As her first week went on, Anna came to realize the students in her classes didn’t really like getting to know transfer students. The only person who really wanted to be with her was Brice. He loved to just stop and chat about things when they passed each other in the hall, and she really appreciated that at least one person was interested in her.

Brice came to see that they had a lot in common. They both loved English, they hated people who were very stuck-up, snobby, and rude and people that thought the world just focused on them. They could also lead easy conversations and make each other laugh a lot.
They also found they had a handful of classes together, so often Brice would offer to help her with her homework just as an excuse to talk to her.
“Hey Anna,” he said at the end of her first week when they were hanging out before fourth hour. “There’s that English paper due next week and I wanted to know if you started it or not.”
“Oh, I already did it,” Anna replied. “But there’s that math worksheet that’s due Monday, and I don’t want to drown myself with homework this weekend. Maybe we can work on it together after school.”
“Ha Ha. Drown yourself with homework. That’s funny. But sure. Meet me in the courtyard when school is over and we can work on it,” Brice said.
“Great, can’t wait,” Anna said, giving him a flirty smile before walking off to class.
That afternoon, Brice and Anna were helping each other with the math problems, but all Brice wanted to do was ask Anna questions.
“So, where did you live before moving to Utah?” Brice asked.
“My family and I lived in Helena, Montana before my mom, brother, and I moved here,” Anna said. “My mom got a job here, but we couldn’t afford to live here as a family, so my dad went out somewhere else to get a better job. What did you get for 23*6+1, #7?”
“139,” Brice answered. “Did you have a lot of friends when you lived in Montana? Did you ever have a boyfriend?”
“The students at my old school weren’t too friendly with me. The students here kind of remind of the students back home. Well, except for you,” Anna explained. “I never had a boyfriend back at my old school. Most boys thought of me as a bookworm girl and really didn’t care about getting to know me, like you. If they got to know me…they’d realize I’m more than what you see on the outside and probably ask me out. Back in Montana, I was known as the freaky bookworm girl that everyone either teased or ignored. It’s nice just to come here a feel like…,” she looked up at Brice with a soft look in her eyes and a whisper in her voice. “…a girl,” she finished.
A long silence swept around them and they simply just looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

Anna took a deep breath and broke the silence by saying, “Oh, sorry. Just a flashback. I hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable for you. That’s another reason boys didn’t like me. They thought whatever came out of my mouth made them feel uncomfortable.”
“Oh, no no,” Brice said. “It was a nice story. And I think you are perfect just by being who you really are.”
“Well, thank you,” Anna said, blushing. “Oh, 67/3 is…”
“22.33,” Brice finished for her.
“Why are you asking so many questions anyway?” Anna asked.
“Well, I just want to know a bit about you,” Brice replied. “I think your life sounds pretty adventurous so far though you’re only 16. You are 16 right?”
“Yeah, I’m 16,” Anna answered. “And my life’s felt like a total rollercoaster though I still have my whole life ahead of me.”
“Wow, sounds crazy,” Brice said.
“Well, what about you?” Anna asked. “I bet you have a pretty interesting life too.”
“Not really,” Brice replied. “I’ve lived here in Salt Lake City all my life, I know the whole town. I have two brothers in collage and a sister in 8th grade. No girl has ever cared of noticing me until you came here.”
“I think you noticed me first,” Anna said. “You started our first conversation when I absent mindedly bumped into you.”
“But you brushed your hand on mine when you were looking for a desk in English,” Brice recalled.

Then Anna looked at her cell phone and said, “Oops, its five o clock already. Sorry Brice, but my mom is waiting for me. Um, maybe we can get together sometime this weekend. But if not, see you on Monday.”
She grabbed her things and ran off.
He knew her, and she knew him. It was now time to take it one step further. He now was ready to ask Anna what he’d wanted to ask a girl for a long time.

The next day, Brice walked into East High and looked on the bulletin board that had a flyer attached to it with a red pin. The flyer read: Don’t forget to get your date to the dance by this Friday!
Yes! I still have time to ask her! He thought. But how should I do it? Should I approach her and ask, or is that too direct? My other option is to write her a letter asking her to go with me. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.
