Before it's too Late

A Story by Joseh

Don't leave something that should be done today for tomorrow, and don't drink and drive.

Once upon a time, a boy and a girl held on to each other. They sat in his backyard under the stars, watching the moon reflecting back at them from the lake. The soft glow of the lights from the house was behind them, reminding them that they were home. Sitting on an inflatable love seat with a blanket covering them, they were both silently thinking.

He was thinking of how much he loved the girl; of how much he wanted her to stay with him forever, and of how he knew the later wasn’t going to happen. She had to leave eventually and he was scared he wasn’t going to be able to let her go. His pocket felt heavy, a small black box weighing it down. He knew he had to ask and he knew what the answer was going to be.

She was thinking of how comfortable she was in his arms and of how she knew that this was her real home. He was her everything and she didn’t even want to think of leaving him. She was forever his.

The boy shifted, making the girl lift her head questioningly.

“What is it?”

He pulled his hand away from his pocket, deciding to wait a couple more days.

“Nothing: my leg was just falling asleep.” He replied, chickening out. He smiled down at her and brushed her hair out of the only eyes he ever wanted to look into, promising himself that next time he was going to ask. She chuckled and patted his leg with affection.

He fell asleep that night with her safely cuddled next to him and his hand on her slowly bloating stomach.

The next day she left to spend a night out downtown with her best girl friend. She never came back.

Now, the same boy is putting down a single red rose under a tombstone.

I'm telling you this because I don't want you to end up like me, having to tell you to never take life or love for granted. Don't wait to tell the person you love that you love them. Don't do like I did, and please, please, please, don't do like the guy who got behind the wheel, too drunk to drive. Don't do like him and tear a life in two, like he did to ours.