stuffed sea turtle tucked beneath her arm.

“Would we bring the kids here?” She asked softly.

He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “Once they were old enough, yeah. We’d tell them the story of how we met, and how we fell in love. We’d take ‘em to our favorite spots, and we’d find new ones to love together.”

Rebecca smiled at him, ice cream slowly melting down over her fingers. “I hope you’re my forever, Ted.”

“I’d be the luckiest man in the world if I was.”

August 11th

Rebecca reached forward, her thumb out towards Ted’s face. “Come here, love.”

He leaned in and she wiped at the powdered sugar that had gotten caught in his mustache. “Thank you, baby.”

They had spent the first part of their day riding go karts, racing each other on the rather empty track in town. It was something Rebecca had never done before, something she had never really felt inclined to participate in, but it seemed like this summer, she’d do anything.

At least when it came to Ted.

The weather today was perfect, sunshine and warmth surrounding them, but there was a gray cloud looming over her own head today. A cloud brought on by the fact that in two weeks, this would be over. She wouldn’t get to see Ted every day, wouldn’t be able to spend her mornings watching the sun rise as she drank her tea. There would be no more trips to get ice cream, no more afternoons spent laying in the sand side by side, only leaving when they could feel their skin burning even through layers of sunscreen. It would just be her, on her way back to London alone before she’d move off to University. It left her feeling sad, and nauseous, but she tried hard to combat the feeling, because she wanted to enjoy these final two weeks with him.

“I’m gonna miss this,” he said quietly and tears stung the corners of her eyes. “Bein’ here with you, nothin’ to worry about except what kinda ice cream to eat or what to spend our day doin’.”

She stood up from her spot on the picnic table bench and moved to his side, sitting down beside him now to wrap around his arm. She tried to fight off the tears, but she failed. They slid down her cheeks and caught against the fabric of his t-shirt, damp spots left in their wake. Rebecca wanted so badly to believe that she would find more people like Ted in her life, people who felt like sunshine, who bloomed flowers in the deepest parts of her. And she knew in the back of her mind, it was possible. But it was hard to be convinced of that right now, to believe in the idea that there was anyone in the world comparable to him.

Because some days, she still didn’t even believe he was real.

Ted pressed a kiss to her temple and she stayed wrapped around him until the tears slowed to a stop. “Y’know, sometimes at night when I can’t sleep, I think about what it’d be like to take you home to Kansas with me.”

Rebecca smiled softly. “You do?”

He nodded and rested his head against hers. “Oh yeah. I think about what it would be like to live together and spend holidays together. Or what it’d be like wakin’ up next to you each mornin’. I’d take ya all over town, show you all the best places to go, like who’s got the best barbecue or the best donuts. We could take road trips together, stop in little towns along the way and pick up the silliest souvenirs.”

Rebecca closed her eyes as she listened to him continue on. “We’d come back here every summer, make new memories together until it wasn’t just the two of us. We’d stay in the family house, hangin’ up pictures of the kids and our friends next to pictures of our families. And we’d spend time in London too, because the kids should know both of our lives.”

She had started crying again, hot tears streaking down her cheeks as she stayed silent, too overwhelmed by what he was saying. The picture he painted was perfect, so clear in her mind. But she worried that’s all it would ever be was just a picture. A reminder of what could have been if the timing was right.

Ted slipped his arm out of her grip and wrapped it around her shoulder, pulling her tight into his chest. “And I hope you know I’d marry the hell outta you too,” he whispered and it pulled a quick laugh from her lips. “You’d be so damn beautiful standin’ there in your white dress.”

“Would you be mad if I said I don’t want this with anyone but you?”

“No,” he answered. “But I don’t want you holdin’ yourself back from what you really deserve just because it ain’t with me.”

She sighed, because she knew he was right, but it didn’t hurt any less. “Do you think perhaps you have an identical twin somewhere on this planet you don’t know about?”

Ted laughed and kissed her hair again. “No, unfortunately this is not a Parent Trap situation. Although I do love that movie. Anyone talented enough to play two roles in the same movie is a winner in my book.”

“My mum and I used to watch that together when I was younger. On nights my father would have meetings or weekend matches on the road, we’d curl up together on the couch and share a bowl of popcorn and that was always my first choice in movies. Then she would pick The Sound of Music and we’d spend the rest of the night singing to one another as we cleaned up and finally made it to bed.”

He pulled their funnel cake closer and she reached over to rip a piece off to eat. “Was your dad gone a lot?”

“During the season, I guess. He didn’t always travel with the team, but for big matches he would go along,” she explained. “Sometimes mum and I would watch the matches together, even if we didn’t really understand what was going on. But for me, it always made me feel closer to him.”

“I guess you don’t watch much anymore?” Ted asked quietly.

Rebecca shook her head. “No. I usually don’t hear anything about the matches until he’s arrived home for the night and he tells us over dinner. But then I’m usually ignoring him and everything he says, and I couldn’t even tell you what their record was this past season.”

“Well, on the off chance you ever decide you do wanna follow in his footsteps, I’d start by at least figurin’ out what their record is,” he told her with a smile. “The rest you can learn along the way.”

She sighed. “I just know that life’s not meant for me. And whether or not I’m meant to be a teacher, I’ve still got time to figure that out. But I’m certainly not qualified to own a football club.” She lifted her head and reached up to run a finger along his jawline. “You could though.”

Ted shook his head slightly. “I’m not well educated in that kind of football.”

Rebecca smiled. “You could learn along the way.”

He laughed. “You got me there. But I’m not sure your dad would want some silly American with a mustache runnin’ his club. Especially one who ain’t never spent much time around the game.”

“I fear he’ll own that club until he takes his last breath,” she said quietly.

Ted pressed a kiss to her hairline. “Hey, why don’t we get outta here? We could go down to the beach or back to the house and go swimmin’? Or we can do somethin’ else entirely, whatever you want.”

“We could go back to my house and watch a movie,” she suggested, an eyebrow raised. “Or rather, we could have the movie on in the background.”

“You gonna fall asleep on me this time?”

Rebecca laughed and hid her face in her hands. “I’m sorry! I swear that will not happen again.”

Ted smiled and stood from the table. “It’s alright, any chance I get to just hold ya is good enough for me.”

They walked back to the house hand in hand, and Rebecca tried to take in every single piece of that moment, knowing it would be one of the last. She memorized the way it felt with her fingers threaded in the space between his, how perfectly tanned his skin was and how it glowed under the August sunshine. She memorized the flower beds and trees they passed by on their walk, the colors so unique and bright in contrast to the soil they grew in. She created permanent pictures in her mind, ones she wasn’t able to capture clearly enough, but ones she was desperate to save. She hoped months from now, when she was away at Cambridge and looking for a distraction from her studies, she’d have these memories to look back on. When they arrived, Rebecca led him right into the living room and they curled up on the couch like they had so many times before. Their skin was warm pressed together as she laid across his chest, and they never even bothered to turn on the television. Instead Rebecca listened to the beat of his heart, so steady and calm, a melody she thought was maybe just for her.

Ted pulled his fingers gently through her hair, and every time he let it fall, the ends tickled the bare skin of her shoulders. “Y’know, sometimes when I’m layin’ with you like this, I can imagine us ten or fifteen years down the road doin’ the same thing. Maybe it’s just the two of us or maybe we got a little one too, but no matter what, it’s always us together.”

“Ted,” she whispered. “Don’t.”

His fingers stopped. “Why not?”

She closed her eyes. “Because what if we can’t have that? What if all we’re meant to have is just these three months?”

“D’you really believe that?”

“No,” she breathed. “I mean, I guess I don’t really know what’s going to happen, but do you really think that life will bring us back together?”

Ted started his fingers again. “I think there was a reason we crossed paths this summer, and while neither of us can know if it was only for these three months, or if it was for somethin’ more, I’d like to believe that we’ll see each other again.”

“I can’t imagine my life without you in it,” she whispered.

“Hey, let’s make a promise, okay?” He said and she lifted her head. “Gimme your pinky.”

She lifted her pinky and he looped his own around hers. “What are we promising?”

Ted smiled at her. “To see each other again. In four years, after we’ve graduated and finished school, we’ll meet back up here and pick up where we left off. We’ll spend a week or two just catchin’ up and then we can figure it out from there.”

“You’ve already proposed that once.”

He nodded. “And now we’re makin’ it official. No guessin’ or wonderin’ if either of us are serious about doin’ it.”

Rebecca smiled back at him, squeezing his pinky. “Okay.”

“No, you gotta promise.”

She laughed now. “Theodore Lasso, I promise to meet you back here on this very beach in four years.”

Ted leaned up to kiss their linked pinkies. “And I, Theodore Lasso, promise you, Rebecca Welton, that I will meet you right back here on this beach in four years.”

“Now will you kiss me for real?”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied before he kissed her, just like he had been since that afternoon on the boardwalk. And while she didn’t know what the future held for them, she knew she’d have these memories to always look back on, Ted permanently etched into her head and her heart.

August 15th

“I talked to my father.”

Ted froze in place, hands stilled as he unpacked the picnic basket they had brought to the park with them. “How’d it go?”

Rebecca huffed out a sigh. “He’s agreed to talk to my mother, so I’ll take that as a good sign. But we decided he should wait until we’re home to do it.”

“And how do you feel?”

He handed her an opened and chilled glass bottle of Diet co*ke. “I don’t know if I have an answer for that yet. I’m happy I told him, but there’s a voice in my head that keeps saying nothing will actually change. That he’ll wait until I’ve moved away and he’ll sweep it under the rug like he has for the last two years.”

Ted nodded in understanding. “But you told him how it made you feel? That it was jeopardizin’ your relationship with him? And how you don’t wanna keep hidin’ from your mama?”

Rebecca nodded now. “I did. And it seemed like he felt bad about how it’s weighed on me for nearly two years. I’m just worried it’s not enough.”

“Well, at least you tried, right?” Ted asked. “At this point, the ball’s in his court and if he wants to make a change and be better, he will.”