By lunchtime, Anna opened her locker and a piece of paper fell out. It read:
You are invited to attend the dance with me this Friday. Please leave your reply in writing in locker 110 by 3:15p.m... I look forward to getting your reply and hope you accept my invitation.
Yours truly,
Brice Nickels
A dance huh? Anna thought. Wow, I’ve never been to a dance before, and what an invitation! This will surely be a fun night.
The last bell went, Ring!
Brice went to his locker, knowing he was expecting some note. Sure enough, when he opened his locker, a piece of paper came fluttering out and dropped into his hand. The note read:
Thank you so much for your warm invitation. I would be honored to be your date to the dance on Friday.
Yours Truly,
Anna Mason
It worked. Brice thought. Wow. When I first wrote the note to Anna I thought she’d turn me down.

Friday arrived and Brice had arranged to pick Anna up at six at her house. He arrived right on time and rang the doorbell. A tall woman with dark hair and brown eyes answered the door. Brice assumed she was Anna’s mother, so he was very polite when speaking to her.
“Good evening Mrs. Mason,” he said. “My name is Brice Nickels and I’m here to take your daughter Anna to the dance, if I may.”
“Well, how polite,” Mrs. Mason said. “Of course you may take Anna to the dance. Would you like to come in?”
“I would love to come in,” Brice said.
Brice stepped into the house and the first thing that caught his attention was the artwork on the wall, and in that second he began staring at the wall.
Mrs. Mason snuck out of the room and went up to check on Anna. When she got to her room, she knocked and Anna said, “Come in.”
“Sweetie, Brice is here. And he is one cute, polite boy,” Mrs. Mason said.
“Yeah he is,” Anna said, blushing. “I really like him.”
“Am I sensing my daughter has a crush on Brice?” Mrs. Mason asked her daughter suspiciously.
“You might,” Anna replied shyly. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Mrs. Mason slipped out of her daughter’s room and went back downstairs.
“Anna will be down in a minute,” Mrs. Mason said. “Sorry if you were expecting to come and Anna was going to be ready right when you got here.”
“It’s okay,” Brice said. “I’m fascinated by all this artwork on the wall though.”
“Yeah, I’m an artist,” Mrs. Mason said. “Both my children helped me as well.”
“Hey Brice,” A voice said. “Wow, you clean pretty well for a dance.”
Both Anna’s mom and Brice turned to see Anna had emerged from her room and was ready to go.
“Oh sweetie you look gorgeous,” her mom said. “Doesn’t she look gorgeous Brice?”
Brice just stared at her. Anna put on a satin lavender dress with matching slippers and made the whole world blind.
“Wow, you look…wow,” Brice stammered.
“Thanks. And like I said when I first came out of my room, you clean up good for a school dance,” Anna complimented.
“Have a nice time sweetie and don’t stay out too late,” Mrs. Mason told her daughter.
“I won’t mom,” Anna said.
“It was nice meeting you Mrs. Mason,” Brice said.
“It was nice meeting you too Brice,” Mrs. Mason said.
Brice and Anna headed out to Brice’s car which was parked at the end of Anna’s driveway, and Brice helped Anna, being such a gentleman, helped her into his car, and then swung himself around and hopped in to the driver’s seat.
“Well, you saying you’ve never had a girlfriend before doesn’t exactly seem the truth considering how well of a gentleman you have been tonight,” Anna said as they drove.
“I guess when I take a girl somewhere and I really like her, I turn on the charm,” Brice admitted.
“I can defiantly see that,” Anna agreed.
Arriving at the school, they could already see the moon peeking out from behind the clouds as Brice opened the car door and offered his hand to Anna who stepped out, appreciating how well of a gentleman he was.
Walking side by side into the school, Brice began to inch towards Anna, only to try to make a move, but didn’t go too far incase Anna would get the wrong idea, this being their first outing alone.
The romantic vibe inside the gym gave Brice such a feeling that he knew all he’d be doing tonight with Anna was slow dancing, so he was eager to get on the dance floor with her.
