"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

So, this is an adapted short story I wrote, the original was girlxboy. I changed it a little, kellic-ing it up, but it's kinda cute too. Pictures of the original are above, it was originally just four pages, but this should be longer. That's just because here I'm going to be adding more detail, and if I'm writing a one shot I want it to be kinda long. Remember, read, comment, vote, and enjoy!

"Fine, fine, you win." Dad sighed. We're sitting in our living room, talking, and I asked him about the man we saw at the gas station. He at first didn't want to tell me, but my persuasion has always worked on him. "But you have to promise not to interrupt, okay?"

I nod enthusiastically. "So, I met him first a long time ago, back when I was just 11 years old. I was still living a normal, suburban life. One day, he moved in with the old people across the street. They were his grandparents, but I didn't know that then." The thought that my dad could have been 11 at some point scares me a little bit.

"When I saw him across the street, I immediately had a crush on him. Back then he was just as amazing as now. His hair was a beautiful brown, straightened then, not curly like now. His eyes, so warm." Dad is kinda trailing off, and by the way he describes this person, you'd think he was in love.

"Mom, my mom that is, made me bring him a sort of 'welcome to the neighborhood' pie. I just wanted to meet him. When I saw him up close for the first time, I stared. I couldn't help it, I was to nervous to say anything!" Dad chuckled a little bit.

"He so noticed me staring, and said, 'Take a picture, it'll last longer.' I, being a smart as.s, took out my phone and snapped a picture." I laugh at my dad's weirdness. I totally see where it came from.

"That's the picture you see up on the mantle, that one right there." I look up to see where Dad is pointing, and I see a picture of a smiling kid I've noticed before but never really questioned. I just thought Dad had it because he's weird as fu.ck. Apparently there's reason behind it. Huh.

He became my best friend as the years passed. I had a huge crush on him the entire time, and I think he knew, just didn't want to confront it and reject me. Then, in high school, things changed. He started acting differently around me, looked at me like he was seeing me with new eyes. I tested my luck and asked him out." Dad says all this with a look on his face I can only describe as... admiration.

"He said no-"

"What?!" I shriek.

"Hold on!" Dad laughed. "He said no, unless I could sweeten the deal. So I stole my father's rare three-legged buffalo nickel. Then, he finally said yes." I roll my eyes. High schoolers are weird. I'll be one in a few years, but I'm not going to be weird like that.

"It was obvious to everyone but him that I was in love with him. Literally, strangers could tell but not him. He didn't think it was even possible." Dad chuckles a little. "Oh, how wrong he was..."

"We broke up at the end of senior year." He says, sadly. I gasp unintentionally. Why would they do that? He was in love! "I was going to college in Wyoming, he was going to college in New York City. We knew long distance wouldn't work out, and the break up was mutual, but I was still heartbroken." Aww. Poor Dad.

"I tried dating other people. I wanted to move on, as I was convinced he never even really like me that much anyway." He sighs.

"After college, I visited my folks back in town. My father... He was sick, and real bad too. On hospice. He wasn't going to live much longer. While walking around town, I just so happened to see him. After all those years, there he was, in a gas stop."

"I walked up to him, all confident, determined to tell him I loved him, right then and there. But when I reached him... I choked. My mouth dried up, my palms sweated, and I stared like the first time I ever saw him."

"He rolled his eyes, and said, "Take a picture, it'll last longer." So, like deja vu, I did. Just to humor him, hear that beautiful laugh of his once again." Wow. Dad had it bad.

"We got caught up, and started dating again. I hadn't been planning on staying in town for longer han a few days, maybe a week, but I found myself staying a month, two, four. All for him..." Regret echoes through his voice, and I wonder why. It sounds like he really cared about this guy.

"Then, one day out of the blue, he left. He didn't even say goodbye to my face, just with a stupid paper note on the fridge in our shared apartment. He said it was for both of our goods. I think now that he fell in love and that scared him. But then? Then I thought he led me on. So, in spite, I made myself move on from him."

"So, I moved back to Wyoming. I found a girl I could trust and love, and was perfectly fine with loving me back. Everything was stable and functional. She really was amazing. I married that girl. Your mother. I loved her, love her, but not the same as I loved him. You never love the same as your first. You mom was fine with that as long as she knew I was her only love at the moment."

Katelynn. That was my mom's name. I have fond memories of her. She was wonderful... Dad sounds like he really and truly loved her. That makes me really happy for some reason.

"And then, as you know, Mom died five years ago." Dad's voice cracked. "And today, out of nowhere, he resurfaced. He tried to talk to me, but this time it was like our roles were reversed. He couldn't seem to sat anything. So I said, "Take a picture, it'll last longer." He took a picture, and I walked away."

"I know he wanted to talk, but I can't do it again. Fall in love just for him to leave. So that's the person you saw take a picture of me. And that's the end of our story."

I let the silence fall, then realize he really will let that be the end of their story. "Wait," I say, "you mean to tell me your first love shows up, and you're willing to let him slip right through your fingers? Again? I can't believe this!"

"I also have to stay true to Mom," Dad tries to defend himself. I roll my eyes at him. Seriously?

"Dad, you know Mom would want you to be happy! And it's like you said, you love them both, just different." I try to knock some sense into him, not literally of course.

"Wait...you'd be okay with it?" Dad asks me, bewildered.

"Of course!"

"You're a genius! I'm going! Right now!"

"Go get him, tiger!" I tease. Dad stands up, and just then the doorbell rings.

"...After that." Dad says. I nod and motion for him to open the door. "Oh, right!" He says, face playing. Same, Dad, same.

When he opens it, there's a man standing somewhat nervously at the door. He has brown wavy hair and warm eyes. I gasp, he must be Dads lost love!

Dad stares, speechless. The man says, "Take a picture, it'll last longer." Dad pulls out his phone and takes a picture.

The man smiles.