Song: How long will I love you By Ellie Goulding

Not even a month later, I moved in with Andy. He also has a house on the property. His parents were not that happy about it at first but it is what it is. My mother on the other hand was really upset. She said that she did not send me here to shack up with him. But after having words with her she reluctantly agreed that it just might be the best place for me.

Why...because he swears up and down that he will take care of me and make sure that I stay on all my meds. Today I am outside watering the plants in our own little raised garden. Andy is off at work. So it's just me, Emily and Ava.

"You think he will ever ask you to get married?" Emily sits in the hammock across the way looking up to towards the sun.

"I don't know...but if he ever does I am likely to say yes. If that is alright with you two?"

"Why...I'm fine with it. He seems to not mind us being around."

"The good thing about him is that he helps keep that dark shadow away...so I guess he is alright by me too," says Ava.

I take the water hose and spray her and she jumps up on the patio. "Girl...you are asking for it." She yells back with a huge smile spread across her face. She starts to chase me and I take off running. She catches up to me and knocks me down, playfully. We are rolling all in the back yard, including Emily.

"You guys...what would I do without you?" I roll over to look up at the bluest sky ever. There are a few clouds starting to roll in.

"I don't know what would you do without me?" I hear his sweet voice above me. I hold my hand out for him to grab and he has that look on his face. "Oh....guess you were not talking to me was you?"

"Emily and Ava were just playing around...you got off early."

"Yep...I couldn't wait to come home to see my girl." He rolls over on to his side.

"Awe...you are so sweet...what would I do without you?"

"I don't know...but I know what I would do with you." He leans over to kiss me softly on the lips.

"Oh...really now...what is that?" I tease.

"You really want to know?" His hands find the sides of my hips and he starts to tickle the shit out of me. I jump up and start running into the open field and he comes chasing after me.

"Run Sophie...he is going to catch you," yells Emily.

I keep running; I turn around to face him but I don't let him get me instead I dodge him and run back towards the house. You should see him trying to run in those boots of his...it's kinda hilarious. When I get back to the house I run in and close the door between us. I look through the screen door as he walks up to the house. I hold on to the door so that he can't open I and he gives me that look...that look that if I don't let him in he is going to turn me over his knee...I keep laughing.

"Sophie...come on let me in...please. I have something for you?"

"Yeah...I'm sure you do." I laugh again.

"I'm serious...please let me in."

I let go of the door so that he can open it. As he walks in, I walk backwards bumping into the kitchen table. His hands find its way to my waistline and pulls me into him. I watch as his eyes close for a brief moment that his lips find mine. I continue to watch, trying not to giggle. When he opens his eyes back up, they have this sparkle to them. We stand there just looking into each other's souls.

 "I thought you said you had something for me?" I tease him some more, kissing him on his nose and then back to his lips.

He leans back and pulls something out of his pocket. "I do..." He smiles up at me. "I want you to have this." He holds this adorable diamond ring in his hand. "I want you to be mine forever...will you marry me?"

I see Emily and Ava standing outside the screen door both are smiling ear to ear and I know that they will be alright with me making this next step in my life. "Yes...yes I will marry you."

His lips come crashing into mine and before I even realize it we are making out on the table. I look back over and the girls are gone. I'm thankful that they can step away and give me privacy when I need it.

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I want to say that they too leave me...but Emily and Ava will forever be a part of my life. It's one of those things that I have learned to live with in my life. Andy for sure changed my life around. With him it's like he has this power that keeps all the others away...including the dark shadow.

Ok...maybe it is just the meds that I am on. I was always told that I would be on them for the rest of my life and there were plenty of times in my life where I thought that I was better and didn't need it. But that is so not true. The meds do work and it took me a long time to realize how much my body...my warped up little brain...needed that extra input. I'm so glad that the dark shadow has left me.

However I do  realize that if I stop the meds that he will back for me. He will try to take me under and the scary thing is...I know he will win the next time around. Until now...I am going to try to live a fun filled life with the one I love...

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Author's Note: Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time out to read this story.

Schizophrenia....is affected differently in everyone that is diagnosed. It can affect how a person thinks, manages emotions, make decisions and even relate to other people.

Positive Symptoms- seeing, hearing, or even feeling things that no one else can, belief in something even after proven to be false, disorganized thinking, involuntary movements or lack of movement.

Negative Symptoms- behavior where the person's face or voice does not move/show emotion, lack of feeling pleasure in everyday life, inability to take part in activities, talk only a little

Associated Symptoms- difficulty with memory/paying attention, difficulty understanding information, smiling/laughing for not appropriate reason, depressed mood, lack of interest in food, disturbed sleeping patterns.