They met over a toad.
He was a small, gangly little boy, with eyes full of mischief and a determined expression. He walked up to her at the first church picnic of the season, held out his hand on which rested a fat little toad and grinned.
“Will you be my friend?”
She had given the toad a glare, but she was no sissy. Toads didn’t scare her. She took the toad, put it in her apron pocket and looked him in the face. “Sure.”
“We have to seal it with a kiss.” His words were so serious, full of solemnity in the moment. As if the way they made their pact would alter the world. And it would, for there little world would be forever changed.
“Fine, but only on the cheek. Kissing lips is for grownups.”
He had nodded with all the focus of a soldier and he leaned in for the kiss, wrinkling his nose as he did so. They had wandered off hand in hand to find a Mrs. Toad and enjoy the rest of the picnic, the best of friends.
As the years passed, they had remained the best of friends, competing in school and even sports. They were the sun and moon around which the rest of their friends revolved. Many a fun time was had, many a scrape gotten into, and many a mistake made. But their friendship stayed the same. Until the day they had graduated high school.
He had looked at her with fresh eyes as she walked across the platform that day to receive her diploma. She had worked hard, had ended her last school year with one of the highest grade point averages in the school. Three scholarship offers waited, hanging from magnets on her family’s fridge, the place of honor. She was a vision with her cap set just so on her head, joy and nervousness chasing each other across her face. He was so proud of her.
Later, at the picnic in celebration of the graduation, he found her, laughing with some aunts and uncles as she swirled lemonade in her glass, her sun hat perched atop her beautiful brown hair. Her smile made his heart skip a beat. He waited until the aunts and uncles said goodbye and walked away before he made his move towards her.
“You made it!” He held up his hand for a high-five, which she gave him while giggling, her brown eyes bright with joy.
Before she said anything, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “That is for luck.”
She laughed again. “I’ll need it at college.”
“Not with your smarts.”
She smiled again, but then the smile slipped from her face like a scoop of melted ice-cream falling from a cone. “It won’t be the same without you.”
“Yeah.” He scuffed the toe of his shoes in the dirt and placed his hands in his pockets.
Someone called her name in the distance.
They both looked at each other.
“I should go.”
“Yeah,” he said again, his conversational skills having fled.
Before he realized what was happening, she gave him a hug. “God go with you Jeremy.” She whispered in his ear before taking off towards the person calling her name.
He watched her go, her blue sundress and brown hair bouncing in the breeze. A thought flooded his head as if it weren’t his own. Someday she will be your wife.
More years passed. The wedding came and went. Births, six to be exact, a miscarriage and a puppy. They survived their children’s lost teeth, more stitches than they cared to count, several broken bones and more diapers than they cared to remember.
Through the newlywed stage, the parenting stage, and the times when they watched their children fly the coop, one by one, they remained strong, immovable, one. They argued, made up, loved and lost.
He looked over at her as she sat staring at three of their grandchildren wrestling with the new puppy. They held hands over the wooden armrests of the lawn chairs. She still had that sparkle in her eyes. Though her hair was white, her eyes were still as brown as ever, deep and rich. And she smiled her beautiful beaming smile as one of the grandchildren tripped over the puppy’s tale and ended up with a mouthful of fur.
He leaned over and placed his lips on her wrinkled and soft cheek. He squeezed her hand.
“I love you.” He whispered in her ear.
“I love you too.”

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I really enjoyed writing this one! I had my dear friend and bestie pick out which one I was going to write this week, and once she picked this, at first I was kind of not into it. BUT THEN. . . I wrote and it happened and now I love it probably the most off all my prompts.

So, here is a fun challenge for you! I am going to link to my Writing Prompt’s Pinterest board, and YOU get to pick next weeks prompt! So comment your suggestions and I will write them in the order you comment your suggestions!

Also, one last thing. . . A giveaway is going on “here” ! Enter to win a $10 gift certificate to my Etsy shop!

Okay, enough housekeeping. . .

What did you think of the prompt? I love hearing from my readers so be sure to let me know in the comments below!

By God’s Grace,

Victoria