She didn’t know what would happen, but she did feel a sense of relief now that she had come clean to her father about how she was feeling. Being honest with him was probably one of the most nerve wracking things she had done, but now she felt lighter. Like it was one less thing she had to carry on her plate as she moved onto the next chapter of her life.

It had happened the night before, when Rebecca had come downstairs for a midnight snack. She hadn’t expected to see her father still awake, out on the balcony in the darkness, rocking slowly in the same chair she occupied most mornings. She debated with herself for five straight minutes on whether or not she should go out there before she ultimately pulled the door open. She stepped outside and the air was chilled, a cool breeze moving across the beach beneath the night sky.

“You should be asleep, Sausage.”

She smiled and rounded the empty chair slowly. “How’d you know it was me?”

Paul smiled back at her and lifted a mug to his lips. “Your mother isn’t nearly as quiet, nor does she ever try to be.”

“Everyone knows when she walks into a room,” Rebecca mused as she pulled her knees up to her chest and rocked back and forth. “It’s really beautiful here,” she said quietly.

“You know, I remember not too long ago when you were rather adamant about not coming on this trip,” Paul told her. “Now it seems like we’re going to have trouble getting you back home.”

She felt her cheeks flush and she hoped he didn’t notice under the soft light of the balcony. “I’m glad I gave it a chance. It’s been a good summer.”

“I imagine Ted probably has a lot to do with that,” he teased.

“He does,” she whispered. “He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known.”

Paul nodded. “You’re still young, Rebecca. You’ll meet plenty of other wonderful people in your life.”

Rebecca sighed. “Not like him.”

They were quiet, the air still around them, and Rebecca thought maybe she could say something now. That she could confront Paul about what she had seen and how it had shattered her entire world. But the words sat on the tip of her tongue, fear settling into her veins the longer she waited, until her nerve dissipated entirely.

But then her father broke the silence.

“I know you hate me, Rebecca,” he said and there was a dull ringing in her ears. “And I know what I did was wrong.”

Rebecca exhaled a slow breath, tears clouding her vision. “Then why did you do it?”

Paul tipped his head back against the chair. “It was a moment of weakness, and it was a mistake. Your mother and I were going through a rough time together and I made a terrible decision to try and cope with that. I found solace in a friend and I let things go too far. I regret everything about that night, and that includes not apologizing to you.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she didn’t even bother wiping them away. “Rebecca, I am so sorry. I’m sorry that I put you in a position where you had to witness that decision, and that you felt you had to stay quiet about it happening. I’ll never forgive myself for putting you through that, and I would give anything to get the last two years back for us. You kept your distance and I know that, and now in just a few weeks, I have to watch you move away.”

“I couldn’t even look at you,” she said quietly. “For weeks after it happened, I felt sick everytime I saw you. And when I saw you with mom? When it seemed like you were pretending everything was okay? It was horrible.”

“I know,” he whispered. “And I know there’s nothing I can do to fix this. But I can promise you that I will be better. Whether or not you believe me, that’s entirely up to you. Rebecca, I love your mother very much and nothing has ever changed that.”

Rebecca turned to face her father for the first time. “Does she know?”

He shrugged and took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

“Did it ever happen again?”

“No, it was just that one night,” he said. “I don’t expect you to forgive me because frankly I don’t deserve it. But I do hope that one day things can be better between us, because no matter what, you’re my little girl and I love you.”

She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks for the first time. “I love you too,” she whispered. “But I hate you for what you did. I hate that I’ve had to live with the image of you with that woman, and I hate that I missed out on so much time with you.”

Paul reached over to run his thumb across her cheek. “I know, sweetheart. I do too.”

“You should tell her,” she said on an exhale. “She deserves to know.”

He nodded. “I agree.”

“But maybe wait until we’re home,” Rebecca suggested. “Don’t ruin our trip for her.”

Paul nodded again in agreement. “Sweetheart, I need you to know this hasn’t been easy for me.”

“I would hope not,” she mumbled.

“If I could take it all back, I would. But I have to live with the consequences of my actions.”

Rebecca turned back to the ocean now, watching as the waves slowly rolled over in the shine of the moonlight. The stars reflected off the water, and they danced with each movement. It was peaceful to watch, so calming as the weight of the night settled in. She had imagined talking to her father about it all one day, way into the future, perhaps as a grown adult on a rare visit back home. But sitting here now, she realized it was as good a time as any, a way to clear the air before she moved away. It was one less thing she had to carry with her as she began her new chapter.

“I love you, sweet pea.”

It broke her apart, to hear him say those words to her now. Because for the first time in almost two years, it finally felt true and it felt real. She didn’t feel angry, not like she had for so many months before. She knew the situation would still weigh on her, memories burned into her mind that she would never fully forget. But maybe over time, they wouldn’t burn so bright and so vividly, and she could fully find her way back to the relationship she once had with her father.

Or at the very least, something close to it.

“I’m proud of you,” Ted said quietly. “I know that probably wasn’t easy.”

Rebecca laid back on the blanket, her face turned up at the sun, eyes closed to shield them. “It wasn’t, but I’m glad I did it. It’s like a massive weight was lifted and now it’s one less thing I have to carry with me to Uni.”

Ted leaned over her to block the sun and when she opened her eyes, he was smiling down at her. “You’re damn beautiful, y’know that?”

She smiled as he ducked down to kiss her, her hands finding their way into his hair to keep him close. She didn’t allow herself to think about how in a few weeks, she wouldn’t be kissing him anymore. She didn’t need to dwell on what was coming, she just wanted to focus on what they had right now.

He peppered her face with kisses for some time before he leaned back and she sat up so they could eat. It was a small spread of sandwiches and snacks, nothing fancy, but she loved it just the same. Rebecca spent more time watching Ted it seemed, and every time he caught her staring, she blushed. Her cheeks warmed and she ducked her head to hide, but he’d gently lift her face back up, a finger curled beneath her chin.

When they were finished eating, Rebecca reached into her bag and removed a white envelope. “I have something for you,” she said and handed it over to Ted, who looked confused. “Open it.”

Ted lifted the flap and removed the stack of pictures, the photo of them together on the Ferris Wheel on the very top of the pile. “I had most of my cameras developed and thought you might enjoy your own copies.”

He flipped through each picture slowly, images of them at the park, the aquarium, playing mini-golf and bowling one right after another. There was a copy of the picture of Ted with the butterfly on his shoulder, and another of Rebecca with ice cream on her cheek. It was a physical highlight reel of their summer together and she felt so thankful that, no matter what, she’d always have these memories to look back on.

When Ted reached the final photo, she noticed his cheeks had turned red and his eyes went wide. “Rebecca Charlotte Welton, this is like Christmas and my birthday all wrapped up in one little picture.”

“I had forgotten about that one,” she said with a soft giggle.

It was a picture of Rebecca on the beach, laid out on a towel with her sunglasses on. She and Ted had spent the afternoon in the sun and she remembered how nervous she was when Ted had grabbed the camera. Her first instinct had been to hide, but she knew with Ted she didn’t have to. The bikini she had chosen for the day left little to the imagination, and she knew it was driving him crazy to see her in it. Ted had angled the camera to pan down the length of her body as he snapped the photo, with Rebecca lifted on her elbows just a few inches.

“You just looked so damn good,” Ted admitted sheepishly. “I couldn’t help myself.”

Rebecca smiled. “I think seeing these pictures from this summer is the first time I haven’t completely hated the way I look.”

Ted landed a soft kiss on her cheek. “You should always feel beautiful, baby,” he whispered.

“I finally feel beautiful,” she whispered back. She leaned her forehead against his. “Back home, sometimes I feel like I have to try to be someone I’m not. Like I have to compete with everyone, including Sassy. But I don’t feel like that here, with you. Here I can just be me.”

“So now anytime you’re feelin’ less than, you find these,” he said, tapping against the pictures. “And you’ll remember how you felt for these three months, how you always deserve to feel.”

Rebecca leaned in to kiss him. “I love you,” she mumbled when she broke away.

Ted smiled against her lips. “I love you too. And I hope you know that picture’s comin’ with me to school. Gonna keep it folded up in my wallet so I’m always carryin’ you around.”

“Just as long as it’s for your eyes only,” she warned.

Ted let out a low whistle. “As if I’d consider sharin’. I may seem like a very nice guy but I can be selfish if I hafta be.”

She smirked and moved in towards him again. “If it’s for me, I’ll certainly allow it.”

Their lips collided and for a moment, she wished they were somewhere else, and maybe a few years older. A time when they didn’t have to worry about saying goodbye, where their only obligations were each other. She wanted a life where it could always be the two of them against the world.

“You wanna pack this up and go take a walk?” Ted asked and Rebecca nodded. They carried the basket and blanket back to the car before they started down a short path Ted knew led down to the shore. They walked hand in hand and Rebecca wondered if Ted had realized that he was tracing the tip of his finger around her left ring finger. She didn’t draw attention to it, but instead just let her mind wander away with the idea of having a ring there. His ring.

When they reached the sand, they kicked off their shoes and moved closer to the water. The weather was perfect and the skies were a bright blue, not a single cloud to be seen. The water was calm, waves quietly crashing against the sand. This particular spot wasn’t busy, with only a few people enjoying the view around them.

Rebecca pulled the last disposable camera from her bag before she looked around for someone close enough to them. “Excuse me?”

An older woman with gray hair stopped and turned towards Rebecca. “Yes dear?”

“Would it be too much trouble to ask you to take a picture of us?”

The woman smiled at them. “Of course, sweetheart.” Rebecca and Ted moved a bit closer to the water, their backs out to the ocean, bodies pressed tightly together. “Okay you two, give me a big smile.”

They smiled for the picture until she pressed the button down. Rebecca started to move in and thank her, but she stopped them both. “Hold on, one more. And make it a silly one.”

Ted laughed beside Rebecca. “Yes ma’am.” Before Rebecca knew what was happening, Ted dipped Rebecca back and held her there. She could feel the way her hair was flowing free in the breeze and she felt laughter bubbling in her chest. It burst out of her just as she heard the shutter of the camera. Ted pulled her back up and kissed her before she took the camera back from the woman.

