~They were sitting
They were sitting on the strawberry swing
Every moment was so precious~

I recalled the picture of my parents, the one of them sitting exactly where I sat that day. The swing at the top of Strawberry Hill had been there since my grandparents were kids. It seemed the swing brought good luck to my family, as that's where my parents and my grandparents met.

So there I sat on the swing that brought my parents together, hoping to find similar luck.

~They were sitting
They were talking on the strawberry swing
Everybody was for fighting
Wouldn't wanna waste a thing~

To be honest, my parents had loved each other so much when I was little, I found it hard to believe that I find a love even close to what they once had.

They were in love, anyway, until they stopped coming up to the swing every year. It's like the swing has a say in my family's relationships. No, more like it controls the relationships. But that was fine with me.

~Cold, cold water
Bring me round
Now my feet won't touch the ground~

Starting to get thirsty, I retreated down the hill, running so fast that I felt like I was flying through the forest to the stream. I laughed as I flew, forgetting everything negative in my life. Two things that would always make me happy was running and those woods. Bringing them together was something that couldn't ever bring ever bring me down.

~Cold, cold water
Watcha say?
When it's such a perfect day~

I stopped at the stream, catching my breath. I splashed the fresh water on my face and into my mouth.

I was finishing my last gulp when I heard a rustle in the reddened leaves. I looked up and saw a boy about my age starting at me. He was shirtless and he looked afraid.

"Hello," I greeted him. His eyes widened and he started to back away. "No, no! It's ok! I'm not gonna hurt you!" I assured him.

He stopped and watched me carefully. Slowly, I approached him. "I'm Ian," I said as I came closer.

Finally, I was right in front of him. He had beautiful brown eyes and I found myself getting lost in them. In them, I found hurt, confusion, and the slightest bit of hope.

"Do you have a name?"

The boy nodded and studied me. "Anthony," he said, raspily, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.

~It's such a perfect day~

I smiled at Anthony and took his hand. He flinched for a second before allowing me to hold it. He looked at our intertwined fingers and I could've sworn he smiled.

"I know a place we can hang out," I said, leading him back to the strawberry swing.

~I remember
We were walking up to strawberry swing~

The cool autumn breeze blew my hair everywhere and I saw Anthony shivering.

"Here," I whispered, handing him my black coat. He looked at me and put it on. I watched as his dark brown hair blew in the breeze. His hair went down to his shoulders and was mostly in his face.

I laughed. "You need a haircut!"

We sat on the swing, side by side, when I got the idea.

~I can't wait till the morning
Wouldn't wanna change a thing~

"Tomorrow I'm gonna take you into town to meet my dad," I announced proudly.

This seemed to excite Anthony, and I grinned. "Excited?" I asked him.

He nodded and I hugged him. "I can't wait!" I shouted.

He nodded. "Morning?" He asked.

Surprised at the sudden noise from him, I hesitated. "Uh, yeah. Tomorrow morning. Meet me here," I instructed.

Anthony nodded, smiling. Suddenly, he hugged me. "Thank you," he whispered, before kissing my cheek.

~People moving
All the time
Inside a perfectly straight line~

My dad had agreed to meet my new friend and take him to town to see everything.

I met Anthony at the swing, where he was nervously awaiting my arrival. He was still wearing my jacket over his bare chest and his worn down pants. "Ready to go?" I asked him.

He nodded eagerly. "Yes! I am ready!" He shouted.

I laughed and took his hand and led him out of the woods, where my dad was waiting. "Hi, Anthony! I'm Ian's dad," he greeted.

Anthony smiled nervously. "Hello, Ian's dad," he replied stiffly.

We got into the car and left for the town. Anthony didn't say anything on the way to our first stop, the store, rather he stared out the window at the sight that had become so familiar to me.

At the store, we let Anthony pick out whatever clothes he wanted so he could ditch his pants. I also bought myself a jacket so that Anthony could keep the one I gave him.

~Don't you wanna just curve away
When it's such a perfect day~

We got Anthony's hair cut and discovered that his hair is naturally curly. He looked amazing now that his hair was cut, he was wearing actual clothes, and his eyes were sparkling with thanks.

When we got back to my house, Anthony asked if we could go to the swing.

I nodded and we headed into the woods and up the hill to sit on the swing.

"Thank you," he told me.

I eyed him curiously. "For what?"

"For loving me."

This shocked me. I mean sure, I cared about him, but love, I felt, was a stretch.

Then, right as I turned around, he kissed me.

~It's such a perfect day~

It was a strange sensation at first, the kiss. I had never kissed a male prior to that, however there was something different about Anthony. The way his lips were so simple with their movement told me he wasn't used to it. The way he held me told me that he wasn't scared. The way he looked at me... I could tell he loved me.

And as I kissed back, I realized that maybe I loved him, too.

~Now the sky could be blue
I don't mind
Without you it's a waste of time~

The years drew on, and we soon grew from young teenagers in love to older teenagers in love. Anthony came to live with me and we started recording our journeys together, becoming popular on the site "Youtube".

It's like he'd become the only thing that mattered in my life. He literally made my life. He was perfect.

~...Could be blue
I don't mind
Without you it's a waste of time~

We frequently came back to visit the strawberry swing. We came after our wedding and had our first dance there. I didn't know how the swing had made me so lucky, but there I was with the man whom I fell in love with. It was... unbelievable.

~Now the sky could be blue~

Perhaps one of my favorite days was returning with our adopted daughter. She had my light, fluffy hair and deep brown eyes that could tell an entire story, like Anthony's.

She loved the swing. She spent over an hour pumping her legs, to where I feared it would break.

However, when it didn't, my heart was able to relax and take in the fact that the strawberry swing may also help our daughter find love.

~...Could be grey~

When our daughter left with her boyfriend, it was like a stab in the chest. I loved that girl like I loved my husband, and to see her go really hurt.

On that day, we came to the strawberry swing and cried. Together we just sat under the tree and cried in the rain.

Even though we knew she was going to be happy with her boyfriend, we still missed her more than anything.

~Without you, I'm just miles away~

"I'm sorry, sirs, but we found evidence of lung cancer in Anthony's system," the nurse told us. Of course, we already knew. Anthony and I knew before we even went to the hospital. We had already said our goodbyes. It wasn't supposed to phase me.

But of course, it did.

"I'd say he has less than a month to live without treatment. Unless you'd-"

"No," Anthony interrupts. "I'm not getting treatment. I'd rather die naturally than with man-made particles in my body."

I almost lost it there. Even after all those years living with other humans, he still preferred the authenticity of nature. It hurt so much.

I knew losing him would be the hardest thing.

~Now the sky could be blue
I don't mind
Without you it's a waste of time~

I stayed long after the funeral. I just sat on the ground and I cried, like I'd done before with him by my side...

It was like losing my other half. Like losing a part of me. Even the blue skies couldn't lift my spirits.

In fact, there was only one thing that could do such a thing, and I was already here with Anthony.

I sat on the strawberry swing and imagined myself 13 again, on the day I'd met my husband. "I'm really gonna miss you, Anthony," I said, looking at the ground beneath me.

Somewhere, I think he's watching me. At least I hope he is. But until I can be with him, I'll have to settle for a day on the strawberry swing.