“May I have this dance?” Brice asked as he gazed at Anna dreamily.
“Of course you may,” Anna said shyly, taking his hand that he held out to her.
Brice gently twirled her to the dance floor and they slowly began to dance in circles.
“Anna, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met,” Brice told her as they danced. “I have never had feelings towards any other girl that I’m feeling towards you now. I have been feeling the way I do since the moment you first walked into English class. You are the best thing that has ever happened in my life.”
“Oh Brice,” Anna whispered. “That is the most wonderful compliment any boy has ever said to me. You are the most handsome boy I have ever known. I don’t think there is any other boy who could make me feel the way I feel about you now.”
Brice then drew Anna so her body was against his and Anna let Brice just glide her around the dance floor, knowing all Brice wanted to do was hold her and having Anna dancing with him made him feel his life was complete.
By midnight, Anna and Brice had danced the night away and realized they were the last two people to depart the dance. By 10, everyone else was exhausted and so they went home. When they saw no one in the middle of the dance floor, Brice gently twirled Anna to the center of the dance floor and it was at that moment, the glow from the beaming light shining down made Anna glow and Brice couldn’t take his eyes off the most beautiful girl he’d ever met.
As they headed back to Brice’s car, Anna remembered she had to call her mom, so she excused herself from Brice and called home.
“Wow sweetie. You were out late…its midnight,” Mrs. Mason said. “I hope you didn’t get too close to him.”
“No, mom. I would never do that. But, I’m totally in love with him,” Anna said.
“Oh, I knew you liked him,” Mrs. Mason said. “You’ve always been the one who falls for cute guys easily. See you at home.”
Anna hung up and headed back to Brice’s car and said, “My mom is so overprotective. She thought I spent all night at the dance with you because we were having sex!”
“We’re 16,” Brice said as he began to drive. “We haven’t learned enough about sex and if I got you pregnant, your mom would freak and I wouldn’t be able to see you again. You know, that would break my heart to lose you like that, and you’d then hate me for the rest of your life.”
“No, I’d probably get you to ask me to marry you,” Anna said. “That would be a happy ending, and I love happy endings.”
“Yeah, that would be nice to marry you one day, if your mom approves,” Brice said.
“Oh, she’d approve,” Anna said. “She totally likes you. I mean, not as much as I like you, but if we actually started dating, she’d approve.”
At that moment, Brice wanted to ask her out right there. He knew, even though he’d call this night a date, it really wasn’t because he hadn’t officially asked Anna to be his girlfriend…yet.
Halfway to her house, Brice did something he thought may have gone too far with, but was surprised with Anna’s reaction.
He reached out and took Anna’s hand in his. When he looked over at her, she returned his look with a flirty smile.
When they reached her house, Brice kindly walked Anna right up to her front door.
“Well, thanks for a great night Brice,” Anna said. “You really swept me off my feet, and I never thought you’d hold me all night.”
“Well, you were the prettiest girl on the entire dance floor,” Brice said. “And I was glad you were my date. But you swept me off my feet the moment you first talked to me. I could only wish I could spend the rest of my life with you and it never ends.”
“Well, I can only say the same thing because you are so cute and I don’t think I’ll ever meet another boy who is as perfect as you,” Anna said.
“Then lets make the time that we have together right now, a memory to last a lifetime,” Brice said.
Brice stepped an inch closer to Anna and gently ran his fingers on her cheek and his face began to move towards hers. Anna knew he wanted to seal the end of this perfect night with a kiss in the moonlight, and began to reach her face too. But as their lips were about to touch…
“Wow! Anna has a boyfriend!” a little boy’s voice cried.
“James, get back inside. It’s past your bedtime!” Anna cried, not moving from Brice.
“Oh Anna why?” James moaned. “This is like a kiss from a movie!”
Anna moved away from Brice and pushed James inside and came back to Brice.
“Now, where were we?” she asked sweetly.
They got back into the same position and Brice moved so his lips could touch her cheek to end the night.
It wasn’t exactly what Anna wanted, but it would have to do it for the night.
She began to walk away, but Brice pulled her back so he could feel her in his arms for the last time that night.