“Thank you so much,” Rebecca told her. “We really appreciate it.”

The woman smiled. “You’re quite welcome, dear.”

The woman was off on her walk again, crossing the sand slowly until she reached the sidewalk. Rebecca put her camera back in her bag and then slipped her hand into Ted’s again. “What now?”

“It’s still kinda early,” he said. “You wanna head back to the house and swim? At least until you gotta be ready for dinner?”

She nodded. “That sounds perfect.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool, and Rebecca purposely chose the bikini from the picture Ted had practically drooled over earlier to change into. They floated around under the summer sun, separated at first, but then just like magnets, they were drawn to each other. Limbs intertwined, no rush in their touches or kisses. It was lazy and it was relaxing as they passed time twisted together. Her legs were wrapped around his waist as she kept him close, his lips ghosting over her lips, her jawline, and her collarbone. When his teeth grazed her skin, she shivered.

“f*ck,” she whispered.

He did the same thing across her left shoulder, teasing, and if she wasn’t so damn turned on, she would have been annoyed. “Ted,” she whined.

“I can stop,” he mumbled into her skin.

Rebecca’s hands tightened around the edge of the pool while she let her head fall back. “No,” she breathed. “Don’t.”

Ted traced a line down to her left hand, lips pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles, before he followed a path all the way to the knuckles on her right hand. And it felt so nice to be loved like this, to be so adored and so appreciated without having to ask for it. Ted was so full of love and he had no trouble showing it and giving it away. She knew what she felt herself, but it was also evident when he was around his mother too. And Rebecca thought somewhere deep in his heart, he had some love to give her own parents too.

She truly hated the fact that she would have to say goodbye to all of this so soon.

Neither of them dared to separate until Deborah’s voice rang out from the balcony.

“Rebecca, dear, it’s getting late.”

Rebecca frowned and Ted brushed across her lips with his thumb. “Hey, no frownin’. We’ve got plenty of time for more of this tomorrow. And the next day, and the one after that.”

“You promise?”

Ted nodded and kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ve got eight days left with you, and I want us to spend as much time together as possible. Even if all we do is float around in this damn pool until the sun goes down.”

She leaned in to kiss him. “I love the sound of that.”

And as much as she tried not to focus on it, it seemed there was no choice at this point.

The countdown to the end of their summer was on.

August 19th

Rebecca stared at Deborah and Paul where they stood on the other side of the kitchen island, her hand gripped tightly around the handle of her mug. “No,” she said quietly. “Please don’t.”

Deborah smiled. “Why not? We only have a few days left here and your father and I love to dance.”

She swallowed hard at her mother’s comment about their time running out at the beach. As much as she tried to push it away, it was constantly at the forefront of her mind. Little reminders like their things slowly disappearing from the house, being packed away for their impending trip home. Even her own suitcase was starting to fill up again, outfits she knew she wouldn’t wear for the next five days joining books she had finished reading and needed to transport home.

“Okay, but I don’t need supervision,” she reminded them. “I’m going with Ted.”

“Yes, sweetheart, we know,” Deborah replied. “Your father and I will be sure to keep our distance so we don’t embarrass you.”

Rebecca lifted her mug from the counter to her lips. “Because that’s worked so well before,” she mumbled, smiling before she took a sip.

Paul appeared to open his mouth to respond when the doorbell chimed from the foyer. She dropped her mug back to the counter before she walked down the hall to the front door. Rebecca pulled it open to reveal Ted on the other side, and the smile that bloomed on her face hurt her cheeks.

“Hi.”

Ted smiled back at her. “Hey baby.”

She held out her hand for him to take and he followed her into the house, back towards the kitchen where her parents were still standing. They were facing each other now, their voices hushed, and when Deborah spotted Ted, their conversation stopped. “Hello, Ted.”

“Hi Deborah, Paul,” Ted greeted. “Sorry for stealin’ Rebecca from you again tonight.”

Deborah’s smile grew wider. “Oh, Sausage, why don’t you tell him the good news?”

Ted looked over at Rebecca who rolled her eyes before she said “Mum and dad are coming to the boardwalk tonight, too.”

He had a goofy smile on his face when he looked from Rebecca to Deborah to Paul and back again, and she wanted to kiss it right off his lips. “Oh, well that’s great news! My mama’ll be wanderin’ around there too with a few of her friends. I guess my grandma insisted she take a night for herself.”

“Oh, we’d love to meet her if she’s around,” Deborah told him. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

Ted shook his head. “She’s been beggin’ to meet y’all before you leave next week. I think she’ll be happy as a clam to cross paths tonight.”

Rebecca noticed Paul with his eyes focused on Ted while he spoke and she felt nerves swirling in her stomach. She wanted to get out of there, to get her and Ted out of the house and down to the boardwalk, but her feet were glued to the floor.

“Ted, could I speak to you for a moment?” Paul asked and Rebecca thought she might be sick. Ted pressed a kiss to her cheek before he nodded and followed Paul out onto the balcony and when the door closed, Rebecca tried not to stare.

“Do you know what that’s all about?” She managed to ask.

Deborah stepped up beside Rebecca, her arm sliding up over her shoulder. “No dear, but I’m sure it’s just a friendly conversation, Rebecca. Your father knows how much Ted means to you.” Deborah leaned in and landed a soft kiss on Rebecca's temple. “He means well.”

She watched out the window, studying as much of their body language as she could see from where she stood. It wasn’t until she saw Ted smile and Paul laugh that she felt any sort of relief, the nerves settling down. She had seen her father politely laugh countless times, but it had felt like years since she had seen him laugh like that. They exchanged a simple handshake before they turned back for the door and entered the house again.

“You two should head out,” Paul told them. “We’ll give you a head start so you can hide from us.”

Ted threaded his fingers through Rebecca’s. “Ready to go?” She nodded and they said their goodbyes, making the now-very familiar walk from the houses to the pier like they had so many times before already this summer. And Rebecca knew this could be it, the final time they might make that trek together, so she wanted to savor it. She wanted to know what Ted had discussed with her father, or rather, what sort of warning Paul had given Ted, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Perhaps it would just be better if she never knew.

They followed a small crowd onto the stairs that led up to the boardwalk, still hand in hand, and the pier was the fullest Rebecca had seen it all summer. She stayed close to Ted as they maneuvered through groups of people until they found a clearing just beside a food cart with a fairly short line. “You want a pretzel?” Ted asked and Rebecca nodded, pulling him to the end of the line. “You’re bein’ quiet,” he said to her now. He reached up and pushed a fallen piece of hair away from her forehead, and then his thumb brushed across the apple of her cheek. “Everythin’ alright?”

Rebecca nodded and stepped into him, taking his face in her free hand. She kissed him softly, like he was something precious, and anything harder might shatter him into a million little pieces. And that’s exactly how she saw him, like a truly precious stone that she needed to protect. He could take care of himself, of that, Rebecca was certain, but she still wanted to do it for him. She wanted to alleviate him of the weight, even just for a little while. “Just taking this all in,” she told him quietly.

She briefly found herself wondering if this was how her mother felt about her father when they first met. If she was so completely head over heels in love with him, he was all she thought about. Rebecca wondered if Deborah used to daydream about her future with Paul, if she imagined Rebecca being a part of their lives before she came along. It had never occurred to her to ask, never feeling the need to connect with her that way, especially lately. But now she wondered if this trip had changed things for their family, if time away from their home and their routine had helped them find their way back to solid ground.

Of course, nothing would ever change if her father went back on his word and never told Deborah the truth.

“Two soft pretzels, please,” Ted said to the employee when they reached the front of the line. “And two Diet co*kes.”

Rebecca smiled and leaned on his shoulder, despite how warm it was outside. The sun was already starting to set and it was significantly cooler today than it had been all week, another tell-tale sign that they were one day closer to the end of summer. But as devastated as she was about summer and their trip ending, it was nice not to be covered in a thin layer of sweat just standing in place. When they were given their food and drinks, they stepped away and found a vacant picnic table along the edge of the boardwalk, looking out over the ocean. They sat across from each other and ate as the crowds grew larger and the music grew louder in the distance.

“You’ve looked pretty deep in thought since we left,” Ted pointed out and she felt heat rise in her cheeks.

Rebecca picked at the salt that had fallen from the pretzel and onto the thin paper that had been wrapped around the snack. “Do you ever just have one of those days where you start to overthink absolutely everything?”

Ted let out a low whistle. “More than I’d care to admit,” he told her. “What’re you overthinkin’?”

She exhaled before she explained. “My parents. I realized today that the dynamic between all of us has changed so significantly since we arrived. It hit me so suddenly that they haven’t fought once since we’ve been here, at least not while I’ve been around. And I just hope that it might carry over once we get home, but I worry my father is going to go back on his promise and while I’m away, everything will go right back to how it was. I mean, I’m not sure my parents have shared a dance together since their wedding day and now they’re planning to show up here to dance while some ridiculous cover band plays in the background.”

Rebecca felt like she sounded crazy, but Ted was looking at her intently, his full focus on her. “I think havin’ that fear is natural, but I don’t want you to let it ruin what’s left of your trip. Maybe your parents comin’ down here tonight is the step in the right direction they need to start over.”

“Except my mother doesn’t know what she’s starting over from.”

“Are you sure about that?” Ted asked.

Rebecca stared at him, frozen in place. “What do you mean?”

Ted shrugged and pulled off a piece of pretzel. “I just mean maybe she knows more than she’s lettin’ on. Moms are intuitive, they catch onto everythin’.”

She swallowed hard. “You think she knows?”

“Hey, I don’t know,” Ted said quietly. “I didn’t mean to imply anythin’. I just don’t think you should be carryin’ that weight around. You can’t control what either of them do, baby.”

Rebecca let out a deep sigh. “You’re right. I’ve just always wished things could be different.”

“Maybe this is what’ll change everythin’.”

