"And this is Rowan on the first day of kindergarten."

I was grateful to say that my mom was smitten with Elijah. I had no need to be worried. I could tell that she had her hooked as soon as she had whipped out the photo album.

I glanced at the photo she was pointing to, my amusement drowning out any mortification. In the image, I was sporting a serious frown, and my face was all splotchy from crying.

A light chuckle came from Elijah as he placed his arms over my shoulder. "I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that glare."

Mom flashed a smile when she looked at us, her eyes soft and lingering on Elijah. She had been unusually quiet when we had first arrived, but I had a feeling she was starting to warm up. Still, while she seemed happy to meet him, there were moments where she almost seemed sad, and I did not know why.

Maybe I was just overthinking.

"I actually remember that day," I said, laughing and drawing everyone's attention back to the album. "Dad had told me that kindergarten was for kids who ready to grow up, and I wasn't having it. I had been so adamant about not going, but mom forced me to."

"You can be a little stubborn sometimes," he chuckled.

"I'm not that stubborn," I countered, to which my mom sent me a disbelieving look and Elijah raised an eyebrow.

"Baby, I have got loads of evidence to call you on your bluff. Remember ice skating?" I just rolled my eyes playfully as Elijah leaned into me, his voice lowering to a whisper, and my eyes on his mouth. I couldn't help it, my mind tended to wander when he was that close. "Although I quite enjoyed what came after it."

I coughed, as my cheeks heated, under the glint in his gaze. Even though he had said it low enough so that my mom couldn't hear, I snuck a glance at her, seeing that she was engrossed in the album.

I sent him a pointed look, but he just smirked in response, before turning back to my mom as if he hadn't just gotten me all hot and bothered by just a simple sentence.

He was going to be the death of me.

"So I take it that Rowan was just as strong-willed as she is now?" Elijah asked, glancing down at the album with my mom. The sight of them both bending over the book, caused my heart to do a happy flip flop.

"Oh yes, she was."

"I am sitting right here," I joked, not at all bothered in truth. I was enjoying the moment, and so thankful that mom seemed to like Elijah too. Her approval meant a lot to me, so I was glad that the atmosphere was light and humorous.

"I'm just telling the truth," she replied with a twinkling laugh before flipping the page and pointing to another picture. "Rowan had been going through a phase where she watched peter pan every day, so she would walk around declaring that she would stay a child forever."

I looked at the first picture on the page, and sure enough, there I was, dressed as the female version of peter pan, the biggest grin on my face.

My eyes landed on a picture that was taken the same day as the first image we had looked at but had been taken after I had arrived home from school. I was perched on top of my Dad's shoulders, sporting a gigantic smile, and an ice cream cone in one hand. I remembered that the only reason I had eventually agreed to go to school was that my Dad had promised to get me ice cream afterward. After that day, it had become a ritual at the end of every week.

I glanced at mom as she looked at the image, her eyes sad. I took a shaky breath, unable to handle the memories, and looked away, clearing my throat. Mom glanced up, her eyes misty, and I knew exactly what she was feeling. She swiped underneath her eyes and stood up, just as a timer in the oven went off.

Time may have made things easier to cope with, but it couldn't erase the past. She was just as in love with my dad now as she had been then.

"Okay, I am going to go check on the turkey."

I stood up, about to go and help her, but she waved me off with my hand.

"I got this, Rowan. You just relax and stay right here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, baby. Who do you think used to do all the cooking when you were younger? These hands still have skills," she said with a wink, before turning. She made sure to carefully step over the wrapping paper that littered the floor, from the presents we had unwrapped earlier.

I turned to Elijah when she left. "By skills, she means that we are having burnt turkey."

He laughed. "Hey, a burnt turkey is better than no turkey at all."

I sat back down beside him, nodding my head. "Yea. That is true. Let's just hope she doesn't manage to catch it on fire like she did last year."

His eyebrows raised, and I shook my head, laughing. "Please don't ask me how it happened. I have no idea."

I heard mom yelp slightly from the kitchen and his eyes shot to mine. She called out saying that she was fine.

"On second thought maybe we should go in there and help her," he muttered.

"We probably should. But I don't want to get up. I think I might still go into a coma from all the food we ate for breakfast," I said, resting my head on his shoulder.

