THE SIGHT OF BLOSSOMING FLOWERS and the sound of birds chirping in the trees were the first signs of Spring's arrival in Silver Springs. The weather had warmed up considerably, and it was that time of the year when you could swap out your winter coat for a light jacket or cardigan. My father decided to take a trip out to Long Island with Cassie for the weekend to visit her family, so I had the house to myself. However, I intended to spend as much time as possible outdoors. My picnic date with Harry was set to take place this afternoon, and I couldn't have been more excited.

Now that my AP Exams were done, I felt like I could truly relax and enjoy these last few days of my senior year. Harry promised that he would take me out on a date when testing was done, and I was happy he stayed true to his word. Today, he sent me a good morning text with the words "I love you" at the end of the message, and the gesture made my heart flutter. I don't think I'll ever get used to him saying it back to me.

As I stepped into the shower, I thought about our relationship and reflected on how much we've been through together. It seems so surreal how we went from being mere acquaintances to being lovers behind closed doors. I have experienced many firsts with Harry, and he has developed a hold over me that I can't quite shake. Being with him is like being on the scariest yet most thrilling roller coaster ride. Each time the ride comes to an end, you get back on because the experience leaves you wanting more. I don't know what the future holds for the two of us after high school, but I do know that in this moment, Harry is one of the only things that matter to me in life right now.

After I finished cleaning myself up, I stepped out of the shower and dried off with a fluffy towel in my room. For my date, I chose to wear a pair of wrangler denim overalls with a white crop top underneath and a pair of tan sandals. I had a denim jean jacket on standby in case it got chilly, but I hoped that I didn't need to wear it. Once I got dressed, I returned to the bathroom to do my hair and makeup.

I decided to leave my hair down in its natural wavy state. I placed a set of black sunglasses on the top of my head to keep some of my hair pushed back. For makeup, I wanted to go for a more natural look as opposed to something over the top. I applied concealer underneath my eyes to hide my bags and coated my eyelashes in two coats of black mascara. I finished my look off with my strawberry chapstick and applied it to my lips until I felt they were no longer chapped. By the time I finished in the bathroom, it was a quarter past one o'clock, and Harry was set to pick me up at 1:30pm. That only gave me about fifteen minutes to make the sandwiches for our picnic.

I hummed along to the songs from my Spotify playlist as I spread the condiments over the sandwich breads before adding the meats, cheeses, lettuces, and tomatoes. At the current rate I was going, I made two sandwiches for every four minute song. I decided to stop when I reached four sandwiches and then put away all of the items I had taken out of the fridge. I grabbed two small containers from the kitchen cabinets and placed two sandwiches inside of them each before stacking them inside of my tote bag. I barely had enough time to wash my hands and dry them off before I heard the doorbell ring.

A smile stretched across my face as I walked over to the front door. I briefly glanced at my reflection on my phone to make sure I looked alright before opening the door. Harry stood handsomely tall in a crisp white button down shirt and black jeans with a pair of brown Chelsea boots. His curls were hidden behind a beige fedora, and his ring clad fingers were wrapped securely around a bouquet of yellow roses. My smile stretched even wider if that was possible once I saw his eyes light up as he looked me once over.

"Wow, you look great Florence," Harry said with a smile, leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek. "These are for you."

I felt myself blush once he completed the action and took the roses from his hand. "Thank you. I'll put these in some water and then we can head out," I told him before heading back in the direction of the kitchen.

"Sounds like a plan," He called from behind me.

We cruised at a steady speed of 60 mph in Harry's white Mercedes Benz with the windows rolled down. The breeze that flowed into the car was refreshing and ruffled my hair around a bit. Harry had the radio station set on some classic rock station, and I joined him in singing the bridge of "Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles once it came on. I thought the song was quite fitting for our circumstances given the fact that it had been a long winter, but now the sun was out, and the smiles were returning to our faces.

"Sun, sun, sun here it comes!" Harry and I sang together as he drove down the road.

The park was about a ten minute drive from where I lived, and we were already halfway there. I gazed out the window at the familiar establishments that we drove past. We passed the Postal Office, City Hall, Trader Joe's and the local movie theaters. Soon, we were driving through a wooded area before we reached a clearing and found parking. The park was right next to our city's reservoir, so Harry and I decided to settle down close to the water. He draped a plaid blanket over the ground and slipped out of his shoes, setting them on two corners of the blanket. I removed my heels and put them on the remaining corners of the blanket.