She couldn’t help but feel a bit skeptical at what Ted was proposing, but there was a tiny glimmer of hope that had lodged itself into the depths of her heart. An image flashed in her mind of her parents, older and grayer, back in Myrtle Beach with Rebecca but they weren’t alone. Little flashes of blonde and brunette rushed past them as they strolled barefoot in the sand, laughter enveloping them like warmth from the afternoon sun.

“Hello sweet children,” Maggie greeted and Rebecca lost the image she had conjured up. “Rebecca, you look just darling tonight.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you, Maggie.”

Maggie landed a kiss on the top of Ted’s head. “You better save a dance for your mama tonight.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied. “Did you eat already?”

She shook her head. “I’m on my way to get a giant corn dog. And some french fries. Plus at least two fresh squeezed lemonades.”

Ted looked at Rebecca. “Mama loves her lemonade, but only if it’s fresh. She can’t stand that stuff made from powder. Just don’t ever ask her about the time her favorite child choked on a lemon seed when she made her own at home.”

“You’re gonna be tellin’ your own kids that story one day, aren’t you?”

Ted smiled. “Yes ma’am, I will. They’ll know all your best tales.”

Maggie kissed them both on their cheeks before she said goodbye. “I’ll see you kids later. Be safe, I love you.” She disappeared into the crowd and Rebecca found Ted’s gaze focused on her.

“What?” She asked, sipping her soda.

“I’m wonderin’ how much longer before you ask me about what your dad said to me,” Ted told her, a soft smile on his face. “I thought it woulda come up by now.”

Rebecca bit her lip and ducked her head down. “I didn’t think it was any of my business.”

“I would’ve given you an explanation if I wasn’t comfortable sharin’ with you,” he said. “But it wasn’t anythin’ bad, I’ll swear on that.”

She nodded. “I believe you. I just didn’t think I wanted to know what he might have said.”

Ted nodded now and reached his hand out to cover hers. “If you ever wanna know, just say the word. And if you want me to keep it quiet, I can do that too.”

“It’ll only be for a few more days,” she said softly. “Then it won’t even matter.”

He squeezed her hand. “Anythin’ regardin’ you will always matter to me. But tonight let's not worry about next week. Let’s just worry about us, right here and now.”

Rebecca smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

They finished their food and then joined the crowd, moving closer to the stage where the music was in full swing. The louder the band got, the more relaxed Rebecca was. The feel of the drum in her chest was soothing, comforting, and it was just another part of her summer she wished she could bottle up and carry with her to open when times get tough. It was a little snippet she’d look back on when her time at Uni was feeling like it was too much.

Ted slipped his hand back into hers and pulled her in, his lips up against her ear. “You wanna dance?”

Rebecca smiled and turned around to face him. The music was faster than they could slow dance to, but she and Ted made it work until the band transitioned into something much slower. Their stance changed, bodies moving closer until her head rested comfortably on his shoulder. When she closed her eyes, it almost felt like they were the only two here with the band.

“I love you,” Ted whispered. “And I hope you know nothin’s ever gonna change that.”

It brought tears to her eyes hearing him say it, even if it was a truth she had known for a while now. And the truth was the same for her. No matter who came along after Ted, no matter what path their lives took, she was always going to love Ted, and she was so thankful he was the first she could share this love with.

Even if, somewhere down the road, he wasn’t the last.

“Will you tell me what he said?” She asked softly.

Without even seeing Ted’s face, she could tell he was smiling. “He wanted to thank me for lovin’ you and bein’ so good to you. He said he knew you were dreadin’ this trip, and he was worried you were gonna have a terrible time. But he can see how much you’ve enjoyed your summer and he just wanted to make sure I knew how appreciative both him and your mama are that you had someone to spend time with here.”

The tears in her eyes returned and she hugged Ted tighter to her body. It was of course something she had expressed to Ted herself, but she had never imagined her father pointing it out, and especially not to Ted himself. “He loves you, Rebecca, and I want you to always remember that. Even when those memories haunt you, that love is still there.”

That last sentence sounded like a reminder for him as much as it was for her. “I know,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t need to thank me for anythin’.”

Rebecca leaned back so she could look him in the eye. “Ted, you changed my life this summer. And maybe that sounds bloody insane because we’re eighteen and we both have so much life ahead of us. But I’m never going to forget you. I’m going to tell my children and my grandchildren about you. I’m going to compare every future boyfriend to you because I won’t be able to help it. Those pictures we’ve taken all summer will always be somewhere close to me. No matter what comes next, you will always have a place in my heart.”

Ted leaned in to kiss her, their bodies still swaying to the music. She got lost in the moment, in the sound of the song coming from the speakers and the feel of Ted’s lips pressed against hers. It was magical and sacred, and the pull in her chest was hard to ignore. But she pushed it away when Ted ended their kiss, pressing a gentle one to the tip of her nose.

A tap on her left shoulder startled them both and when she turned around, she saw her father standing there. “Mind if I cut in?”

Ted kissed her cheek and stepped away over to where she now saw Maggie was standing with a small group of women. She fell into a familiar stance with her father as yet another slow song played. Rebecca stepped closer to him, resting her cheek against his chest. And when he dropped a kiss to the crown of her head, she let her eyes slip closed.

“I love you,” she breathed, and it felt like another piece of her was slowly healing over.

“I love you too, sweet pea.”

They danced in time with the music, the slow melody calming the longer they moved together. She briefly opened her eyes and saw Ted and Maggie, both laughing at something said between them. And then she saw her own mother standing just outside of the makeshift dance floor, a wide smile on her face. Rebecca couldn’t really remember the last time she had seen her mother smile like that, but it was becoming more common during their time away from home.

Her mother was truly beautiful when she wore such a genuine smile.

“Did you tell her?” Rebecca asked quietly and she wasn’t even sure if her father could hear her.

“I did,” he answered just as softly. “Well, she confronted me about it and I told her it was true.”

Rebecca finally peeked up at him. “Does she know I know?” A beat, and then, “Does she hate you?”

He nodded and then shook his head. “I don’t think she hates me, no, but we have some things to work on when we get back home. As for you knowing, I think she had put the pieces together to figure it out. And before you ask, she is not mad at you. In fact, she’s proud of you for saying something. We both are.”

She exhaled, letting go of a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. “Honestly, I’m not sure I would have said anything if it weren’t for Ted.” Her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry I told him.”

Paul smiled at her. “Don’t apologize. I sort of assumed you had, my dear.”

“You should go dance with her.”

Paul pressed a kiss to her forehead before they separated and he walked over to where Deborah was standing. Rebecca watched as he offered out his hand and she quickly accepted before they joined the couples on the outskirts of the dance floor. They slowly danced even when the tempo changed again and the music grew louder. She watched her mother laugh at something her father whispered in her ear and for the first time in years, it filled her with relief. Nothing was ever going to erase the past, and there were still plenty of hurdles for them all to jump over, but it truly felt like this was a step in the right direction.

Arms wrapped around her waist and a chin hooked around her shoulder. She settled back into him and covered his hands with her own. She breathed him in, the scent of sunscreen and something woodsy from his cologne, and she took in the weight of the whole moment. It was a memory she knew she could always look back on, even thirty years down the road.

“They look happy,” Ted whispered.

Rebecca nodded. “They do, don’t they?”

“You think that could be us one day?”

She turned around in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck. “I’d like to think so,” she told him. “Although we could probably do without the whole cheating thing.”

Ted smiled and leaned in to kiss her. “Yeah, I don’t think we’re gonna have a problem there.”

Rebecca reached up to push a fallen hair back from his face. “I love you, Theodore Lasso.”

“I love you too, Rebecca Welton,” he replied. “I think I will forever.”

“Forever,” she repeated. “I like the way that sounds.”

He leaned in, a smile on his face as he kissed her forehead. “Me too.”

August 23rd

“Thank you so much for having us over,” Maggie said, a glass of wine in her hand. “I would have loved to have hosted y’all at our place but that poor house has seen better days.”

All five of them sat around the large dining table in the beach house Rebecca had called home for the last three months. They were set to leave in two days, so Deborah had suggested a dinner with both Ted and Maggie before they said their final goodbyes. Rebecca was still trying to figure out if this was a good idea or a bad one.

Right now, with Ted’s hand warm and heavy on her thigh under the table, it felt like a good idea.

Later, after they’d say goodnight and she’d hug Maggie for what could be the last time, it would feel like a bad idea.

But she quickly pushed that thought away.

Rebecca was used to dinner parties with her parents, the kitchen and dining room filled with a catering team and people she really didn’t know very well. But this was different, and perhaps had become her favorite kind of dinner party. Their food had been delivered by a boy not much older than her and Ted, and the table was covered with pizza boxes and styrofoam containers once filled with salads. Maggie had brought lemon bars for dessert and a bottle of wine for her and Deborah to share.

“Oh please, if there’s one thing Paul and I do well, it’s host a dinner party,” Deborah told them. “Plus I think it’s nice for us all to get this time together.”

Ted squeezed around Rebecca’s thigh. “It’s gonna be so weird not havin’ y’all a few houses down anymore.”

Paul reached for his own drink. “When do you return to Kansas?”

“Not until the end of September,” Maggie answered. “With Ted not starting college until next year, we have some extra time to stay and help out here before Henry’s parents are completely settled. Plus, there’s still a lot to do to get the house ready to sell.”

Rebecca couldn’t imagine another family moving into that house and making their own memories. And what seemed worse was the idea of multiple families just coming and going, never truly making it their own.

But maybe, she thought, they would end up with the same luck she had had, making memories she knew she’d hold onto forever.

She just wished they could do it in a house that wasn’t so important to Ted, one that held so many of his own memories.

“Ted, have you thought about what you plan to study at Uni?” Deborah asked.

“Right now I’m leanin’ towards sports management,” he answered. “But I’m still keepin’ my options open in case I find somethin’ more appealin’. I heard Wichita State has a really great ballroom dancin’ program.”

Rebecca had never heard her mother snort in laughter before tonight.

Paul leaned forward in his seat when the laughter died down. “I know we’ve discussed the club, so if you ever find yourself needing some hands-on experience, or even just a change in scenery, you feel free to reach out. I’d be more than happy to help in any way I can,” Paul told him. “I don’t have quite as many American contacts, but I could certainly ask around.”

