"FLORENCE, HURRY UP, or we're going to be late!" My father shouted from downstairs, the sound of his voice traveling all the way to my room.

"One second!" I yelled back in response.

Letting out a sigh, I adjusted the black leather jacket hanging over my red dress and stared at my reflection in my full body mirror. It seemed like it was just yesterday that I had been standing in front of this mirror getting ready for my date with Harry. In reality, it had only been a little over a week, and now I was wearing this dress for a different occasion. I wasn't going to let it go to waste, and I knew that if Harry couldn't appreciate me in it, Lester would. He invited me and my father to his military inauguration while at work on Monday, and we were smart enough to say yes.

I smoothed out the creases on my dress with my hands before turning on my heel and walking out of my room. After shutting my bedroom door, I made my way down the stairs where my father stood in the middle of the living room, fixing his tie.

"Hey, are you re—" The rest of my father's words got caught in his throat as he looked up at me after he finished tying his tie.

A moment of silence lingered between us before I finally spoke up. "Is something wrong, Dad?" I asked him, placing my hand on his arm in concern.

My father snapped out of whatever trance he was in and shook his head. "No, uh, everything's alright, sweetheart. I just thought of your mom when I first saw your dress. Red was her favorite color, you know," He reminded me with a sad smile.

"Yeah, I remember," I acknowledged while slowly retracting my hand from his arm.

Almost three years have passed since my mother's death, but my father seemed to be getting better with time. He didn't think I noticed the subtle changes in his behavior, but I have. He's been watching the news more and more lately and is always finding an excuse to go into town. I was always curious about who he was secretly visiting but knew he'd tell me when he was ready.

Shortly after our reminiscent moment came to an end, we left the house and hopped inside of my father's red Chevrolet. The military base was a thirty minute drive from where we lived which gave me time to think. I spent half of the car ride thinking about how Lester would be leaving at the end of the day and how lonely I'd be at Adrian's without him. Although he annoyed me to no end at times, I was going to miss all the silly games we used to play to pass the time and the late night conversations we had during our shifts.

I didn't even want to know who was going to take his place when he was gone because in my mind Lester was irreplaceable. As more time passed, I found my mind moving away from my memories with Lester to recall a conversation I had with Harry after school recently. I don't think I'll ever forget the ghastly look on his face when I confronted him in the parking lot by his car.

His face looked like he had just seen a ghost when he spotted my reflection in his car windows. Harry spun around on his feet to face me quickly, his lips parting in surprise. He looked me up and down before his lips set in a thin line.

"What are you doing here, Florence?" He asked me. His voice had an underlying harshness to it that caught me off guard.

I didn't know what to expect when we saw each other again, but it wasn't to be greeted like this.

"I'm here because I want answers, Harry," I answered him while crossing my arms over my chest.

Harry chuckled at my answer and shook his head. "Really, because last I recall, you hated me and wanted nothing to do with me. I was just respecting your wishes." He was referring to my texts, and the memory of what I messaged him made my heart sink a little.

I knew I was going to regret sending those damn messages. I cleared my throat and shuffled awkwardly on my feet. "I was mad Harry. I spent hours waiting for you and didn't hear a single word from you. How did you think I felt?" I pointed out, trying to make him understand.

"I know you were upset, but you didn't even let me explain myself. You ignored all of my texts the following day and avoided me at school," Harry huffed, rolling his eyes at me.

"I'm sorry about that, but I needed a few days to cool down," I apologized to him. "But I'm here now, and I want to know what happened."

Harry took a deep breath and leaned back against the doors on his car. His chest moved up and down with the intake of breath, and I found my eyes drawn to the swallows peaking out of his shirt before my gaze returned to his.

"Matthew and I got into a fight after we lost our game, and Coach Ford made us stay after to wash the jerseys and towels as punishment for getting physical," He explained with a sigh. "I was going to text you and tell you but then coach took our phones. We got them back when we finished the laundry which was at 7:30pm."

My ears perked up when he mentioned the time, and I distinctly remember calling his phone several times and it going straight to voicemail then.

"Why didn't you answer any of my calls?" I questioned him. "I was worried sick, thinking something bad had happened to you at first."

Harry gulped and nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Matthew and I hashed things out during the time we did laundry, and he ended up apologizing for his actions." I was confused as to what Matthew had to do with any of this but kept listening in hopes for clarity. "We walked back to the parking lot together and when he saw that my car wouldn't start, he agreed to give me a ride home. We talked throughout the whole ride to my house, and I didn't want him to hear us argue on the phone, which is probably what we would've done, so I put my phone on Do Not Disturb mode. I got home at about eight o'clock and that's when I heard your voicemail."

Now, it was my turn to scoff. "You didn't answer my calls because you were too afraid of Matthew hearing us?" I deadpanned and judging by the way he cringed, he knew how awful it sounded too. "Un-fücking believable, Harry. You could have told me right then and there what happened, and I would've been upset of course, but I would have understood. You're just embarrassed to be with me," I voiced my suspicions out loud.

