Ripped and Stitched

17: The Definition of Love

Brady was back on Instagram again. He hadn't logged in for almost a year but he had no trouble finding Julia's account. The video was her most recent post. Before that were videos of her dancing, photos of nights out with Hailey. Pictures with boys that she had failed to tag so Brady couldn't find their names.

He was upset.

As he laid in bed and waited for the sun to rise, he thought about one of the nights he and Julia had spent together. It was late one summer. The kind of day where the sun set so late that you could spend the whole day out with your friends. Which is exactly what he and Julia did.

Her parents were vacationing in Aruba and his parents were taking Hayden on a tour of a college. Brady had driven over to her house that afternoon.

"What are we doing?" she asked as he began to drive.

"It's a surprise, babe," he chuckled.

Julia smiled and picked the radio station to listen to.

"Taylor Swift?" he asked in disgust.

She punched him in the arm. "You know you secretly love her."

"Only if you do," Brady said smoothly.

Julia blushed and looked shyly at the floor. Even after a year of dating, seeing her cheeks flush red always made him smile.

"We're here," he said after a while.

He watched as Julia looked around. They were at the peak of a canyon. She looked back over at him, confusion in her beautiful blue eyes.

"In the middle of nowhere?" she asked.

Brady laughed. "Come on," he said as he got out of the car.

He held her hand as they began a short hike.

"Still no hints?" she asked.

"Patience is a virtue, Jules," he replied back.

She chuckled. "Okay, fine. Distract me then."

Brady smiled mischievously and abruptly stopped. He placed his hand on her jaw and directed her mouth towards his. He kissed her so passionately, it seemed like Julia forgot how to breathe for a moment.

"Distracted?" he asked when they broke apart.

He leaned his forehead against hers as she smiled at him.

"Very," she whispered as she placed her hand over the one Brady had on her cheek.

He grinned and took her hand again. "Come on, it's not that far," he said cheerfully.

Julia followed after her boyfriend and soon they reached the peak. There, Julia found a blanket laid out with a basket on it.

"A picnic?" Julia said, a smile forming on her lips.

"My mom cooked your favorites, and I helped of course," Brady beamed. "Vegetable lasagna, garlic bread, my mom's famous cookie-brownies, and lemonade."

Julia stood on her tippy toes and kissed her boyfriend's cheek. "It's perfect."

They ate, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company, and when the sun started to set, Julia laid in Brady's warm arms and everything felt perfect.

Brady was so innocently in love with her. He didn't understand what love really was until Julia's delicate little fingers traced meaningless shapes on his skin, until her eyes got all big and wide as she spoke so passionately about dance, until the very thought of spending time with her got him all giddy and happy. That was when he understood love.