“Thank you, Paul. I will keep that in mind.”

Maggie smiled. “Rebecca dear, you’re planning to pursue teaching, correct?”

Rebecca nodded. “I am. I’d love to focus on early education, but I won’t be picky when the time comes.”

“She’s wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember,” Deborah mused. “While every other little girl at her age was hosting tea parties with their dolls, Rebecca was hosting lectures for hers. I swear we had the most well-educated collection of dolls in the entire neighborhood.”

Rebecca smiled, her cheeks flushing with heat. “It just seemed like a better use of my time. Plus, it helped me work on my spelling and maths.”

“Well, I hope you both get to fulfill those dreams,” Maggie said.

Rebecca didn’t want to admit out loud that at this point, her biggest dream was simply Ted. Anything else would just be an added bonus.

Ted squeezed her leg again and it pulled her attention back. “We should get outta here if we wanna catch the sunset.”

She nodded. “Yes please.”

“The back door’s unlocked,” Maggie told them. “Please be careful up there.”

Rebecca grabbed her bag and they said their goodbyes before they left the house and made their way down to his grandparents’ place. They kept their fingers threaded together as they walked around to the back door, slipping in and making their way up to the top floor. He let her lead them up the staircase towards the spare bedroom, where the only window opened up onto a little balcony that looked out over the ocean. The sun would set behind them, but the sky was already very slowly starting to change color as they settled in together, a bright shade of blue beginning a descent into a deep navy. Rebecca loved watching the way the moon and stars shined in the night sky and reflected off the slow-rolling waves, but right now she was mesmerized by the beginning stages of its transition into a soft shade of lavender.

“You know, before this summer, I can’t remember the last time I watched a sunset,” Rebecca admitted softly as she nestled herself into Ted’s arms, her back flush against his chest.

She smiled when he hooked his chin over her shoulder and his hands clasped together to rest against her stomach. “I used to watch ‘em a lot in Kansas, especially after my dad died. It was one of the only things that still felt good to do once he was gone, and the way the skies looked always brought a smile to my face, even through all the hurt. But now,” he paused to land a light kiss to her cheek. “Now they’re always gonna remind me of you and this summer. And every time I look up at the purples and the pinks and oranges in the sky, I’m gonna think about how it felt to hold you in my arms.”

Tears fell from her eyes before she had a chance to try and hold them in, and when she reached up to wipe them away, Ted kissed her temple. “I wish we could stay here,” she whispered. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to return home and go back to normal after this.”

“But nothin’ has to go back to normal, baby,” he said quietly. “You’re workin’ on stuff with your dad and your mama and you’re startin’ school in just a few weeks. You’ve got a fresh start ahead, you don’t gotta go back to how things were.”

“Except I have to do all of that without you,” she replied.

Ted dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “Honey, I don’t know how to break it to you, but you ain’t ever gonna be without me again unless you ask for it. We’re gonna write to each other and eventually I’m sure they’re gonna invent easier ways for us to communicate across the pond. We’ve just gotta be patient.”

She smiled. “I promise I do not want to be without you. But it would be nice if you weren’t going to be 4,438 miles away.”

“That’s a pretty exact number.”

Rebecca huffed. “I found an old atlas in the library in the house, and I was curious.”

She could tell Ted was smiling against her. “That doesn’t seem like too far of a flight.”

“The flight here was very f*cking boring and that wasn’t even as long as one to Kansas,” she replied. “Not to be too blunt.”

Ted’s laughter vibrated through her as he rested his chin against her shoulder again. “You should be blunt. Flyin’ sucks anyways, no matter how far you’re goin’.”

“How did I not know you hate flying?”

He shrugged. “None of our dates ever involved flyin’ so I guess it never came up.”

Rebecca frowned. “Will you be okay when you return home?”

“Oh yeah,” Ted answered. “Mama and I are doin’ a three day drive, findin’ some cool places to stop on our way. She wants to spend some time in Nashville so that should be fun.”

They settled into a comfortable silence again, watching as the sky made its transition into deep blue. Stripes of purple and pink faded and gave way to the familiar shade of navy, specks of silver starting to peek through. And she knew that no matter how many sunrises and sunsets she watched when she returned to London, they would never feel as magical as this. A breeze swept over them and sent a chill down her spine, causing her to shiver in Ted’s arms. “You wanna head inside?”

Rebecca shook her head. “No, not yet,” she whispered. “Just a little while longer.”

It only grew colder as more time passed, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. Because if she moved, Ted would insist on walking her home and kissing her goodnight on the front steps. He’d return home and she’d have to spend the rest of the evening alone, staring at the ceiling, knowing that in just two days, she would be back in her own bed in London. And as much as she was looking forward to starting Uni and living with Sassy, she couldn’t quite fathom the idea that she wouldn’t see Ted nearly every day.

She really couldn’t fathom the idea that she might just never see him again at all.

“Baby,” he said, his voice soft. “C’mon, let me get you inside. We can watch a movie before I take you home.”

Rebecca gave in and they carefully made their way back inside and down to the family room. Ted stopped in the kitchen to make popcorn and grab them some sodas while Rebecca curled up on the couch, pulling a blanket over her. She listened to him moving around, the sound of popping corns and cabinets opening and closing while he finished preparing their snacks.

It gave her another glimpse into a future she so desperately wanted, where their movie nights included more than just them. Little muffled giggles that rang out from oversized piles of blankets on the couch. Instead of one bowl of popcorn, there were multiples, along with different candies and drinks. An animated movie played on television that only one little face seemed to be paying attention to.

Ted falling onto the cushions beside her interrupted her thoughts and he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Feelin’ warm enough now?”

She nodded. “Thank you. And thank you for making the popcorn.”

“Well, you can’t really watch a movie without some popcorn, can you?” He asked, leaning forward to grab the remote. “What kind of movie are you in the mood for?”

Rebecca shrugged. “Anything really.”

After some channel surfing, they settled on Sixteen Candles and Rebecca wasted no time curling herself up against Ted. They watched quietly, sharing popcorn until the bowl was empty, and when the back door opened, Rebecca felt herself deflate. She loved Maggie, but her being home meant that Rebecca would have to head back soon.

“Hey kids,” she greeted. “I’m heading upstairs, you two behave. Teddy, make sure everythin’ gets locked before you go to bed please.”

Ted nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

Maggie dropped kisses to both of their heads from where she stood behind the couch. “Love you both,” she said softly. “Rebecca, you make sure I see you before you leave us. You’re not gettin’ out of here without a final hug. And probably a few tears.”

“I promise,” Rebecca said through a laugh. “Goodnight, Maggie.”

Maggie disappeared and Ted and Rebecca finished their movie before she realized she really did need to get home. They walked down the sidewalk hand in hand, so many unspoken words hanging between them. She considered begging Ted to come to London for school, making a promise they could build a life together. For a solid sixty seconds, she thought about losing her passport, tossing it out into the ocean so she couldn’t return home with her parents. But she knew none of it was an option, that those were the kinds of things that only happened in movies or books.

This was real life and she just had to accept that.

Ted stopped them at the doorstep, the harsh light of the front porch illuminating his every feature. She saw the freckles that adorned his face, and the swirls of gold that wove through his irises. She could tell he was lost in thought, so she reached up to trace his jawline, running a fingertip over his bottom lip in an effort to make him smile. “What are you thinking about, love?” she asked quietly.

“I was wonderin’ how upset you’d be with me if I snuck in and stole your passport,” he answered honestly and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Because I’m havin’ a real hard time wrappin’ my head around the fact that 48 hours from now, you’ll be gone.”

“We still have tomorrow,” she whispered. “One final day to spend every single minute together. We’ll fit as much into one day as we can and it will be a perfect farewell.”

Ted smiled. “A perfect farewell would be no farewell, but I know what you mean. Hey, you wanna meet me for the sunrise tomorrow? We can start our day on the beach and then go for one last round of pancakes.”

Rebecca nodded and leaned in to kiss him. “That sounds perfect.” Ted brushed her hair from her face and kissed her again before she pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Goodnight, Ted Lasso.”

“Sleep tight, Rebecca Welton,” he replied. “I love you.”

Butterflies fluttered in her chest and she’d never get tired of feeling this way about him. “I love you too.”

She watched him walk back down the sidewalk before she closed and locked the door and started up the stairs to her room when a soft voice stopped her.

“Sausage?”

Rebecca turned to face her mother, who had her robe pulled tight around her, and she could tell she had been up waiting on her. “Hi mum, sorry for being so late.”

Deborah smiled and shook her head. “It’s alright dear. Are you okay?”

Rebecca nodded, even if it felt like a lie. “Do you think things will be different when we get home?”

“I think so,” her mother answered. “I’d like to believe this trip has changed us all for the better. But we won’t know until we get there.”

“I’m sorry,” Rebecca whispered quickly. “I shouldn’t have kept Dad’s secret from you.”

Deborah’s face softened and she opened her arms for Rebecca to step into. “Oh my dear, you have nothing to apologize for. That never should have been your secret to keep. You were only sixteen and he acted recklessly. But we’re going to be okay, I promise you that.”

Rebecca smiled and hugged Deborah tight. “I love you, mum.”

“I love you too, Sausage.”

She laughed into her mother’s shoulder. “I’m never going to grow out of that nickname, am I?”

Deborah smiled as she pulled back. “I’m afraid not, my dear.”

By the time she crawled into bed, she felt exhausted but hopeful about whatever her next chapter was going to be. She never could have imagined that this trip would have changed her life so much, but she should have known it would happen when she least expected it. This house and this city would now always hold a permanent place in her heart and she knew she’d come back to visit in the future. Her last thought as she drifted to sleep was of Ted, in the bed beside her, surrounded by little ones who all appeared to be sound asleep.

And all she could do was hope and pray that one day that dream might become her reality.

August 24th

“You’re not going to make it.”

Ted turned to look at her, a bright smile on his face. “What makes you say that?”