“The sun sets a glow, but that is when we have to go.
Remember this night forever and always.
For it’s the start of something new for you and me,” Brice said. “Goodnight Anna. For always we will be together.”
“Be there for me always and sweet dreams Brice for this night will never leave me. For you will always be in my heart forever and we will be together again soon,” Anna whispered.
Brice held onto Anna for a few more minutes and eventually let her go.
Anna shivered in the cold after Brice had held onto her for a while, then when he released her, his warmth immediately blew away as she watched him drive off, the moonlight shining down on his car and the memories of that night, she knew, was the greatest night of her life.

Monday morning, Anna came into East High and when she opened her locker, a piece of paper fell out.
It was a poem that read,
Your eyes twinkle like the stars in the clear night sky,
Friday night, you swept me away.
Be mine forever and always,
I will always be true to you.
Oh, that’s so sweet. Anna thought.
Then Brice came up and said, “Hey.”
“Hey, thanks for the poem. I loved it,” Anna said.
“Yeah, well, Friday night was pretty amazing and it was very special, so I thought I’d tell you how I felt,” Brice said. “So, see you later?”
“Okay,” Anna said.
Then she grabbed her books and headed to class, while Brice went into the courtyard and met up with his friend Matt Dean.
“Dude, why are you hanging out with that new girl?” he asked. “You’ve been hanging with her since the day she transferred here and when you’re around her your all…oh…don’t tell me.”
“Yeah, I’ve fallen for her,” Brice admitted.
“Dude, no other girl has ever cared of noticing you,” Matt said. “What is she like that catches your eye?”
“When, she looks at me, I get lost in her green eyes,” Brice said. “When she talks, she talks to me.”
“Dude, you are crazy about her,” Matt said. “So, you’ve been flirting with her. Have you asked her out yet? Does she even know how in love you are with her?”
“Well, I’ve taken her to the dance. Does that show anything?” Brice asked.
“Slow dancing…great way to get her all to yourself,” Matt said. “But to show her you really love her, you need to take her somewhere really special. Like a restaurant.”
“Thanks man,” Brice said. “And I haven’t asked her out yet, but I hope to do it soon. But I think from what I’ve been doing with her, I think she knows I’m crazy for her.”
That afternoon, Brice met up with Anna at her locker and began.
“Love flows between two people like an easy river.
Come with me to dinner tonight and we shall eat by candlelight.
It is all I want to do and will be all for you,” he said.
“Dinner, tonight?” Anna asked. “Oh that is such a sweet offer Brice, but it’s a school night, and my mom doesn’t like me staying out late.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t be that late,” Brice assured her. “And it won’t hurt to ask.”
“Hi mom,” Anna said. “Brice wants to take me out to dinner tonight and I was wondering if I can go.”
“Of course you can go out with Brice tonight sweetie,” Mrs. Mason said. “What time is he thinking of picking you up?”
“Hold on,” Anna said. “What time do you want to pick me up Brice?”
“Is seven okay for you?” Brice asked.
“Mom, can he pick me up at seven?” Anna asked.
“Seven is just fine,” Mrs. Mason said. “So, see you at home.”
“Well, it’s a date!” Anna said when she hung up. “My mom said I can go out with you tonight.”
“Great I…,”Brice said as he lifted her hand up and kissed it. “…can’t wait. It will be a date that will sweep you off your feet…again.”
That night, Brice knocked on Anna’s door, right at seven and Mrs. Mason answered the door…again.
“Good evening Mrs. Mason,” he said. “Lovely night, isn’t it?”
“Nice to see you again Brice,” Mrs. Mason said. “Anna is…”
“Hey Brice,” Anna said, joining them.
“…ready to go…oh,” Mrs. Mason finished awkwardly. “Have fun sweetie.”
“Oh, with Brice Nickels, every second is fun,” Anna said dreamily. “Oh, just sweep me off my feet!”
They went out and walked a block down the road to a small Italian restaurant, which, to Anna, was the most elegant and romantic restaurant she had ever been to.
“Table for two please,” Brice said.
“Name?” the man asked.