I wasn't exaggerating either. Between Elijah and my mom, they had practically prepared a feast for today's breakfast. And as usual, it didn't disappoint. There was a loud crash from the kitchen and I jerked upright, my eyes wide.

"Everything is fine! Don't you dare come in to help me either, Rowan," my Mom called from the kitchen.

But I had already stood up.

"Yea, you're right," I said to Elijah. "Let's go help her out."

He laughed, and I turned to head into the kitchen, but he placed a hand on my arm, stopping me.

"Wait for a second, babe, I wanted to give you something."

I squinted my eyes a little, trying to figure out if I was seeing things correctly. If I wasn't mistaken, he looked nervous all of a sudden. He stood up, leading us to my old room, and closed the door when we entered.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, sitting down. He ran a hand through his hair, something he also did when he was nervous. I smiled softly, wondering what it was he had to give me. We had already opened presents earlier.

"I know that we technically opened presents already, but I wanted to give this one to you when it was just us two."

He wrapped an around my waist, reaching over the side of the bed, and pulling out a red gift bag. I paused.

How had I not seen it?

"I feel bad that I didn't get you something more personal now," I said, thinking back to the measly picture frame of us I had given him. I had also gotten him some cologne, and tickets to a rare U.S.-based soccer game, but I now wished that I had gotten him something more meaningful.

"I loved what you gave me, sweetheart." He nudged the bag over to me, and I grabbed it slowly.

When I peered inside I spotted two wrapped boxes. I grabbed one. I stared at how small the box was, before opening it. I gasped when I caught a glimpse of the small star-shaped pendant inside, a small diamond nestled in the center.

"Elijah..." I breathed. "It's-" I closed my mouth, at a loss for words.

...It was gorgeous.

My heart began to ache when I got a closer look at what it was. It wasn't just any star, it was a north star. My eyes few to his and he smiled, the nervous expression that had been in his eyes fully disappearing.

"I hope this didn't cost you too much."

"The cost doesn't matter. You are worth every penny."

My gaze shifted back to his, and I moved so that my back was facing him, still in awe. "Will you put it on me?"

He nodded, grabbing the necklace and unclasping the chain. His fingers grazed the back of my neck as they pushed my hair to the side, and I shivered as he brought the chain over my head. The pendant rested in the center of my chest, positioned perfectly as if it was meant to be there.

Elijah's fingers lingered on my skin when he was done, and I shut my eyes when I felt his mouth press to the base of my neck.

"There is one more thing in the bag."

He leaned away and pointed to it, fidgeting slightly.

"I know you have one, but I didn't know if you would have it when I gave you the other thing that is in there. So I figured I would get you another one so that I didn't ruin the surprise."

I turned to face him again, silently taking in the furrow of his eyebrows and the worried glint in his eyes. He looked so adorable, that I couldn't refrain from kissing him. I smiled, pressing my lips to his as my own nervousness arose. He was usually so calm, so seeing him like this had the butterflies in my stomach stirring awake.

I grabbed the bag again, having seen something else in it before. Peering into it, I eyed the box that was tucked inside golden wrapping paper, and I grabbed it. I started to unwrap it but paused when he ran a hand through his hair.

It was shaking.

"You know I am going to love it right?" I said bringing my gaze to his and grabbing his hand. He said nothing at first, pressing his mouth to the back of my hand.

"Just ignore me," he said lowly. "I'm just nervous."

The butterflies in my stomach kicked it up a notch.

Kissing him gently, I ran a hand over his face trying to do what I could to reassure him that he didn't have to be. I then pulled back, sliding my fingers under the neatly folded edge of the wrapping paper, my heart stopping when I finally realized what it was.

It was a tape.

And underneath it was a cassette player.

I traced the label gently with my thumb, unsure if I was breathing as I looked at it. I had shown him the one I had once before, having mentioned that I was going to get a new one. But that had been way before we had even started dating.

I wasn't even sure if he was aware of the connection it all had to my dad. But that didn't matter. All I could do was sit there, my heart clamoring in my chest as I took in just how much I was grateful to have him in my life.

I finally read the label.

"For The Brightest Star In The Universe."

All of the reasons why I had been scared to tell him how I really felt, seemed insignificant, as we looked at each other. I scanned his eyes and I knew that there was no reason why I should have been afraid to tell him. Life was too short for me not to express how I truly felt.

"I love you."

The words fell out before I could stop them.