Rebecca pointed up towards a sign where the rules were explained. “Because no one can make twenty baskets in thirty seconds! That’s impossible. And that’s why they have so many of those big stuffies left, because their game is unbeatable.”

He leaned in to kiss her temple. “Someone’s a little bit pessimistic today,” he said in a whisper.

“I am not,” she protested. But she knew it was a lie and that Ted was right. She wanted to be happy today, on her last full day in Myrtle Beach. But her mind kept fast-forwarding in time to the part where they’d have to say goodbye. The part where she’d hold onto him for as long as she could and she’d cry tears that she had been pushing away for days now.

“Alright look, if I win, you get to pick any of those stuffed animals you want and it’s yours,” Ted told her and she smiled. “And if I lose, you get to choose what we do next.”

Rebecca leaned her hip against the counter that separated them from the basketball hoops. “So either way, I win.”

He shook his head and handed over a $5 bill to the older gentleman running the booth. “The way I see it is that we’d both win, no matter the outcome.” A horn sounded and Ted took the first basketball in his hands, shooting towards the hoop in a continuous rhythm as the clock counted down. He moved through the same motions repetitiously and quickly, the number of baskets increasing while the clock decreased. And of course she should have known he was good at this too. Ted Lasso was apparently good at everything. When the clock finally hit zero, Ted’s score was 22, and Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh. He had barely even broken a sweat.

“Alright kids, you can have your pick of anything here,” the old man gestured to the wall of stuffed animals. “Take two for all I care,” he added softly.

“What’ll it be, Miss Welton?” Ted asked and there was a confidence in his voice that bordered on co*cky. She had to admit, it sounded good on him. “Another turtle? A dolphin?”

She shook her head and looked over the entire wall, waiting for the answer to jump out at her. There were stuffies of all sizes, ones that could fit in your pocket all the way up to ones that would need to be strapped in beneath a seatbelt. But then she spotted it, tucked in the corner beside a tiger, soft brown fur poking out. “The lion in the back.”

The old man stared at her. “Out of everything here, you want that little lion?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yes please.”

He pulled the lion from the wall and handed it over, along with the stuffed moose Ted chose for himself. They walked away from the booth hand in hand, the lion pressed close to her chest. “You seemed pretty excited about that little guy,” Ted pointed out.

“I’ve named him Theodore,” she told him. “Because as you might remember, lions symbolize courage and strength and so now every time I see him, it’ll remind me of you.” Ted let go of her hand and curled his arm around her shoulders to pull her in, landing a kiss on top of her head.

“I love you,” he whispered and she could hear tears in his voice.

Rebecca smiled as she stayed tucked into his side while they walked down the boardwalk. It was overcast today, and humid, the smell of rain in the air. They were expecting storms after dark, so Ted and Rebecca were trying to fit in as much as they could before they got stuck inside for the night.

“You wanna grab some pizza for lunch?” Ted asked before he kissed her temple. “Or somethin’ else?”

Rebecca nodded slowly. “Pizza sounds great. Plus it’s right next to the ice cream place,” she added with a smile.

He laughed and kissed her again. “Pizza and ice cream it is, then.”

“Are you going to agree to anything I ask for because you’re sad I’m leaving tomorrow?” she asked with a soft smirk on her lips.

“Hell yeah I am.”

She stopped walking and tugged him into her, their chests bumping together and knocking a giggle loose from inside of her. “Then kiss me.”

Ted smiled at her and tucked his fingers into her hair to pull her closer. “Yes ma’am.”

His kiss was soft and sweet, and she could still taste the strawberries from breakfast on him. Kissing Ted was hypnotizing, and it made her feel dizzy. The way his hands and his hips and his tongue all worked together to create a perfect harmony between their bodies. It was addictive the way they fit together, as if they were made for each other and no one else.

It killed her knowing that tomorrow could be it for them.

Ted licked into her mouth like he could hear her thoughts and he was trying to stop them. The sensation was enough to make one of her knees give out and she faltered, leaving Ted smiling against her lips. “You good?” he mumbled.

She pushed on his chest while he laughed. “f*ck off.”

“Come on,” he said while he threw his arm over her shoulders. His fingers brushed against her bare skin, leaving little goosebumps in their wake. “Let’s go eat.”

Rebecca held her stuffed lion close to her chest as they crossed the boardwalk slowly, neither of them in much of a rush. They passed storefronts that Rebecca had come to recognize and love and she even stopped to sniff the sunflower bouquets one final time. When she pulled away, Ted stopped her. “Hold on, you got one of your cameras?”

She nodded and pulled the disposable from her bag, the last camera she had to use up. “Here.”

“Go back over there,” he instructed. “Do that again.”

“So bossy,” she mumbled before she smiled and tucked her nose into the sunflower petals again. She took in one more deep breath when she heard the ‘click’ of the shutter and the quick flash of light went off. When she stepped back, Ted wore a look on his face that she didn’t recognize. “What’s wrong?”

“Just a shame I’m not gonna be able to see how that one turns out.”

She took the camera back and dropped it into her bag. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll mail you a copy when I get this developed.”

“You will?”

“Of course I will. I promise you are going to have a very difficult time trying to get rid of me, even when there’s an entire ocean between us,” Rebecca told him.

Ted smiled at her. “I can’t imagine a time I’d ever think about gettin’ rid of you, Rebecca.”

She covered his lips with her finger. “Save the emotional stuff for later please. I cannot cry right now.”

He kissed her fingertip. “Yes ma’am.”

They made their way down the rest of the boardwalk to the small pizza place she and Ted had frequented for most of the summer. Ted placed their order while Rebecca found them an empty booth to sit in. When he joined her, he landed a kiss to her cheek before he slid into the seat across from her. “Are you gettin’ excited about school?”

Rebecca sighed. “Yes and no. I’m excited to get started on this journey but I worry about the curriculum. I think it’s going to be very grueling and time consuming.”

The waitress dropped their drinks at the table, along with plates, napkins, and silverware. “Thank ya,” Ted said before she walked away. “How many years are you lookin’ at?”

“Six, I think,” she told him. “Five if I can get into an accelerated program and work my arse off. And I know in the end it’ll be worth it but right now it’s very daunting.” When she looked up, he was smiling at her. “What?”

He shrugged his shoulders and stuck his straw in his Coca Cola. “Just thinkin’ about you as a teacher. I wish I would’ve had a teacher even half as hot as you in school.”

Rebecca giggled and threw her straw wrapper across the table at him. “You’re ridiculous. And you are a perfect example of why I will not be teaching teenagers, thank you very much.”

Ted was laughing now, head thrown back as the sound drifted out of him. She wished she could find a way to bottle it up, to pack it away in her suitcase so she could have it with her back home. Home, she thought.

Could home be a place and a person?

“Here you go, kids,” their waitress said. “Enjoy.” She slid their pizza onto the tabletop and then walked away.

Ted used the spatula to transfer a large slice of pepperoni and onion onto a plate and handed it to Rebecca. “Ladies first.”

She accepted the plate and let the piece cool while Ted prepared his own plate. “You’re gonna be great, y’know?” he said while he lowered the plate in front of him. “At teachin’, at bein’ a wife and a mother. You’re incredible, Rebecca, and you’ll get your incredible life too.”

“f*ck,” she whispered, wiping quickly at the tears that decided to betray her and slip down her cheeks. “I said no emotions right now, Ted.”

He held up his arms in defense. “Sorry, I’m sorry. I guess I just got a lot I wanna say.”

“Well, write it down for later then,” she teased. “Don’t make me cry all over the pizza.”

Ted patted himself down, over his chest, his stomach, and down to the pockets of his khaki shorts before he exhaled in defeat. “Well shoot, I don’t have a pen on me.”

Rebecca smiled and shook her head before she took a bite of pizza. “How do you feel about school?”

“I wish I was startin’ in two weeks instead of five months, but it’s my own fault,” Ted answered while he wiped the grease from his fingers in his napkin. “I wasted too much time puttin’ off those applications and now I’m payin’ the price.”

“It’s too bad you can’t come to London for a few months,” she said casually. “It would be like a study abroad program just without the academics.”

Ted smiled at her with bright eyes. “Now there’s an idea.”

Rebecca swatted at him. “You can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because your mum needs you, remember?” she said easily. “And your grandparents. Plus if you come to London I’d never get any studying done and do you want to be the one responsible for my failing and thus not becoming a teacher?”

His mouth hung open for a minute. “That’s not very nice.”

Rebecca giggled and sipped her drink. “But you know I’m right.”

“Actually if we’re bein’ honest, I’m worried I wouldn’t wanna leave,” he said quietly. “Tomorrow’s already gonna be hard enough.”

“Ted,” she whispered. “Now I just want to hide you in my suitcase. I’ll leave all of my belongings behind.”

Ted laughed and took another bite of pizza. “I won’t let you do that.”

Rebecca sighed and mirrored his movements. She chewed slowly before she spoke again. “Promise me this isn’t the end,” she said so gently she barely even heard herself.

He reached across the table to take her hand in his. Fingers slick with grease, they tangled together before Ted squeezed. “I promise you this ain’t the end, baby.”

She cataloged those words deep in her heart so at the very least, she could carry that promise with her forever.

**********

She was falling in and out of sleep, Ted’s fingers pulling slowly through the strands of her hair. Her cheek was pressed to his chest while they laid on the couch, his heartbeat beneath her ear. The steady thump beat in time with the rain falling outside, a light pitter patter on the rooftop. It had slowed significantly since they had dinner together only an hour ago. Rebecca felt content like this, all wrapped up in Ted, like they were the only two people left on Earth.

Of course that wasn’t true, as her parents were set up at the dining room table, playing some sort of card game. The room was filled with their laughter, most of it coming from Deborah, but occasionally, Paul’s echoed out louder and it warmed Rebecca from the inside out. Before this summer, or rather, the last few weeks, she couldn’t remember when she had last heard her father truly laugh.

Her eyes slipped closed as the movie they were watching faded to a commercial and she felt Ted’s lips pressed to her hair. “You don’t gotta stay up,” he told her. “It’s pretty late anyways.”

