Summer Love by Myra Hope (phonics readers txt) 📕

fun together. My friend Nikki was there but she didn't have a date, so it was kinda of awkward to dance with Max, with her just sitting there all alone, but we did anyway, she didn't mind much. There were a couple of fast songs that we didn't dance to, but when the slow dance came on it was our first time dancing like that together and it was so amazing. I'll remember that night forever.


Now you know how I told you that he came over every singe day? Well, even on holidays. He came with us up to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving. It was really awkward and uncomfortable for us though because my aunt's the type of person that doesn't believe in relationships for teens, so he was nervous and didn't really want to show me any affection in front of my aunt and family. In font of my parents he is ok though. But, I mean, imagine that though? It sucks, you wanting to sit by your boyfriend but he will move or stand up. You try to hold hands and he pulls away. It kind of makes you feel not wanted or that he is embarrassed to. So, unlike most girls, I went and talked to him about it. He explained himself and everything was fine. We stayed pretty late that night, mostly my mom's fault, she talks to much.

Christmas was great. We were going to go back up to my aunt's for it, but my dad and I didn't want to and my Uncle Tom was coming up from Oregon and we just wanted it to be us four and Max. So we stayed home, plus if we would have went to my aunt's, Max wouldn't have wanted to come. He would have been home alone for Christmas and I wasn't going to let that happen. My parents and I gave Max some gifts and he opened them like a little boy, big smile on his face and a innocent surprised look when he opened each present. He got me some pretty sweet stuff too.

New years rolled around very slowly but surely it came. We stayed up late of course playing board games and watching movies. Then we went out side at midnight to hear everyone's illegal fire works going off. There were some pretty nice ones down the street we could see. Max was getting pretty tired and wanted to start heading home. He got his stuff and my dad and I drove him home.

That was our first winter together and boy was it fun, not enough snow to sled, but we did play in it a little bit. Spring came, more walks, more pretty sunsets, more hanging out outside in the fresh warm air. School was out, we had finally graduated. But wait! I haven't told you about prom yet!!!! Prom came up pretty fast. Max's mom had told him that he could get a limo to take me to the dance. She kept her word, it arrived right on time at my house. He got out of the limo and stood there holding the door open. He looked at me as if I was an angel. I was wearing a dark purple, light blue and pink colored ball gown type dress. I felt like a princess. I lefted up my dress so the trim wouldn't get dirty on our gravel drive way. He saw my shoes and giggled. I was wearing yellow converse all stars. I don't really care for heels that much and he didnt want me to be taller then him. I bought them special for the dance. It was hard to get into the limo because my dress was so big and poofy, but we managed. It took up most of the seat and I could tell he was getting really hot because he was pretty much covered in the whole bottom of my dress. It was so romantic and he had made a CD and had the driver play some of our favorite songs. The dance was amazing looking, all the girls in their pretty dresses and the guys in their tuxes. A night to remember for sure.

Graduation came and he went to mine and I went to his. We of course celebrated after both. His mom had been wanting to move into her boyfriend's house for quite sometime, but Max really didn't have anywhere to go other then his older brother's house about 30 minutes away. He didnt want to do that and neither did I, way too far away. We had a long wise chat with my parents about him maybe moving in with us and having his own room or something. My mom was crazy about the idea and thought it would be great since he's over here all the time anyway, but my dad wasn't as enthusiastic about it as she was. He thought it would be kind of improper for him to live with us but he will think about it and get back to us.

3 weeks passed and his mom was ready to leave. Max had all his things packed up and finally my dad gave us his answer, he said yes, but only on one condition, that he let my dad hall his stuff to our house. We all laughed and Max and I were so excited. The next day we got all his stuff from the apartment and moved him into our spare bed room. It was great.

We both got jobs and saved up enough money to rent our own apartment across town, we couldn't stand my parents much longer. We moved out and continue saving money towards other things.


The Happy Ending

Max and I dated for two short, amazing years before he finally popped the question, where we met on that one corner under the lamp post at 7:30 pm on August 23 the same date and time he asked me out. It wasn't a huge production like most girls dream of but I'm not like most girls. It was in every way what I wanted and hoped for.

That night was like any other Thursday night, sitting in our apartment watching The Incredible Hulk, I swear I've seen that movie so many times I could recite it in my sleep, it was Max's favorite movie. Once the movie was over he told me to get my coat on and shoes and get ready to go because he's gonna take me somewhere special. He takes me to special places all the time, usually it's to a little fast food restaurant we used to go on dates when we first met, but this time he put a bandana in his pocket. I thought that it was kind of weird but he does weird stuff sometimes. So we got in the car and drove to the fast food place and ate the same thing we always did and he bought me a chocolate milk shake. We left before I could finish it which was fine because I could finish it on the way home, Then when I got in the car he put the bandana over my eyes and told me not to look until he said so. I went along with it of course, because I always love it when he gives me surprises. We drove around in what felt like circles and I had no clue where we were but I bet he did that on purpose. So finally after about 10 minutes he stopped and got me out of the car, still with the bandana on, drinking my milk shake. He walked me over so a grassy spot and he let go of me but told me not to move. I just stood there like a weirdo drinking my milk shake. I could hear some scratching noise, I couldn't really tell what it was but I could tell it was him.

"Almost done, just a sec"
"OK, I have time." I said sarcastically.

We both laughed and he took the bandana off my eyes and fixed my hair, he always puts it behind my ears. I looked around, we were where we first met, in our old neighborhood, we only came here to visit my parents. He pointed to the lamp post. So that's what the scratching noise was, I thought to myself. He had carved a lop-sided heart with MJB+OMC=true love, carved into it with an arrow pointing down to more words

"Will you....."

I turned to him and he was holding a little black box, he got down on one knee, opened the little box and said "Marry me Opal?"

I was so speechless, I dropped my milk shake. I knew something was new but I didnt think he was ready to ask me yet.

"Did you ask my dad?"
"Yes I did and he said yes."
"Well, even if he said no I would still say......YES!!"

He stood up and kissed me, that kiss I will never forget. Yeah we have had plenty of kisses but this one was the first kiss we had being engaged and it was so wonderful. We stood there, under the lamp post, hugging and kissing for what seemed like a hour or so, but really it was only a couple minutes. We got back into his car and drove to one more place. He took me to a flower shop. He told me to pick out three packets of seeds, one to symbolize our love, one for me and one for him. So I picked three packets and we left. I asked him why and he said "I have three flower pots at home, we will plant these together and take care of them every day. When they die we will get new ones."

So for years and years we planted the same three kinds of flowers in the same three pots. We occasionally added a pot when we had a child. After 30 years we were done having children and we had a total of ten flower pots on the front porch of our three story dream house, seven kids, two parents, and one love that went all around. We never forgot to plant new flowers, so our love never died.