The Miracle of a Teenage Romance

Chapter 19

Three months later, it is now eclipse day and Lilly is ecstatic about it....

As soon as her alarm goes off, she shuts it off and leaps out of bed. "Today's the eclipse!" she exclaims. "I have to get ready." She runs to her closet and puts on a just-above-the-knee dress, which looks like the night sky. Then she slips on a pair of night sky-looking sandals to match. After that, she replies to Caden's daily good morning message and rushes into the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup. She combs her hair into a messy bun with a star clip and puts her watch on along with a pair of star earrings, a charm bracelet, and a necklace to match. Then she runs downstairs.

   Her mom greets her with a hug. "Good morning, sweetie."

   Lilly smiles. "Good morning, Mama."

   "School's canceled today, so where are you off to in such a hurry?" asks Mrs. Andrews.

   Lilly smiles. "Well, Mama, Caden's actually coming to pick me up to take me to his grandpa's old fishing cabin so we can watch the eclipse."

"Oh. Well, that sounds nice. Do you think you'll be able to see it since it's so cloudy?" asks Mrs. Andrews.

Lilly shrugs. "I'm not sure. I hope so because I've really been wanting to see it. That would be super cool."

Mrs. Andrews giggles. "Well, good luck sweetheart. If possible, please take some pictures for me, so I can see it as well."

Lilly hugs her mom one more time before walking out of the door. "Thanks, Mama. I will. Love you!"

Mrs. Andrews waves goodbye. "Love you too, sweetie. Don't forget your protective glasses."

Just before closing the door, Lilly shouts back, "I won't! Caden has them in his car!"

Mrs. Andrews shouts, "Okay, sweetheart! Bye! Have fun!"

"I will!" Lilly shouts back, closing the door behind her. When she turns around, Caden greets her with a hug.

"Good morning, Princess," he says, giving her a small kiss.

Lilly smiles. "Good morning, Prince Charming."

"So, are you ready to see a once-in-a-lifetime solar event?" Caden asks, opening the passenger door for her.

"Heck yeah," replies Lilly with a smile.

"Before we go," Caden says, reaching into the back seat, "I have a surprise for you."

"Ooh, what is it?" asks Lilly curiously. Caden picks up the box and opens it. Lilly's face lights up. "Ooh, donuts and chocolate milk! Thank you, Caden. These are my favorite."

Caden smiles. "You're welcome, Princess. Anything for you," he says with a wink.

About twenty minutes later, they arrive at the cabin. Atop the hill beside the cabin, Caden lays out a blanket for him and Lilly to sit on. Once they're seated, he gives Lilly her protective glasses, puts his glasses on, and they start waiting for the eclipse. They continue waiting and waiting, but they can't see anything. It turns out Mrs. Andrews was right. It's just too cloudy to see anything.

Lilly becomes very discouraged. She huffs. "Ugh, well, I guess my mom was right. Why does it have to be so cloudy?"

Caden places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Lil. The day isn't over." He stands up and reaches his hand out to her. "Come on. I have an idea."

Lilly takes his hand, Caden quickly snatches up the blanket, and they head back to the car. As they're riding, he explains, "Okay. So, I know it's too cloudy here, but it might not be quite as much closer to the top of the mountains."