“No,” she whispered, a bit slurred with sleep. “I’m okay.”

He huffed out a laugh above her. “I gotta get goin’ too, honeybunch.”

Rebecca whined and tightened her arm around him. “No.”

“Baby, it’s almost midnight.”

“And it’s raining.”

“It’s not that far, I’ll run.”

“You can’t run in the rain, that’s dangerous.”

“Ted?”

Rebecca’s eyes shot open at the sound of her mother’s voice. “If your mother’s okay with it, why don’t you stay here tonight? We’ll be leaving early in the morning but I gather you were going to be there to see us off anyways.”

Her cheeks flushed pink against the fabric of his shirt. “Yeah, thank you, Deborah. I’ll just call her real quick.”

“The phone’s in the kitchen, dear.”

Ted moved from beneath her and headed into the kitchen to call Maggie while Rebecca sat up and adjusted her eyes to the light. She could hear Ted’s half of the conversation as she stood up to approach her parents. She hugged her father first, whispering ‘thank you’ and ‘I love you’ before she moved over to her mother, repeating the same words when Ted hung up the phone.

“Mama Lasso is on board,” Ted said as he joined them all near the table. “But she said y’all are not allowed to leave without sayin’ goodbye.”

Deborah crossed an ‘X’ over her heart. “We promise.”

Rebecca leaned into Ted’s side, yawning while she rested momentarily on his shoulder. “We’re going to go up then,” she said quietly. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

Ted followed Rebecca up the stairs to the top floor where Rebecca went through an abridged version of her nightly routine before she settled beside Ted in the queen bed she had been using all summer. Emotions rose in her throat and she swallowed them back, her desperate attempt to keep the tears at bay for a little while longer. A betraying hiccup caught in her chest and gave her away.

“Hey,” Ted soothed. “I’ve got ya, I’m right here.”

Rebecca let the sob rip through her now, tears falling quickly and freely while she cried against Ted. She had bottled up so many emotions about this specific moment, this final night in a place that had completely changed her life. And while she hadn’t anticipated spending this last night with Ted beside her, she was glad she wasn’t alone.

“Let it out, baby, it’s okay.” His voice was muffled against her hair.

Her body shook gently until she finally calmed down, until the tears subsided and she could breathe without a hiccup. She wiped beneath her eyes and across her nose, laughing lightly. “I’m such a mess.”

Ted dropped a kiss to her hair. “Nothin’ wrong with havin’ emotions, Rebecca. It just means you’re human.”

She let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Please stop apologizin’,” he whispered back. “You’re actin’ like it’s some sorta hardship to sit here and hold ya. And I’ve got some news for you, sweetheart. I don’t mind one bit.”

Rebecca pressed a kiss through the fabric of his shirt, right along his collarbone. “Thank you,” she breathed.

They burrowed themselves deeper into the mattress, each turned on their sides so they could face one another. She reached out and traced a finger over his lips and when they curved upward into a smile, she poked each dimple gently. Her touch memorized each of his features, the lines at his eyes, the curve of his lips, the freckles peppered across the bridge of his nose. She memorized the soft hazel color that stared back at her, the fallen chestnut brown locks that sat against his forehead. Her mind memorized the sound of his breathing, the steady ‘thump’ of his heart as her fingertips ghosted over his chest. Each little piece of Ted had its own place within the walls of her heart, a place she swore to keep them safe for the rest of her life.

And if one day, she got to replace those pieces with a new version, she would consider herself lucky.

“What’s goin’ on in there?” Ted asked as he tapped against her temple. “You’re thinkin’ pretty hard.”

“Just memorizing you,” she whispered. She pushed the hair back from his face. “I don’t know if you know this, but you, Theodore Lasso, are quite handsome.”

In just the moonlight filtering into the room, she watched his cheeks flush pink. “That’s awfully kind of ya.”

Rebecca kissed the apple of his cheek. “I’d even say you’re beautiful, love.”

The shade of pink darkened on his tanned skin. “Now you’re gettin’ carried away,” he said sheepishly.

She shook her head against her pillow. “No sir. I’d say you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever met.”

“You haven’t met too many men, have ya?” he teased and she swatted at his chest. “C’mon there ain’t no way you mean that when you’re probably livin’ down the street from a couple of princes.”

Rebecca laughed now, the sound vibrating in her chest. “Do you think England ust has an abundance of royals on every corner?”

He smiled at her. “It’d be pretty cool if ya did, don’t ya think?”

“Ted, the Royal Family has their own, very private housing and it is nowhere near the rest of the world,” Rebecca told him. “I can assure you the only people that live down the street from me are doctors and lawyers. Perhaps a few Uni professors.”

Ted frowned at her. “Well that’s disappointin’.”

She brushed a thumb against his down-turned lips. “How about I promise to take you near Buckingham Palace when you come visit me someday?”

“Oh that’d be fun,” he told her. “You can be my personal tour guide.”

“Well I owe you for this summer,” she said softly.

His eyes softened at her words and she wondered what he was thinking about. She thought maybe she’d like to know every thought he was having, good or bad. “This summer was no problem,” he said, his finger curling a piece of hair around to the knuckle. “And certainly will be one I’ll never forget.”

Rebecca smiled at him. “Neither will I.”

Ted kissed the tip of her nose. “You should try sleepin’,” he whispered. “You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

She nodded and sighed, scooting closer so their bodies could tangle together. Ankles locked, legs and arms twisted and wrapped up like growing ivy. Her face pressed into the juncture where his neck and shoulder met and she inhaled until the intoxicating smell of him filled her senses. It was calming, just like lavender, and it immediately reminded her of home. The purple sprigs that bloomed every spring in her grandmother’s garden, the stems she would choose to bring home on Sunday afternoons. They would sit in a vase beside her bed, so close to where she would lay her head before she fell asleep.

This version of lavender was so much better.

Rebecca fell asleep listening to and feeling Ted’s heartbeat. And she dreamt of a future, their future, one that consisted of kids running around and exhausting them. She saw herself with two little girls in her lap while their son followed Ted around closely. The five of them on the beach at sunset, toes buried in the sand as colors of the sky slowly faded to darkness.

The idea filled her with so much joy and when she woke, she did so with a smile and a light feeling.

Until she remembered that in just a few hours, she would be on her way back home.

August 25th

Ted’s thumb brushed back and forth over the skin at her lower back where her shirt had slid up. Neither of them had tried to move, and she was soaking in every last second of their time together. “What time do y’all have to get goin’?” he asked.

Rebecca peeked up at the alarm clock on the table, bright red numbers staring back at her. “A little over an hour,” she said with a sigh. “I have to change and finish packing my things.”

“I’ll help,” he said quietly. “I’m here anyways, might as well make myself useful.”

She smiled and pressed her nose deeper. “You’re always useful. For instance, you make an excellent pillow.”

His chest shook with laughter. “Well that’s a compliment I’ve never heard before.”

“Don’t forget it,” she told him. “But don’t let just anyone use you as a pillow. Only the best should get that privilege.”

Ted shifted now so that he was towering over her, his hands on either side of her head. “So what you’re sayin’ is that only you should be usin’ me like that,” he commented before he dipped down to kiss her.

Rebecca smiled against his lips. “Perhaps.”

His kiss grew deeper, harder, and she slipped her fingers up into his hair. This was going to be trouble, kissing him like this when she was on a time crunch, but right now she didn’t care. The jet wouldn’t leave without them and her parents wouldn’t just leave her behind.

Ted’s hands slid up underneath the thin fabric of the tee she was wearing and the way his touch felt against her skin was euphoric. She wished there was a way she could bottle it up, only to open it up again when she really missed him and she needed to feel him. Which, if she was being honest, would be more often than not.

“Ted,” she whimpered as his hand slid higher and his lips traced along the column of her throat. “We can’t get carried away.”

“I know,” he breathed against her skin. “I’ve just been dyin’ to spend another mornin’ like this with you.”

So she let him go. She let his hands and lips roam, letting the noises slip from her mouth. She let her body react to him naturally, back arching and hips shifting beneath him. It wouldn’t go further than this, not with the clock ticking and her parents downstairs, so she enjoyed the moment for what it was.

Because she knew damn well it would be a long time before she let anyone else touch her like this again.

Ted finally stopped when he rested his head carefully against her chest. His ear pressed over her heart and she wondered just how unruly her heartbeat sounded to him. They laid together in the quiet for another minute before Ted moved first. “Come on, let’s get you ready, baby.”

Rebecca slipped into the adjoining bathroom to change and gather the last of her toiletries after using them. When she returned, she found Ted flipping through her torn and tattered copy of A Wrinkle in Time. “You should take it,” she told him as she folded the clothes she had slept in.

Ted shook his head quickly. “No, I can’t do that.”

She smiled. “Ted, please. I’ve got another copy at home anyways. Take it, I insist.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

Rebecca nodded. “I’m very sure.”

She finished packing, the Wichita State shirt folded on the top, and then Ted carried her bags down to the main floor despite her protests. When they reached the final step, she noticed Maggie and Deborah gathered in front of a plain white box while Paul sat at the end of the counter, sipping his coffee quietly, an empty plate in front of him.

“Good morning,” Deborah greeted. “You’ve packed up all of your things?”

Rebecca nodded as they moved further into the kitchen. “I checked each room twice.”

Maggie smiled. “I brought donuts for breakfast,” she told them. “I thought somethin’ easy might help this mornin’.”

Ted stepped around the counter to drop a kiss to his mom’s cheek. “Thanks mama.”

“Oh, and your envelope is in my purse.”

They settled in around the island with their donuts and Deborah slid two steaming mugs across the flat surface. She clocked Ted’s reaction almost immediately, the way his eyebrows scrunched together with disgust at the mere sight of it.

“Oh mum,” Rebecca said before she covered her mouth, trapping her laughter.

“What’s wrong?” Deborah questioned.

Maggie smiled wider. “Teddy hates tea, unless it’s ice cold and loaded down with sugar.”

Paul looked up from his own mug. “Well if Deb made it, there’s bound to be quite a bit of sugar in there.”

