I sat on the ship. It had been awhile since I’d been there and I was missing it. A lot had changed in my life. Some of it was bad, while other stuff was good. I took the good with the bad and found that my life was shaping up to be quite an interesting one.

I had enlisted into a small college near my old hometown in Maine. I lived in a dorm and luckily, wasn’t forced to have a roommate. I studied hard and graduated in the top ranks. I was looking to become an interior decorator. I was going to open my business alongside the ocean back where I had grown up. I’d fallen in love with the ocean and didn’t plan on leaving it anytime soon.

Dan finished college and ended up moving back to Maine with Leah. They were still very happily married and were expecting their first child. I knew my brother would be a wonderful father. He was so good with kids. Dan had become an engineer and Leah ended up becoming a grade school teacher. I couldn’t think of two finer parents, other than my own.

My father decided to give up his ship. He refused to sell the ship though. He said it held too many memories and figured that we’d still travel on it. He told me that I could borrow it anytime I wanted to. Just my luck, eh? Dad had decided he was too old to travel on sea so much. So he ended up retiring in our hometown with my mother. My mom decided to pain and sell her artwork. I made a piece here and there and she sold those too for me. I wasn’t a huge artist, but I enjoyed what I did.

Lily ended up marrying Brett after all. I got to be the maid of honor and I was more than thrilled to do so. I guess they had a love that would stick around for awhile and never let go. The two of them had moved to Colorado in hopes of forming a business together.

As for Steve and I…

After our senior year, we’d decided on separate colleges. He was all the way in California and we didn’t get to see each other very often. I knew he was pursuing a career in engineering. Needless to say, we began to fight often and split after a year away. He’d always told me though, that he loved me more than anyone and that one day, I’d be his again. I wasn’t holding my breath.

Before I settled down though, I felt I owed the ocean one more hurrah. I decided to spend a few weeks on the open sea before settling down. So here I sat on my ship, getting ready to head out all by myself and do my father proud, by trying out my knowledge of the sea. Well, maybe I wouldn’t be alone. Dad had arranged for me to have a travelling partner. I was to take one of his employees out to show him the ropes. I wasn’t going to fight. My father’s associates were well educated and easy to get along with.

I sat on a lounger and leaned forward, hugging my knees to my chest. I began to think about the time when Steve arrived on deck. So much had happened in that one year, that it was incomprehensible. Thoughts and memories began to swirl in my head. I looked at the entrance of the boat.

Then I thought about this deck here.

I shut my eyes as other memories came flying back and hitting me in the face. There was the pool bet, the songs I’d made up for Steve, the kisses here and there. Who was I kidding? Here I was, thinking I’d finally gotten over him, when all I wanted to do was be with him. I felt tears burn behind my eyelids.

No. I wasn’t going to do this. I wasn’t going to cry about him. It was just too hard though, as one memory invaded my mind after another. I went through our entire history, tears beginning to fall when I thought about the time I thought I’d lost him to a storm.

I let my tears fall freely now. My mind replayed our beach ceremony for him, then Dan’s wedding. I remembered when we were united.

"I hope you don’t drop those," a voice said behind me.

I turned slowly and was met by a guy in worn green cargo shorts, a wrinkled t-shirt, and the messiest hair ever. He looked absolutely worn, but as his green eyes met mine, I knew that he was still the most gorgeous thing I’d ever laid eyes on.

"Steve," I said, only faintly aware of the vase slipping from my fingers and crashing to the floor.

I remembered promises that we’d made after that. I couldn’t believe I’d been so naïve. I loved Steve though, and still did. I didn’t know where he was, had only seen him every now in then around town. It was my last day in Maine. Was I even going to find him? Would I leave, wondering where he was and whom he was with?

My cell phone rang and I wiped my eyes.

"Hello?" I asked, trying to control myself.

"Hey, Sum," I heard Dan reply.

"Hi Dan."

"Where you at?"

"On board. Getting ready to leave."

"So soon?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Look, I need to show you something," he said quickly.

"What is it?"

"Can I pick you up?"

"What is it, Dan?"

"Can I, or can’t I?"

"Fine," I said. "You can. Get me now. I want to leave within the hour."

Dan sighed and we hung up. I walked around. Was I really willing to just leave everything behind, just because I thought I was doing the right thing following in my father’s footsteps and helping him out?

My brother arrived ten minutes later and I rushed to get into his car. The sooner we got to this destination, the better. Dan drove at what I considered was too slow of a speed. We arrived in a recently developed neighborhood.