“Nickels,” Brice said. “Brice Nickels.”
“Oh, yes,” the man said. “Right this way.”
The table they were sat at had a lovely view and the man came with a lighter and lit the candle, which was set in the middle of the small table.
“Please sit down,” the man said. “A waiter will come and take your order soon.”
“Wow, a candlelit dinner, how romantic,” Anna said.
“I told you we’d eat by candlelight,” Brice said. “And this is the perfect restaurant for a date. I’ve always dreamed of taking a girl here one day, and now I finally have!”
“Why have you always been saying, “always wanted to take a girl here.”?” Anna asked.
“Remember what I told you the first day I helped you with your homework?” Brice asked. “Every girl at this school ignores me, but you’ve totally swept me off my feet. You are the girl for me.”
“Oh, you are so sweet,” Anna said.
They ordered their food and continued an easy conversation while gazing into each other’s eyes.
While eating their food, Brice reached across the table and took her hand in his, and smiled at her gently.
When they finally finished, Brice immediately fished for his wallet, knowing letting Anna pay wouldn’t make a good impression, and Anna smiled, knowing how well of a gentleman he really was.
They walked back to Anna’s house, and Brice couldn’t take his eyes off the most beautiful girl he’d ever met and he never wanted to let her out of his sight.
“Oh, well, thanks for a great night Brice,” Anna said. “I had fun, and we should do it again sometime.”
She opened the front door and was about to head inside when Brice pulled her back and slowly began to move, urging Anna to follow his lead.
She said nothing as they continued to waltz on her lawn, and she could tell from look in Brice’s eyes that he was really enjoying the moment but it being a school night, Anna didn’t want to be out late, but was enjoying the moment so much, if she fell asleep, she could just sleep in Brice’s arms.
No, no. She had to go. She knew she had to force herself away from him, or she’d be dancing with him till morning.
“Sorry Brice,” she said finally. “It’s a school night, and I need a good nights sleep. But I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She pulled back from him, finally moving from him and turned away, ready to head inside again.
“Oh, okay,” Brice said.
But he reached for her hand again and she sighed. “No Brice. I have to go.”
“I know, I know,” he said quietly.
He leaned towards her and gently kissed her cheek and sighing, let her slip back into the house and headed back to his car and drove home.
Anna sighed happily, knowing it was another great night. The only thing that could wreck it was…
“Hey sweetie,” Mrs. Mason said, coming into her room. “I have great news. We’re moving to New Jersey!”
Anna’s mouth dropped open. “What!!”

The next morning, Anna was standing at her locker, trying to think, but couldn’t believe she had to tell Brice she was leaving and never coming back.
“Hey Anna,” he said, popping up at her locker. “Do you want to…?”
“People come and go in your life,” Anna said. “And I get that, and I’m sorry to tell you that I’m one of those people.”
“What are you leaving or something?” Brice asked.
Anna reached her hand up to his face, and brushed her fingers on his cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “With my dad settled in, we have to leave here so we can be a family. I tried to talk my mom out of it, but I’m powerless. I love you, which is the reason I tried fighting back and get my mom to change her mind, but she won’t let me stay.”
She turned away, before the tears came and she had to say anymore, but Brice reached for her.
“You love me?!” he cried. “Oh I…”
“I know,” she interrupted him. “I’ll miss you too. But I wrote down my cell number and my new address, so we can keep in touch.”
“H-here’s mine too in case you need someone to talk to.” was all Brice could utter out.
She took the slip of paper she held out to her and kissed him gently on the cheek before running down the hall, tears streaming down her face.
Brice tried calling after her, but he couldn’t manage to squeak one word out and she never looked back.
He tried to hold back his emotions, but he couldn’t hold them in. She was gone. She’d walked away from him and out of his life. The only memory he had left of her was the slip of paper with her contact information, the feeling of when her lips touched his cheek, and the two nights they spent together and all the school time they saw each other.
Every class that they shared brought him to tears every time he’d look over at her empty seat and realize she was no longer there.
“Hey dude, you okay?” Matt asked.