As soon as I said it I knew that I had never truly experienced freedom until that moment. I let out a breath, nodding as I smiled through my tears.

Goodness, it felt so good to say.

Elijah went rigid underneath me, and his hands flew to mine.

"What did you just say?"

"I love you, Elijah." The hazel eyes that I had come to love shone gloriously, his shock lowly morphing into a smile. "I have wanted to tell you for a long time now, and only hadn't because something kept holding me back. But I do. I love you."

He just stared at me, his eyebrows raised slightly and his chest moving up and down slowly. Part of me wanted to panic with his silence, but the other part was content with him knowing.

"You still alive?" I murmured with a small laugh.

He nodded slowly, swallowing before opening his mouth.

"This was not how I thought it would go."

My heart dropped into my stomach as I took in his stricken expression. His words were like a bucket of ice crashing down on me, leaving me cold where I once felt warm. I inhaled slowly, wringing my hands together.

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering Elijah picked up the pair of earbuds that came with the set and placed one gently in my ear. He put the other one in his, as I heard the familiar click of the play button. His hands intertwined with mine, as the initial static of the tape eased into the soft strum of a piano medley.

I just waited silently, my stomach turning since I didn't know where he was going with this. Was he not going to respond? Was he going to pretend as if I hadn't said it? I opened my mouth, only to close it again as a rush of thoughts crowded my mind.

I knew Elijah cared for me. I knew that. But I also knew that there was a chance that what I felt for him could be unreturned. The thought caused my throat to constrict as I watched him study me, his body rigid and unmoving.

"Say something." My voice was but a whisper, cracking quite clearly in the silence, as my heart dipped in my chest.

I couldn't tell what he was thinking. That was what scared me the most.

"I have a response. Trust me I do. Just listen."

My eyes locked with his when the familiar melody reached my ears and I smiled. Elijah smiled, but I noticed the way the corners of his eyes creased, as the nervous expression that was in his eyes earlier came back.

I shifted so I was facing him, running my hand along his cheek. I tuned into the music; the song being one I hadn't heard before, but still beautiful nonetheless. Elijah's eyes never left mine as he traced undecipherable patterns into my back with his fingers, mouthing the words soundlessly as I leaned into his touch.

'And now I understand that I will always love you.'

My eyes flew to his, and I paused when I saw that they had grown misty. With each verse my breathing quickened, my heart threatening to come out of my chest. I had misread his expression earlier.

My throat tightened when he nodded. I knew I had said it first, but it felt different to know.

"I love you, too. I had this all planned out and then you went in said it first. I don't care though. Because all that matters is that I love you."

I sniffed, picking my head up and looking into his beautiful eyes. Elijah brought his hand up, wiping my face.

"And in a way, I think I always have. Some people say that some fates are intertwined across time and space. I never really believed in the saying, but now I am sure that my heart has always belonged to you."

He brought my hand up to his chest, placing it there. "Do you feel that?" I nodded, feeling the rapid movements. "That only happens with you. No one has ever made me feel the way you make me feel."

He smiled, and I smoothed his hair out of his eyes.

"I do not know when it was that I fell for you. Maybe it was when you almost hit me with your car." I laughed, wishing that I could remember the moment for myself as he continued. "Or it was that night on Hayden's porch."

My sight blurred.

"Maybe it didn't happen at one specific point in time. I don't really know," he continued his voice cracking. "But what I know, is that I love you. I know that people may say that not enough time has passed, but I don't care. I want you to know that I wholeheartedly, illogically, and unconventionally love you."

Elation ran through me, and I held in a sob.

"Even if everything in the world is wrong," he took a shaky breath, "even if the stars start to fall, and the sun won't shine, I know that I am right by loving you."

He closed the distance between us then, his lips covering mine, and my hands landing on each side of his face before he spoke again.

"I couldn't go another day without telling you." His arms tightened, as we sat there unmoving. Our heartbeats were separate, but rhythmically they were one. "Goodness, I wasn't expecting you to say it back," he whispered, placing a small kiss against my hairline.

"Well I do," I whispered breathing him in. Still trying to absorb his words, telling myself that this wasn't an illusion. That he had said it back. "And nothing can change that."

He pulled back, meeting my eyes.

"I love you so much."

I brought my fingers to the necklace around my neck, thinking about the title of the cassette tape. It had totally flown over my head before, but now it made sense. I understood what he was saying.

"You are my North Star too."