A butterfly, such a delicate creature, yet also so strong. Its colorful wings fluttering with all the strength that it has, getting it from here to there.

If only I could fly.

"Earth to Shelby?"

My eyes peel away from the small butterfly, landing on Adrian. "Mhm."

"I said we're headed out soon, but it seems like you're in your own world at the moment."

I look back at the butterfly, which is preparing to take off, its wings starting to flap back and forth. "Was just admiring all of the beauty surrounding me."

A flirtatious smile makes its way onto his face. "Well, then you should be looking through the glass doors behind you."

"Why?" I wonder as I turn around and gaze through the doors.

"Do you see it?"

All I can see is the room beyond and a blurry glimpse of my reflection. "See what?"

He comes to stand beside me. "I see it."

"You do?" I see my reflection raise an eyebrow.

"Yes. And wow, is she beautiful."

"My reflection."

"You got it." He smiles as he leans in and plants a kiss on my cheek.

"You're so cheesy." I can't help myself from smiling though.

"Cheesy is good, isn't it?"

I laugh. "Not at all."

"But isn't cheesy romantic?"

"It is, but it means too much at once. Which can make it cringe-worthy."

"Are you saying that I make you cringe?" He looks hurt. Oopsie.

I open my mouth to respond, but just then Dylan calls to us from inside, "You guys ready to go? The car is already all packed."

Thank you Dylan for rescuing me.

"Let's go." I take Adrian's hand in mine and drag him after me toward the garage where the car is parked.

"But you didn't answer me."

I look at him as we're climbing into the SUV's back seats. "No, you're not cringy, just a bit cheesy at times."

"And is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all," I reply while I kiss his stubbled cheek for reinsurance.

"Good." He smiles. "Because I have a lot more cheesy lines stashed away in my back pocket."

Now I'm groaning. "You have to be kidding me."

"Not at all." He smirks and I laugh.

"You guys are so cheesy." Sierra is in the passenger seat looking over her shoulder at us.

Adrian and I share a look before bursting out in laughter.

"What?" Sierra asks, all confused.

"Nothing," Adrian and I say in unison.

"Oh, whatever." She turns back around and turns on the radio as we pull onto the highway.

I lean my head onto Adrian's shoulder and close my eyes, allowing myself to drift off to sleep for the remainder of the car ride.

***

In the next few days, I try to make as many happy memories as I can with Adrian. I don't let him leave my side. It's as if we are joined together by the hips.

I look at him now, sleeping so peacefully. Snuggling up beside him, I trace with my index finger along his face. The width of his forehead, the bumps of his closed eyelids, the length of his nose. I then move to the indent on the top of his upper lip and the curve of his mouth.

As I'm moving onto the tip of his chin and his razorlike jawline, his evergreen eyes flutter open. He looks at me confused.

"What are you doing?"

I look away, embarrassed that he caught me in the act. "I was tracing your face."

"Why?"

"I was hoping it will etch it into my memory."

"You know you could just take a picture." He gives me a soft smile, causing my heart to shatter into many, many, many pieces.

"I have plenty of pictures. Now, I want to remember what all of your facial features feel like when I trace them under my fingertip."

"And did you get it?"

"I think so."

We stare at each other, breaths coming out heavily. His fingers push my messy hair out of my face as he draws me closer.

"You leave in just a few hours," my voice is low, but since we're so close he manages to hear me.

"I know, but I don't want to think about that right now. We still got some time and at the moment I still have you here with me. My last happy memory before I have to get ready and go."

I continue to trace my finger along his jawline, feeling the prickliness of his recently shaved facial hair. "I wish there was a way that you could have gotten out of the recruitment. Why do you have to go?" I hear myself asking for at least the 100th time.

He closes his eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I place my hand above his racing heart as he speaks. "There was no possibility. I'm a strong and healthy young man who's capable to serve his country. I had no excuse."

"I know," I sigh. "I just wish things could have gone differently. You know?"

"Yeah, me too."

He holds me close as the clock tick-tocks--- time moving along too quickly.

"Shelby?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something that I'll like to give you as a departing gift and also as a birthday present. I feel bad that we didn't really get to celebrate it."

"It's ok," I tell him and he smiles.

He's then slipping away from me and makes his way to the dresser, pulling a small jewelry box out from the top drawer.

I watch him with curiosity as he walks back to the bed and sits down before me. "Close your eyes and put out your ring finger," he instructs me.

"Ok." This time when I say it- it comes out a bit unsure, but I listen, closing my eyes and placing out my ring finger.

I can hear the box opening, and feel a ring being slipped onto my finger. I hold my breath the entire time.

"You can look now."

I open my eyes and examine the thin silver band that is now circling my finger. "It's a promise ring," I say, reading the words that are engraved into the ring--- 'Adrian and Shelby- Forever and Always.

"Yeah. I have one too." Adrian smiles, his eyes shining oh so bright.

