“Wait!” I said but the word came out as a sob. I grabbed her arm and spun her around, pulling her into my arms as hard as I could. I sobbed again harshly when I felt her pull back. She cried all of her tears right there, and so did I. I choked on another sob as I smiled into her neck.

“*****, I love you, Car.”

“I- I” She sniffed and kept crying into my jacket, I knew the pain she was feeling in her heart just saying the words, how much they meant made my heart ache, and I knew it did the same to hers. “God I love you too. So much,” she whispered.

“Don’t fucken do that again. Cause if you leave me-”

“Shh. I fucked up, I’m sorry. But it won’t ever happen again.”

“I know,” I said, my tears subsiding to my persistent smile. I pulled back to look at her face. Her cheeks where shining with moisture and I wiped it away with my hand. My eyes traveled to her lips and I noticed she had the same crazy grin on her face as I did. It made me smile even more if that was possible.

“Kiss me?” She asked me, so softly I’m still unsure as to whether or not she ever said it at all. But I cup her face and capture her lips. The residual wetness on both our cheeks make it that much more intimate as we search to console each other’s weeks of heartache in that one kiss. I hear it in the back of my head and hope to god it’s just my ear’s playing tricks on me, but I know it’s not when I feel Carmens smile on my mouth and hear that knee weakening giggle that comes from the back of her throat. I pull back and bury my face in the elegant curve of her neck, using her as a shield so they don’t see my adorably embarrassed blush.

My framily are whistling and cheering at us. I knew I should have looked up to see them staring back at us at one point or another, but just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I feel bad, awful in fact, for all the week’s of torture I’ve put them through. I look up at last and Carmen takes a bow. I open my mouth and a laugh comes out. A real laugh. A real one. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a real laugh. It feels amazing, like angels are singing to me.