Ted was still staring at the mug like it might morph into something else if he touched it. “I don’t hate tea, I’m just not very fond of it.”

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, love,” Deborah told him. “I should have asked.”

She moved to try and take the cup away but Ted stopped her, wrapping his large hands around the delicate porcelain. “No, it’s alright. I promised I’d give it another try.”

Rebecca smiled and watched him intently as he peered down into the cup, steam billowing out around his face. She already knew he probably wouldn’t like it, but it was adorable watching him make an attempt at least. He lifted the mug to his lips, taking a hesitant sip of the hot liquid. His face gave him away as a grimace replaced the hesitance he had been wearing.

“Oh sweetheart, let me make you something else,” Deborah offered and started fixing a cup of coffee with what was left in the pot. “Cream and sugar?”

Ted nodded and slid the tea away. “Extra, please. As much as you can.”

Rebecca leaned in and kissed the top of his messy hair. “That was the last thing on our list, love,” she whispered as she curled an arm over his shoulders.

He looked up at her, eyes sparkling in the bright sunshine coming through the windows. “Oh you’re right. We checked every box, huh?”

“We did,” she said with a nod.

The rest of the morning was filled with laughter as they ate breakfast and enjoyed each other’s company. It was more than Rebecca ever could have expected from this trip. One she thought would include her mother and father avoiding one another, while Rebecca was off on her own doing her best to go unnoticed. But instead they were all going home happier, freer, and Rebecca personally was feeling lighter. She no longer had to carry the burden of her father’s infidelity with her to Uni, and that felt like a breath of fresh air. But more than that, she met Ted, and Maggie, and she would never understand how she was lucky enough to cross paths with them.

When Paul announced that their car would be arriving shortly, Rebecca’s stomach dropped. She’d never be ready to say goodbye, and now that the moment was here, she felt panicked.

They all moved outside with their luggage, the sun warm as it continued its climb in the sky. Maggie approached her first while Ted stood with her parents and she could already feel tears in her eyes.

“I sure am gonna miss you, Rebecca Welton.”

Maggie wrapped her arms tightly around Rebecca and she held on tight. She sniffled against her shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”

Maggie rocked her back and forth in their hug. “Thank you for bringin’ some light back into that boy. He’s been havin’ such a hard time.”

Rebecca tried to choke back the sob but it was no good. She cried and Maggie held her even tighter. “f*ck,” Rebecca breathed out. “I’m so sorry.”

“Never apologize for havin’ feelin’s my girl,” Maggie told her. “And don’t ever let anyone try to make you feel bad about it either.”

“Is it weird if I say that I love you right now?” Rebecca asked and they both laughed. “Becuase I do.”

Maggie smiled. “Not weird at all. The feelin’ is mutual by now. And I hope this ain’t the last time we see each other.”

“It won’t be. I promise.”

Ted was waiting now, hands shoved in the khaki shorts he had been wearing the day before as he rocked back and forth on the heels of his sneakers. Maggie stepped away and handed something over to Ted from her bag as she passed by on her way to Deborah and Paul. He approached her now, a thick white envelope in his hands. There were still stray tears that continued to escape from her eyes and the closer he got, more tears started to fall.

He smothered her in a hug, rocking her back and forth just like Maggie had, and she held on tight as they moved together. “f*ck, I love you so much.” His voice was muffled but it still ran straight through her until it reached her heart. How the f*ck was she supposed to leave this man behind?

“I love you too,” she mumbled into his neck. “And I’m going to miss you so much.”

Ted held her tight, his hand open and pressed against her back. “I gotta be honest, I didn’t think this day was actually comin’.”

Rebecca smiled. “You thought we’d stay?”

“I thought we’d get stuck in some sorta Groundhog Day situation to be honest,” he said with a chuckle. “Like we’d just keep livin’ the same day over and over and I’d never have to watch you leave.”

Rebecca leaned back to reach into her bag to remove a pale pink sealed envelope. She had written Theodore across the front in her perfect cursive, while the back flap had a slightly smudged bright red lipstick print. “I wrote you something, but you have to promise you won’t read it until tonight. Because I worry if you read it as soon as we leave, you’ll be chasing me at the airport.”

He wiped beneath his eyes with his thumb before he accepted the letter. “I will promise you that if you promise to do the same with this.” Ted handed her the white envelope he had taken from Maggie, and she now noticed her own name on the front in his familiar handwriting.

“I promise,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

“I feel like there’s so much I wanna say, and I can’t remember a damn word of it,” Ted told her through his tears. “But I’m not ready to watch you go.”

Their car pulled into the driveway then, because of course it did, and Rebecca pulled Ted in for another hug. “You’re the best person I’ll ever know, Ted Lasso. And no matter where life takes us, I’m never going to forget you.”

He kissed the side of her head and then her temple. “You’ve made me a better man, Rebecca Welton. And I hope fate brings us together again one day.”

“It will,” she promised. “This isn’t the end of our story.”

Ted kissed her like he did that afternoon on the boardwalk for the first time, but now there was so much more hidden within that kiss. Tales and memories of their three months spent together, moments meant for only them to recall. It was sacred and she was going to hold onto it for the rest of her life.

When they broke away, they were both still crying. “We’ll keep in touch, right?”

Ted nodded. “Until you get sick of me.”

She smiled. “That’s never going to happen.”

“I don’t think I can say goodbye,” he whispered.

“So don’t. We can just say we’ll see each other later,” she said through the tears. “Because goodbye feels too permanent and I cannot handle the thought of that right now.”

Ted smiled. “How about a promise then? Same time, same place?”

Rebecca smiled back. “Same time, same place.”

The walk to the car felt long, and her limbs felt heavy as she crossed the driveway. Emotionally, she felt exhausted. Because once she climbed into that backseat, when the door was closed and they drove off to the airport, it was over. London was waiting, along with Sassy, their new flat, and her brand new chapter. And with the start of a new chapter, it meant the old one was over.

Rebecca wasn’t sure she was ready for that.

She turned back around to find Ted standing beside Maggie near the door to the garage. “You’ve got this, baby. Go be a rockstar.”

She laughed before she blew him a kiss and then started back to the car. She slid into the backseat with ease, just beside her mother, and she fastened her seatbelt before she turned back for Ted. He and Maggie were already waving, their own personal send-off as the car pulled away and onto the road. She watched out the back window until they disappeared entirely, the same way she had when she left Sassy behind. But now, even once they were faded figures, she kept watching.

And then she let the dam inside her break.

**********

The flight home was easy enough, except for the fact that on the hour, every hour, like clockwork, Rebecca would start to cry again. She had tried reading, thinking maybe it would offer her enough of a distraction for her mind, but it was no use. Her thoughts would quickly shift from the words in front of her to the boy she had to leave behind, and the permanent mark he had left on her heart. The envelope he had given her sat at the top of her bag, taunting her, but she had to make good on her promise to wait.

Instead she reached past it for the smaller, tattered blue envelope that was holding the pictures she had developed from the summer. She flipped through them slowly, a few of the images of just Ted pulling a strange laugh from her. Deborah peeked over the first time, a look of relief washing over her when she realized Rebecca was okay. Each picture created such a vivid mental image in her head, as if she was living those moments all over again.

She ran through the stack continuously until they landed in London.

A place that didn’t quite feel like home anymore.

Because home was no longer a place, but it was a person.

The drive back to the house was quiet, all three of them exhausted from a long day of travel. They unloaded the car and carried their luggage inside to retreat to their rooms immediately. Paul offered to help with Rebecca’s suitcase, but she declined. “I’ll be alright.”

Instead he pulled her in from a hug and she had to squeeze her eyes shut in an effort to keep from crying. “I love you,” he whispered. “Goodnight my girl.”

“Goodnight,” she echoed. “I love you too.”

“We’ll see you in the morning, Sausage,” Deborah told her. “Get some rest.”

Rebecca nodded. “Goodnight, mum.”

They went their separate ways and once she was in the privacy of her own room, she allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks again. She wheeled her suitcase to her closet, leaving it to be tomorrow’s problem, and then she crawled into the middle of her bed with Ted’s envelope. She opened it quickly and dried sunflower petals fell past the flap like confetti, trapped in the folder paper that she removed. Along with the letter, there was a cassette tape. The same one they had listened to for most of the summer anytime they used his truck.

She scrambled over to her tape deck and inserted it, pressing play before she returned to her seated position. The opening chords to Keith Whitley’s When You Say Nothing At All filled her room as she finally unfolded the piece of paper to find a handwritten letter from Ted.

My sweet sunflower,

When I told my mama I’d join her in Myrtle Beach this summer, it’s because I couldn’t handle the idea of being stuck in Kansas alone. Every corner of that place felt haunted by my dad and I didn’t trust myself to be left to my own devices. So I made the trip with her. And if I’m being honest, I’ve never been much of a fan of the beach. That of course changed when I met you.

Rebecca, you changed my life this summer. You helped me find happiness in the smallest things and you gave me a new outlook on this life. It was something as simple as the look on your face after a big bite of ice cream or how peaceful you were those afternoons we spent by the pool or by the ocean. I’ve just spent so much of my time being so angry or sad and with you that always just disappeared. Whether you meant to or not, you made me understand there’s still so much to live for.

I don’t really know how things are gonna feel without you here now. But what I do know is that I love you. And I’m so proud of you. I’ve heard my parents and my aunts and uncles talk about how their first loves weren’t all that great, and I’m so glad that’s not me.

I know we talked about staying in touch, so I’m gonna write my address down at the end of this letter for you. You obviously have no obligation to use it, but it’s there if you want it. The ball is in your court, baby. And if you pass it to me, I promise to catch it. (Sorry, basketball reference)

Thank you for everything this summer.

I love you endlessly.

-Ted

His address followed his name, some little street in Kansas she wished she could picture in her mind, and a hand-drawn smiley face with a mustache sat beside it. She traced the pen lines with her fingernail as she laid herself down on her pillows, the mixtape still playing next to her.

And with Ted’s letter clutched in her hands, Rebecca cried herself to sleep.