We pulled up to a giant, white house with a picket fence surrounding it. The porch was large and it was very ornately decorated. A single car was parked in a brick driveway. A dog came rushing out of the open garage.

"What is this?" I asked. "Are you moving here with Leah?"

Dan shook his head. "Get out."

"What?" I blurted.

"You heard me. I said, get out Summer. Go up there."

I arched an eyebrow, but got out of his car. I unlatched the gate and headed up the walkway. I heard a radio spilling music out, in the garage. If Dan wanted me here, he wanted me here for a reason. I followed the music and walked into the garage. A black truck was parked there and half a guy’s body rested beneath it. Tools were clattering and I figured he was doing bodywork on the car.

"Um…am I here for a reason?" I asked the unknown source.

The guy slid out from beneath the car and I nearly fainted.

"You tell me Starshine."

"I, I," I began.

"You what?" Steve asked, a smile lighting his lips.

"My brother made me come here."

"I asked him to get you here."

"Why?"

"You see this house, here?"

I nodded. Steve stood up and faced me, rubbing his hands in a dirty rag. He was wearing a pair of green cargo shorts and a dirty blue t-shirt. He had grease stains all over his hands and arms. His hair was astray. Despite all that though, he was the same Steve Warner I’d known. He hadn’t changed one bit. My love for him hadn’t changed either. I knew that now. "What about it?"

"It’s empty," he said.

I arched an eyebrow here. "You’re living in an empty house?"

"What did I tell you five years ago?"

I thought back a bit. "Steve…"

"See, I’m missing a few things."

"I didn’t take anything…"

"I meant you."

My mouth fell open. "What?" I asked.

Steve took a step forward. "I’m missing you in this equation. I have the house, the dog, the fence. I need the kids, but most of all I need you. I made a promise to myself that this would happen after college and so far it’s been going smoothly, till I hit the bump here."

"Where do I fit in here?"

"I want you to be a part of this, Summer. I miss you. Hell, I still love you. Letting go was temporary and the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I told you I loved you before and I meant it. I still do. I also said one day you and I would be together again."

I smiled at him and Steve took a step closer…so much closer that he took my cheek in his hand and lowered his head to my eye level.

"So what do you say Starshine?" he whispered. "Are you in or are you out?"

"In," I whispered.

Steve’s lips caught mine and I forgot about my ship. So much for my other plans. I’d made a deal with this man and I was going to keep it. After all, I wasn’t one to fall back on my promises.

June 18, 2002

Author’s Note: That’s it folks. It’s done. Finished. Complete. It came to the point where I just didn’t have anything else for these two to go through. Was it alrite? Eh. It better be, because I don’t plan on rewriting any of it. J Thank you all of you who have ever read this…Also, the people who read this from the start from my actual notebook. That would be Jen, Jo, and Vanessa. So thanks to you guys. And I want to thank all of you who read the first chapter, which includes. Thank you all so very much. It means a lot to know you enjoyed this fic. I have started my next one. I hope to have the first part posted soon.

Thanks to:

Saiyanwarior: I’m glad you’re happy he came back. I can’t kill people off.

Paddy: I would try, but I can’t kill people! I don’t like playing God! Hehe…

Amber: I understand about the not reviewing thing. It’s perfectly okay!

Leah: It’s done! It’s done! It’s done! J

That Heather Chick: I read it. haha…remember all my reviews?

Sara: I hope the ending is okay. I dunno. I like it!

QTpiez: haha you aren’t buggin me!

Lady Lightning: YAY! Haha…I’m on crack. Not!

Lilmakochan: Hehe…can’t do a wedding. Been there. Done that.

Alysinomo: Can’t write the sad endings.

Baby Dust Bunny: Where you going? Haha…I’m retarded.

Ruler of the World: Happy, I take it?

Melissa: YAY! Haha…I’m so fucked up.

Meg: Yeah. He is sweet.

Gnat10886: Okay, I’ll check later! Promise!

Sugarplumprincess: J YAY! Yay is the word of the day

Lubentina: Hey, there was the dog, the fence, and the kids. So lay off. Hehe…

ShaDar: Yeah, I’m not mean enough to make it a hallucination!

Rain Drop: Well now I’m done. Hey, you can read it all again if you want!

Dreamstrifer: you love sad endings? I can’t write those. J

Chip: It’s done.

Opinionated: yup. I’m done.

Your Chica: Yeah. So…uh…when are we taking over the world?

Amy: It depresses you? AGH! Hehe…

Megan: I’m glad it’s your favorite. I hope it stays that way for awhile! J