"No, I'm—"

"—Yes, you are," I cut him off. I felt so stupid for not realizing it sooner. All of the signs were there. "The whole reason why you wanted to be with me behind closed doors is because you were afraid of what people would say if they saw us together out in the open. Isn't that right?" I quipped.

Harry let out a frustrated groan and grabbed a fistful of his hair. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls, baby, but that doesn't mean I—"

I put my hand up to silence him. "—Save it for someone who cares Harry. I knew I was right to distance myself from you." Those were the last words exchanged between us before I walked away from him.

I was pulled out of the memory of that day when my dad's car came to a halt in front of a token booth. There was a boom barrier in front of us which prevented us from entering the military base, and I glanced to my left to watch my father interact with the man inside.

"Hello sir. We're here for the inauguration ceremony that's supposed to be taking place in Mason Hall at 1pm," My father informed the guard. "Can you direct us where to go from here?"

"You'll have to go through security first," He told us before lifting up the barrier with the press of a button. "Their office is next to the parking lot. After you finish there, they'll give you directions."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Dad said to the man before rolling up his window again.

He glanced over at me as he proceeded to drive forward with caution. "Are you ready to see Lester kiddo?"

"Yeah, I am," I confirmed while folding my hands in my lap.

Now, if I was ready to see him go was a different question. I wasn't prepared to answer that one just yet.

§

Lester had the biggest smile on his face when he saw my father and I walk through the double doors of Mason Hall. He was in the back of the room conversing with an older woman with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes while she held a child's hand. I figured the woman was his mother and the child was his brother and watched as he politely excused himself from their conversation to come over to us.

"You guys made it!" Lester exclaimed right before he tackled my father in a hug.

I watched their interaction with a large grin on my face and laughed as they rocked back in forth in each other's arms.

"Of course. We weren't going to let you leave without saying goodbye," My father replied once he pulled away from their hug. "I'm going to go and say hello to your mother. I'll be back in a bit," Dad informed Lester before walking past him.

Lester's focus was now on me, and I watched his blue eyes sparkle underneath the fluorescent lights as they gazed deeply into my brown ones. He didn't let another moment pass without hugging me to his chest.

"You have no idea how much it means to me that you're here right now," Lester whispered into the side of my head, his warm breath fanning across my cheek.

I felt my heartbeat accelerate at the sincerity of his words. I gave Lester's shoulders a good squeeze before pulling back and gazing up at him with a smile.

"Trust me. I wasn't going to miss today for the world," I assured him.

His grin widened as he took my hand in his. "Come on. I want to introduce you to my mother, Leslie, and little brother, Luke," Lester told me before leading me in their direction.

I found it cute how all of their names began with the letter L but decided to keep that to myself. As soon as we approached my father, Leslie, and Luke, all of their attention shifted onto me and Lester.

"Ah, you must be Florence," Leslie said while extending her hand out for me to shake. "I've heard great things about you from your father and my son."

I glanced at Lester and saw his cheeks tint to a rosy pink at his mother's confession. My smile widened even more as I shook Leslie's hand, and I was sure that I'd have red lines around my mouth by the end of the day from smiling so much.

"Thank you. It's so nice to finally meet you," I told her before retracting my hand and looking at the little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes beside her. He was holding his mother's other hand and hiding behind her skirt with a shy smile on his face. "And who is this handsome young fella?"

"Don't act all shy now Luke," Lester teased his younger brother with a playful smile. "Go on and introduce yourself."

Luke appeared from behind his mother's skirt to introduce himself at his brother's request.

"I'm Luke," The little boy told me before hiding behind his mother's skirt again.

He was the cutest thing ever.

It didn't take me long to get comfortable around Leslie or Luke. They were both sweet individuals and after conversing with Lester's mother for about five minutes, I quickly learned where he got his caring nature from.

"You know, Lester's father served in the army during the Iraq war," Leslie pulled me aside to tell me. My eyes widened in surprise as it was the first time I was learning about this. "He died overseas, and I was worried our family was never going to be the same again. All hell nearly broke loose in our household when Les first told me he was signing up for the marines. I didn't want anything to happen to my boy, but somehow I knew nothing I'd say would stop him. He got his stubborn nature from his father," She added with a sad smile. "You know, he speaks very fondly of you at home Florence."

Her words made me shift my attention onto Lester and my father for a brief second. He was carrying his brother Luke in his arms and chuckling at some awful joke my father probably just made. I returned my attention back unto Leslie a second later and found myself blushing.

"He does?" I asked her, growing a bit timid.

Leslie nodded her head and glanced at her son before leaning in to whisper in my ear. "Don't tell him I told you. He'll probably be embarrassed."

"Don't worry, I won't," I assured her.

Soon, it was time for families to leave the Mason Hall and relocate to the Department of Defense's office two doors down where an officer in the military would commence the inauguration by reading the soldiers the oath. I took several pictures of the space on my phone and recorded the oath being read aloud on video. My camera was zoomed in on Lester's face the entire time, and his eyes never left my general direction as he repeated the words of the officer. When the oath ended, a round of applause flooded the room, and we were told that we were allowed to spend the rest of the time with the soldiers before their departure.