"I love it, thank you."

He leans in, planting a sweet kiss on my lips. "And I love you."

"Not as much as I love you." My heart overflows, the color red staining everywhere.

He nuzzles my nose with his as he pushes me back down, spawling us across the bed in tangled limbs.

"You know you're making it so much harder for me to leave?" He says at the same time I blurt out, "Let's run away, somewhere far that they'll never find us."

He chuckles, though his eyes are a bit sad. "If only we could."

The sadness in his eyes is a stab to my heart. "Hey." I smile, in an attempt to cheer him up. "How about when you get back, you and I go travel the world?"

"Sounds like a wonderful plan to me," he says.

He's then sliding his hand behind my head, lifting it a little as he brings his lips to mine in the most passionate kiss. A kiss where I can feel all his emotions. All that fear, doubt, and nervousness, but then comes the love--- shining bright. All his worries getting zapped away.

Oh, am I going to miss him.

We stay in each other's embrace until his alarm clock rings.

"I'll see you outside in two hours," Adrian tells me as he gathers his things for the shower.

"You betcha."

He smiles before entering the bathroom, the door's lock clicking into place.

With him gone, I look down at the ring on my finger, the tears I tried so hard to hold back---breaking free. And I bury my face into his bedsheets, getting overwhelmed by the scent of his aftershave. All the memories that we made here--- buzzing through my head, causing me to choke on the tears.

Sniffing, I stand up on unsteady legs and wobble out the door. His father and Joel are asleep the house still and quiet as I float on by, headed outside.

I don't know how I made it back to my room, but before I know it I'm curled up in my own bed my eyes fixed on the clock. 1 hr and 45 minutes and then Adrian and I will be saying goodbye for good.

Burrowing my face into my pillow, I continue to cry

And cry

And cry.

Until I'm drowning.

***

My eyes are red and raw as I drift up the stairs to go greet Adrian on his porch.

He stands there, his hands--- the 2 hands that have just been touching me a few hours ago--- stuffed into his sweatpants pockets. And his eyes--- the 2 eyes that were just gazing at me lovingly a few hours ago--- cast down on his Adidas sneakers. His lips--- the 2 lips which kissed me until I was breathless--- set in a frown.

"So this is it." I come to a stop before him and he looks at me.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"I'll be waiting for your calls then."

Finally, he cracks a smile. "Expect a call every single night."

I return a smile of my own. "My phone won't be leaving my side."

And then I'm wrapping my arms around him, drawing him in for a bone-crushing hug. "I can't let you go." My voice is a bit muffled as my mouth is smashed against his chest. "I'm going to miss you way too much."

His chin is buried in my hair, his hands rubbing up and down my back. "You'll be fine."

"I don't know if I will be."

"You'll be fine," he repeats as he pulls back, his beautiful evergreen eyes gazing into mine.

All I do is nod, not knowing who I'm trying to reassure here. Me or him?

"Adrian." His father calls from his truck while blowing the horn. "It's getting late. Please hurry things up. We have to go."

Adrian's hands are now on my shoulders, his eyes still locked on mine, keeping me glued in place. "Everything is going to be ok. I'll be back before you know it."

I nod once again, at a loss for words.

"I love you," he whispers. And then he is lifting me into the air and twirling me around as his lips connect with mine 1 last time.

I kiss him with all that I got, hoping that this time he's the 1 feeling all my emotions. All the fear for him, doubt that everything will be ok, nervous that he'll forget to call me every single night- that he'll be too busy running around with a gun in his hand as he saves our country from going to war, and mostly I hope that he can feel just how much I love him. That my heart beats for him.

The moment ends too soon and he's placing me back onto the solid ground, his hands sliding away from me. I grab onto them and he looks back at me, his eyes teary.

"I love you too," I tell him. "So, so, so much."

"Believe me, I know." He smiles as he heads down the stairs and climbs into the truck beside his father and Joel.

"You have everything?" I hear his father questioning him.

"Yeah."

And then they're pulling away and I'm racing down the stairs to their porch 2 at a time, waving madly at the retreating truck.

I wave and wave and wave until the truck turns the corner and then I give chase, running after it. But when I reach the corner the truck is already several blocks ahead, getting smaller and smaller and smaller. I don't stop waving though. Not until it's just a tiny black dot way off in the distance.

Dad, Mom, and Josh are watching me from the porch, I can feel their eyes on me. I face them, putting on my brave face. I'm fine. All is just dandy. I won't show them that I'm really broken. I can't show them that I'm really broken.

I stop in front of our house, pieces of my heart scattered upon the trail I just left behind. Josh comes running down the stairs, his not-so-scrawny any more arms encasing me, holding me close.

"It's all going to be ok," he's telling me.

I say nothing, burying my face in his shoulder and allowing his brotherly embrace to comfort me as best as it can.

Which isn't much.

Adrian is gone and now, so am I.