It was Tuesday morning, and Gunner would finally leave the hospital. Faith wanted to see him, but her parents had prohibited any interaction with him. She walked to school instead of taking the school bus, but she took a detour towards the bus station on the way there.
Faith paid for the ticket and got on. She sat on the middle seat and put on a hat and sunglasses, trying to hide her face from any local person who could recognize her. The bus took off not long after. An hour later, she was at the bus station close to the hospital.
As soon as Faith walked in, she looked for the room and found it at the end of the hallway. Gunner was dressed and ready to leave. She stood in the doorway, admiring her handsome boyfriend. He grabbed all his belongings while his parents were taking them out to the car.
“
The question escaped Palmer’s lips suddenly, and Christopher just froze in place, trying to absorb the proposal. She was standing there, her eyebrows drawn as she waited for his answer.“Christopher? Say something, please,” she said, fidgeting with her fingers and trying not to show his silence hurt her.“I… umm… I have to go home. Um… I probably missed my bus, so I have… to call my Mom,” he said, fixing the strap of his backpack before he walked out of the auditorium.
The sun was setting on the horizon. Palmer had agreed to walk with Christopher through the trails. The only sound they could hear was the horses neighing in the distance and the cows mooing while they grazed.They walked in silence until they reached the lake. Christopher was nervous, and he wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. The sun was looking beautiful, the sky with orange and purple hues was a breathtaking view.“Palmer...”“Not now, Chris. Let me enjoy the silence for a bit, please,” she said, hugging herself, not daring to look at the guy walking right next to her. The guy she was dying to kiss.Christophe
Hearing Cindy speak on their behalf brought a smile to Faith’s lips. She hugged her mother, thanking her for the support.“I’m not going to approve of this either way, and that’s final,” Noah spoke. Faith looked at Gunner with sad eyes. He nodded slowly, letting her know he had this before he looked back at her father.“Then I won’t leave until you see I meant everything I said about your daughter, sir. Or else I will take her with me.”Faith bit her lips nervously, surprised at Gunner’s warning. Cindy looked at her in resignation. Her husband would surely not l
The next morning, Palmer woke up before her parents to make some breakfast. She grabbed a wicker basket and some utensils with plates to put them inside.Humming along while cooking, she finally got the egg sandwiches ready and homemade raspberry iced tea. She also washed two apples in the sink and put them in the basket before closing it tightly.“Someone is up early. Where are you going?” Daisy asked as she walked into the kitchen and looked at Palmer’s fixings on the table.“I’m having some breakfast with Christopher at the lake,” Palmer replied, taking the basket and holding it against her as she grabbed a hat and some sunscreen in case she needed it for him.
“What do you all think you’re doing?” Grace asked when she saw Christopher and Palmer walk into the house with Faith behind.“Mom, she doesn’t want to go back to her house. She’s set on not wanting to see her parents at the moment. Is it okay if she stays in the guest room?” Christopher asked, giving her puppy dog eyes to get her to cave in.“Chris, you know I can get in trouble for hiding her here,” she said while wiping her hands with a towel. She had been cooking lunch, and this was a surprise for her.“I know, Mom, but just for a few days, or until she’s ready to go back to her house.”
Palmer knocked on the door, and after hearing a faint come in, she opened it before walking into the room. Faith was sitting on the bed, her legs crossed as she looked out the window. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and when Palmer sat down in front of her, she looked her way, smiling sadly.Palmer could feel her pain, and tried to comfort her with a smile, squeezing her hands to let her know everything would be okay.“I love him, Palmer. If my father could see that he’s a great guy, he would not think that way. He’s always focused on how well I could live if I were with a rich guy,” she cried.“I’m so sorry. Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll ke
“Mom, Sheriff Fisher is downstairs. He says he has that date with you,” Christopher said when he opened the door after knocking. She was about to change into her nightgown when she remembered she had dinner with him. With the upsetting conversation they had, she didn’t have the mind for anything.“Tell him I’ll be there in a minute,” she replied, putting her hair up in a small bun and checking herself in the mirror. She didn’t have time to get herself ready, so she just stayed with the clothes she had on.Grace walked down the stairs and noticed Thomas sitting on the living room couch, watching the movie with Christopher and Palmer while waiting for her. He turned around and saw her, giving her a faint smile and hoping she was not still mad at him.“I didn’t thin
Thomas and Grace arrived at her house, making sure there was no one following them. She was shaken up and worried about him.He parked in the driveway, stepping out of the car before he walked around and opened the door for her.“Grace, are you okay?” He asked, concerned as he helped her out of the car. She looked at him, and he noticed a slight bruise on her forehead, probably from the dashboard or the car door.“I’ll be fine. Just a bit of a headache, but it’s no big deal,” Grace replied, smiling at him to let him know she was okay. She was in great company, and he had shown he could protect her of anything.&ld