The Swingset
for Nick

My fingers clicked at the keyboard, typing my every-other-week email to him…to Nick…. It still was hard to speak his name, too many memories attached, too many tears and broken hearts. It had been seven months since we last spoke, and I had been waiting…waiting…waiting ever since. Waiting for him to ask for me back, waiting for him to ask for one more chance, waiting for him to give me his heart, again.

MESSAGE SENT.

I minimized my email and set to work on my psychology paper. 45 minutes and two pages later, I rubbed my eyes and the minimized screen caught my attention. "1 New Message." I opened the screen, hating my racing heart for even hoping that he would email me back. Yet, still…I hoped….

"NEW SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE!!!"

I sighed and logged off, walking downstairs to watch TV. I was halfway to the family room when a knock on the door interrupted my quickly darkening thoughts. I turned and casually opened the front door. My heart fell into my stomach as I realized who was at my door. Nick.

He stood there, shuffling awkwardly. I had already started sweating and my head was pounding with a frantic heartbeat.

"Hi…," he murmured, glancing around before meeting my eyes again, "Can we, umm, talk? For a sec?"

"Ye—yeah," I stuttered, blushing a bit at how foolish I looked, "Let me grab my keys."

I shut the door behind me and locked it as Nick walked towards his red ranger. He opened the passenger door for me, smiling shyly.

"Where to?" he asked.

"The park. We can talk there and we'll be alone." I smiled. "Plus, you can push me on the swings. Now don't you feel lucky?"

He grinned and drove to the nearby park. I got out of the truck before he had even turned off the engine and ran to the swings. I have the horrible habit of acting extremely hyper and stupid when I'm nervous, so I was pretty much a psychotic mess of energy as soon as I saw Nick on my doorstep.

As I settled into the swing, Nick walked slowly across the mulched park and placed himself behind me, tentatively putting his hands on my hips and pushing. We stayed in silence for a while, the trees throwing cooling shadows across us. Finally, I spoke.

"Why did you want to see me, Nick?" I asked, spinning around on the swing to face him. He was staring at the ground with a pained look on his face. "Are you okay?" I continued, concern etching across my face. He looked up at me, his pale green eyes meeting mine with tender emotion. He was silent for a second before answering.

"Cait…" He averted his eyes from my stare once more. "I made a mistake." I furrowed my brow in confusion, unable, unwilling, to hope that he meant he wanted me back.

"What do you mean? Are you okay, Nicky—?" I stopped and closed my eyes. "Nick…I mean Nick. Sorry." It was habit to call him by my affectionate nickname for him—Nicky.

"It's okay…." He paused. "You can…umm…you can call me Nicky." He looked up at me shyly and I couldn't help but smile. I ducked my head before he could see the happiness, so he wouldn't know how much he affected me.

"So…you were saying?" I reminded him.

"Oh, yeah…umm….I made a mistake…." All the sudden the words rushed out of him. "I made a mistake when I left you I should have never listened to my friends or my dad or anyone at all and I'm so sorry and I know you probably won't give me another chance cuz I've fucked up so many times but…" he rubbed his forehead and glanced at me "but…Caitie…I'm sorry and I love you and please forgive me. I couldn't stop fucking thinking about you! And no one else is like you and you are the only one I want!" His voice had risen and he sighed in exasperation.

"I'll go, now. I'm sorry for ever talking to you and bothering you. I'm sorry." He started walking away. I jumped out of the swing and ran after him, grabbing his arm and spinning him around to face me. I stared at him for a few seconds, reading the emotions in his eyes, making sure that he meant what he had said, before slamming my lips against his. His eyes widened in shock before he gave over to the kiss, his lips pressing back into mine with bruising pressure.

We broke apart and I looked at him.

"Do you mean everything you say?" I queried.

"Yes. Caitie, I love you so fucking much. I'm in love with you. I still want to marry you and spend forever with you." He smiled to himself before saying the word that meant so much to us—our secret word of love. "Always." He kissed me again and my heart burst into irregular beats, too fast for comfort, the butterflies leaping into my chest and knocking the breath from my burning lungs. He wrapped his arms around me, fingers sliding up my shirt, feeling the skin he had missed for so long.

I pulled back from him and looked away nervously.

"What?" He cupped my face and brought it back so our eyes met. "What's wrong?"

"Nick…" I paused.

"Cait, what?" Panicky concern was leaking into his voice. "What's wrong??"
"Nick, I want to be a part of your family. I don't want us to be a secret. My family will welcome you back, they've told me, cuz they know I've been waiting for you. Please just let me talk to your parents and try to make things right. If we both talk to them, maybe I can make it up to them and they won't hate me. Your happiness is all that matters, right?" I glanced at him, the tears already burning my eyes. I almost didn't want to hear his answer, afraid that I just scared him away. I continued hastily, "And I don't want you to leave me just cuz your parents don't want me to date you!"

"Cait…."

The tears fell and traced their way down my cheeks. He quickly wiped them away and kissed me softly.

"Cait, I'll never give you up again. I was so stupid for doing that to you. I'm sorry. Please believe me."

"No matter what? You won't leave me?"

"No matter what."

"So…you'll let me talk to your parents?"

"Okay…but I'm not guaranteeing anything."

"Do they really hate me?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"When can I talk to them?"

Nick glanced at his cell phone, getting the time. 7:30 pm.

"They are both home now. Do you want to do this now?"

"If you are sure of this, then yes."

"I'm sure," he said before capturing my lips once more. "I love you, Caitie. Always."

"I love you, too, Nicky."

We got in the truck and started towards his house. When we arrived, he helped me out and held my hand during the walk to his door.

"Let me go in first and tell them. I'll come get you in a min." He kissed me and walked inside.

Two or so minutes passed until the door opened again, Nick's hand reaching out for me.

"They're at the kitchen table."

He led the way up the stairs and into the kitchen. His mother and father were waiting there expectantly. I smiled at them nervously and began.

"Before you say anything and tell Nick he's making a mistake, please just listen to me. I know you probably hate me and everything and I'm not exactly sure why but I'm sorry for anything I did to offend you. I really am. I never meant to hurt Nick and I would never do anything to purposefully hurt any of you. And before you tell Nick to not date me, you need to know that I love your son more than the entire world and I love him more than anyone else ever could. And I love you all like my own family and I want to be a part of yours. I'll do anything to make this up to you. But no matter what, nothing you say will make me give up on Nick and nothing you say will make me run away or stop loving him." I glanced at Nick, who was smiling at me. "So, please…let this happen."

They stared at me for a second before Mrs. Price spoke.

"We don't hate you. And…okay." She smiled and stood up, walking towards me and hugging me. Mr. Price soon followed, pulling me into his arms as well.

Nick stood behind them, smiling. He reached out for my hand and drew me towards him, whispering in my ear, "I love you and please don't be embarrassed over what I'm about to do." He kissed my cheek and stood back. He looked at his parents and looked back at me before bending down onto one knee.

"I know we've only just begun again, but Cait, I know I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I don't have a ring but I do promise that I'll love you always. So…" his eyes searched mine "will you marry me?"

I gasped, tears springing to my eyes in hot puddles. I glanced at his parents and they were both smiling, his mom crying.

I fell down to my knees in front of him, kissing him hard, the tears falling down my cheeks. He reached up and wiped them away, his hand resting upon the contours of my face.

"Well?" he asked.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Of course!" I slapped him playfully. "What? You think I'd say no? Foo'."

He laughed as we stood together and his parents hugged me again. Nick wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled down at me.

"I'm in love with you," he said.

"Always."