They were sitting at lunch and Brice barely touched his food, which gave Matt a sense that he wasn’t in a good mood.
“No. Anna’s gone. Out of my life. She’s in New Jersey now,” Brice mumbled. “I can’t believe she actually left. It came so fast to me. It was like, one minute she was standing at her locker with me and the next thing I knew, she kissed me on the cheek and ran off.”
“Oh man, that’s harsh,” Matt said. “And you cared so deeply for her. But there’ll be other girls, don’t worry.”
“No, there won’t be other girls Matt,” Brice said. “Anna is the only girl I want in my life, well besides my mom and all my female relatives. I’m still in love with her. No one can ever take that away from me. What do I do?”
“Did you ever find out if she really likes you or not?” Matt asked. “That’s the only way to know if you can go any further.”
“Oh, she loves me,” Brice said.
“Then contact her,” Matt said. “Tell her how you really feel towards her.”
After that heart to heart talk, Brice’s spirit was lifted, and he still thought he had hope. But at the same time, he still felt so alone and didn’t feel he could go on with his life. When Anna came into his life, she brought the missing piece that he knew completed him. But when she left, she took it with her and Brice began to search for that missing piece he knew Anna had.
He wrote her, making him feel like he was okay when he got all his feelings down on paper. But a few days later, he got something that completely lifted him of his misery.
Matt gave him a box and when Brice opened it, there sat a heart shape necklace, and when Matt turned it over, there, in swirl script was Brice’s feelings towards Anna

The minute Anna left, she let the tears fall. She knew Brice was the boy for her, though he never became her boyfriend. She missed him terribly and wanted to run back into his arms.
A week after she moved in with her dad, she got a letter from Brice.
Dear Anna,
I miss you. You made me feel like there was an upside to life. But when you left, you took that part with you and left me still trying to find that missing piece. You mean the world to me and you always will. No other girl can ever replace you, whoever it is. You are the peanut butter to my jelly sandwich. You are always on my mind and I always try to believe you never left, but I shed a tear every time I come back to reality and realize you’re gone. Anna, please know that when you came, you changed me, and I bet I changed you too. You are a rare person to find and I promise you, I will do everything I can to win you back. Don’t ever forget me, and remember, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m just a phone call away.
Yours truly,
Brice
Anna began to feel her nose drip and eyes begin to swell up with tears, and sobbed for hours after she read that letter.
“Mom, I need to go back,” she said a day after she received the letter. “Brice is miserable and I’m miserable. We need each other.”
“Sorry sweetie but we’re here to stay,” Mrs. Mason said. “You’ll find another boy who will fall in love with you here in New Jersey. Although, Brice was a very sweet gentleman.”
“See? Even you admit I should be with him,” Anna said.
“No! We’re here as a family, so we’re going to keep it that way,” Mrs. Mason said sternly.
Anna slugged to her room, disappointed, and lay on her bed, thinking of Brice.
Anna went on, day by day, trying not to think of Brice. She tried mingling with the girls at school, but it was no use. Everywhere she goes, no one accepts her. Well, except for Brice.
Her whole family enjoyed being in New Jersey. Well, everyone except her that is. She missed Salt Lake City. Even though no one at East High accepted her, with Brice at her side, it was like the whole world accepted her.
But every time she asked to go back, her parents would reply, “We’re sorry Anna, but you’ll have to deal with the fact we live in New Jersey now.”
That’s what she believed until she got a shocking phone call and visitor.
It had been a month since she moved in with her dad and she was relaxing on her bed, reading a book at eight at night when her phone rang. “Hello,” she said.
“Hey Anna. It’s Brice,” he said.
“Brice! Oh my gosh, New Jersey is not the life for me,” Anna said. “But I’m stuck here. I miss you, and sorry for not writing back. It was too painful. How’s life for you?”
“I don’t know,” Brice said. “And I wouldn’t know because I’m not in Salt Lake City right now.”
“What?” Anna asked. “What do you mean you aren’t in Salt Lake City right now? Are you on vacation somewhere?”
“Yeah,” Brice said. “Walk to your front door.”
“What?” Anna asked. “Okay, I’m heading down.”