Lester was leaving to go to Albany International Airport in about fifteen minutes to fly out to a military base in South Carolina. His mother had tears streaming down her cheeks, and his little brother wore a saddened expression on his face as they spoke to Lester for what would probably be the last time for a few weeks. After my father said his final goodbyes to Lester, he told me that he was going to help Leslie get back to her car and wait for me in the parking lot.

"So this is it, huh," I said once I made my way over to him. "This is goodbye?" My eyes watered slightly after I asked my question, but I blamed it on the harsh fluorescent lights in the room.

Lester nodded his head with a frown. "I'm afraid so. It won't be for forever though," He added in an attempt to lift my spirits.

I bit my lip to stop it from trembling and felt Lester's strong arms encase my body again. I rested my head against his toned chest and released a shaky breath before glancing back up at him. A tear slipped from one of my eyes, but Lester was quick to brush it away with his thumb.

"Please don't cry Florence. If it makes you feel any better, I'll call you every chance I get and write you until you get sick of me," He told me softly, catching another tear before it rolled down my cheek.

I couldn't help but giggle and smile at his words. "How is it you always know exactly what to say to make me smile?" I asked him curiously.

His response, however, was not one I expected.

Lester shrugged and wrapped his arms around my waist again, bringing me closer to his chest. "I don't know, I guess I just know you so well. Besides, I'd do anything to see the girl I love happy." Silence followed his statement, and he let his words hang between us in the air.

I'm the girl he loves.

My lips parted in a gasp once I made the connection. I felt my heart pound furiously against my ribcage and glanced up at Lester in surprise.

"I've been in love with you since I was eighteen," He confessed, a smile growing on his face. "I'm sorry I waited until the day I was leaving to tell you."

I opened my mouth to say something in response, but Lester shushed me before I could get one word out. "Shh, it's okay. You don't have to say it back or anything. I just needed to get that off my chest," Lester told me with a chuckle.

I made my second attempt of trying to speak, but an alarm sounded from his phone, causing us to drift a part.

"Shït, this means I have to go," He said, his voice filled with guilt. "I wish we had more time."

"Me too," I agreed with a sad smile. "I don't want you to miss your flight though, so you should go."

Lester nodded his head and unwrapped his arms from around my waist. "I'll write to you," He promised me.

I smiled at his words and leaned up to press a kiss against his cheek. "I'll look forward to receiving your letters then," I stated before taking a few steps back. "Goodbye Lester."

I turned around on my heel and brought my hand up to my mouth so that he wouldn't hear me sob if I needed to. I only managed to walk a few feet towards the door before I felt someone grab my other hand and spin me back around. The hand that was over my mouth fell in surprise, and I hardly had anytime to react before I felt a pair of soft lips on mine.

My breath got caught in my throat as Lester moved his lips against mine. The kiss was filled with so much longing and need on his part. Lester kissed me like it was the last time he'd ever see me again even though he promised me only minutes ago that this wasn't goodbye forever. Once the initial shock of his actions passed, I found my mouth reacting back to his and placed both of my hands on the sides of his face. I selfishly let myself indulge in this moment and blocked out every single thought telling me this was wrong. The kiss had no tongue, just lips colliding with lips, and it couldn't have been more perfect.

We pulled away a few seconds later, breathing heavily. I stared up at Lester in wonder and amazement. He gazed back down at me with a look of awe in his eyes.

"I didn't want to leave without knowing what it'd be like to kiss you for real," Lester admitted with a sheepish smile. "That kiss should be enough to keep me sane for the next few months."

I laughed at his words and wiped away the lipstick that had managed to smudge over his lips with my thumb. "Good, I wouldn't want it any other way."

He pecked my lips once more, making me smile against his mouth. "For good luck," Lester cheekily added once he pulled away. "Okay, now I really have to go. Goodbye Florence."

I saw him run over to where he left his luggage and grab his belongings before following the other soldiers and his commander out the door. I left the Department of Defense's office shortly after he did with a huge grin on my face. My lips tingled slightly as I brought my fingers up to touch where Lester's lips had been moments ago.

I managed to convince myself that this was only a goodbye kiss and that I didn't need to feel guilty about it. I tried my best to act normal when I entered my father's car again and avoided his questioning gaze.

"You were in there for quite a long time," My father observed while starting the car and backing out of his parking space.

I shrugged and buckled in my seat belt. "We had a lot to say to each other is all," I casually replied.

"Yeah, I bet." I didn't even need to look at my dad to know that he was smirking at me and found myself blushing under his gaze.

Damn it, he knows.

Author's Note:

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a lovely week. I love my internship at the YWCA so far and get along well with my co-workers. I'm excited because we're having a Feminist Seminar at Columbia all of next week, and I'll be helping out. I hope this long update will keep you satisfied until I update again.

Also, can we just talk about the new Dunkirk trailers in which my boy Harry showed off his acting skills. 😍😍 I love Christopher Nolan's work and can't wait to see this film. None of my friends want to go with me though, but I don't mind seeing this alone.

Feel free to vote, comment, share this story with a friend, or follow me on wattpad. I'd appreciate it if you did.

Question for my readers: Do you want this book to have a sequel?

Let me know in the comments section below.

—
Kaylandia