"I made two honey ham sandwiches for you and two turkey sandwiches for myself," I informed him as I got down on my knees and opened my tote bag.

Harry sat in the opposite direction of me with his feet stretched out and arm propped up to support the side of his face. He watched me take out the sandwiches from the container with a dimpled grin.

"Just how I like 'em," Harry proclaimed before taking a bite out of his. "You make a mean honey ham, Flo."

I laughed off his comment and shook my head while biting into my own sandwich. "Mmm," I hummed in satisfaction, wiping the crust from the corner of my mouth.

"You know what would go great with these sandwiches?" Harry asked me. Judging by the sound of his voice, I knew I was going to find out the answer regardless.

"No, what?" I replied in a curious tone.

Harry chuckled and reached into his backpack, pulling out two wine glasses and a fancy bottle of sparkling Apple Cider. I watched him pop open the bottle and carefully pour the cider into the glasses until they were semi full.

"For you m'lady," He said while handing me the glass, bowing his head.

"Why thank you kind sir," I played along, graciously accepting the glass from him.

Just as I was about to take my first sip, Harry put his hand up to stop me. "No Florence. You can't drink until I've made a toast!" He insisted, sounding serious.

I rolled my eyes with a sigh and tried to conceal my smile. "Alright, go ahead Harry," I told him, allowing him to have the floor.

Harry cleared his throat and adjusted the collar around his neck. "Hear ye, hear ye!" He yelled, sounding extra posh with his British accent. "I'd like to make a toast to the strong beautiful woman sitting across from me. Florence Kelley, you are one of the strongest and kindest people I know. Sometimes I have no idea what you're doing with a fool like me, and I know I don't deserve you, but I'm far too selfish to let you go anytime soon. Time after time you've given me many chances to be the man you know I can be, and I'm eternally grateful that you didn't give up on me." My heart melted after hearing his words, and I couldn't stop the tears from springing to my eyes. Harry continued with his speech, seeming encouraged by my reaction. "I just wanted to let you know that no matter what crazy life adventures lie ahead of us, you've managed to occupy a permanent place inside my heart. I don't think I've ever loved anything more than I've loved you."

I felt a single tear roll down my cheek upon hearing his last few words and rushed to wipe it away. "I don't even know why I'm crying," I confessed after letting out a shaky chuckle. "I love you so much that it terrifies me sometimes," I admitted to him.

Harry leaned forward and cupped my cheek in his hand, rubbing over the area with the pad of his thumb. He gazed at me with a reassuring look in his eyes, and I felt myself naturally calm down. It was crazy to me how he could relax me and drive me crazy with those green eyes of his. They held so much power.

"Is it true love if it's not the least bit scary?" Harry raised the question, making my lips curl into a smile.

I briefly glanced down at his lips before returning my gaze to his eyes. Harry seemed to have gotten the message because he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine in a soft kiss. I didn't hesitate to kiss him back and wrap my arms around his neck. I surrendered myself to this moment and blocked out any nagging thoughts, focusing on Harry and sounds of nature. In the midst of our embrace, the insane amount of love I felt for this man didn't seem all that scary anymore. Instead, everything felt like it was falling into place, and I prayed that these feelings would never retreat.

Author's Note:

I really thought that I would finish this story Summer 2018 but here it is - 2019. I was afraid to come back to this story for awhile because I feel like it's a reminder of my days of being consumed with Harry Styles and One Direction, but that's not my life anymore.

I've been focusing on other things like college, summer jobs/internships, making music, and figuring out what I want to do with my life. However, I know that I owe you all an ending to this story because Wattpad honestly made me a better writer, and I've been inspired by a lot of different authors on this site.

I apologize in advance that I won't be following a general timeline and that these updates might come sporadically, but I appreciate those of you who continue to read this story and put your faith in me. I have lots of love for you all. Only 1 more chapter and then an epilogue for me to write!

Question for my readers: What was the highlight of 2018 for you all?

Mine was releasing my EP Naturally Me back in November (which is available on all music streaming platforms - see the cover below). Comment yours too!