She came downstairs and when she got the front door, her mouth dropped open, and she closed her phone.

“Brice!” she cried. “Oh my gosh. What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t stand being away from you,” Brice admitted.
She fell into his arms and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
Anna looked out to see no one was on the lawn, and pulled back from Brice. He looked at her confused on why she pulled away so fast, and she smiled at him, and took his hand and led him outside onto the lawn with the moon shining above them.
Brice then pulled Anna close and started to move and Anna followed his lead, knowing this was exactly what he was going to do, and it was all she wanted to do too.
Brice slipped the necklace on her when he twirled her out then twirled her back in.
“Oh Brice! It’s beautiful!” Anna sighed.
“I love you,” he whispered. “And that’s what’s engraved in the heart. I’ve been meaning to say that to you since the night I took you to the dance.”
“Oh Brice,” Anna said. “I think you were saying it every time we were together. But I’m so glad to finally hear you say it.”
Then Brice began to lean towards Anna and Anna knew she was finally going to get that kiss in the moonlight.
Brice kissed Anna very gently and Anna responded to touch by reaching her hand up to his face and grazing her fingertips on his cheek.
Many moments they stayed there for and when they finally separated Brice asked, “So, will you be my girlfriend?”
“Oh, I have only waited since the day we met for you to ask me that,” Anna replied. “Yes, I would love to.”
“Then come back with me,” he said softly. “Come back to Salt Lake City so we can be together.”
“Oh Brice, I wish I could,” Anna said, turning herself away from him. “But my mom said we’re never leaving.”
“Come here,” Brice said, taking her in his arms. “Maybe I can persuade her.”
They walked back inside and glided into Anna’s living room where her mom was reading a magazine.
“Mom?” Anna asked.
“Oh Anna and…Brice,” Mrs. Mason said. “What is Brice doing here?”
“He came all the way out here to see me and ask you something,” Anna said.
“Mrs. Mason, you have a very beautiful daughter,” Brice said. “I have fallen for her and she has fallen for me. I could stay out here but that would be hard. Please Mrs. Mason, Anna and I, our romance is passionate, and the only way we can continue it is if Anna comes back to Utah with me. Please, if you want your daughter to be happy, wouldn’t it be best if you let her come back with me?”
“Well, I can see how much Anna loves you and for you to come all the way out here to prove your love for her, that shows you are truly in love with her,” Mrs. Mason said. “And if what makes my daughter happy is having you in her life and the love you two have, I can not come between. So then we will move back for the happiness you two will bring in each other’s lives will continue.”
“Oh mom…thank you!” Anna said.
“Don’t worry Mrs. Mason, I promise I will never do anything to harm your daughter,” Brice said. “For she is the love of my life.”
They moved back to Utah so Anna could continue her relationship with Brice. She came to find he was the perfect boyfriend, not that she didn’t think he was already. She always knew she’d have a boyfriend one day and was glad it turned out to be Brice.

Several days after they’d returned to Utah, Brice and Anna were cuddling beneath a blanket in front of a roaring fire.
Anna rested her head on Brice’s shoulder while Brice gently ran his fingers through her silky brown hair. Both of them lost in thought, watching the flames.
“Thank you for coming back,” Brice said, breaking the silence.
“I had no choice, really,” Anna replied.
Brice looked at her like she meant she never wanted to come back.
“No, I don’t mean it like that,” Anna said, seeing his reaction. “I meant you coming all the way out to New Jersey made me realize I had no choice but to come back here.”
“This is where you belong,” Brice said. “Here, with me. This place changed to me when you left. All the pieces that fell apart finally rejoined when I brought you back.”
“But what about everyone else?” Anna asked. “They all thought I was weird when I first came here.”
“This isn’t about them,” Brice said. “Just ignore their comments. But this is about our feelings. It’s about how you feel towards me and I feel towards you. That’s what really matters.”
Anna lifted her head off his shoulder and gazed at him with dreamy eyes. Brice leaned towards her and kissed her softly on her lips before they got lost in thought again, thinking about their future, and gazing into each other’s eyes.