Summer Nights // Sodapop Curtis

Twenty

Epilogue

I stepped outside of the airport into the bright Tulsa sunlight, and the heat of the summer hit me. I stood at the edge of the sidewalk, looking down at my watch. After waiting for quite a while, Amy finally showed up.

"You're late," I told her as I got into her car.

"We haven't seen each other in ten years and that's how you greet me," Amy rolled her eyes.

"How is everyone?" I asked.

"Peter is in college studying to be a doctor or something, Julia just started high school, and Mom and Dad are staying in Europe for the next month," Amy said. "What's been going on with you?"

"I've been working in the city, I got my own place, not much has been happening with me, but I've heard you've been busy," I nudged her shoulder and smiled.

"Dally and I got married a few years ago, we have a two year old daughter," Amy smiled as she talked.

"Dallas Winston with a family, I still can't believe it," I said.

"How's your love life," Amy asked.

"Pretty boring," I laughed.

"You still think about Sodapop?" She asked.

"I don't want them to know that I'm here," I said, ignoring her question, "I came here to see you and Peter and Julia and your daughter. I don't want to get wrapped up in my feelings from ten years ago."

Neither of us talked the rest of the car ride. We arrived at a small house in the middle of town, and I assumed it must have been Amy and Dally's.

"This is home," Amy said as we walked in the front door. Dally was sprawled across the couch, fast asleep, and their daughter was wrapped in his arms.

"Mommy!" The little girl yelled, causing Dally to jump up from his deep sleep.

"Callie, this is Ella," Amy said, picking up the little girl.

"Callie!" Dally said, getting up off the couch and coming over to hug me.

"Dally, I missed you," I said.

"We missed you too Cal," he said.

"I need to run to the store," Amy said. "Anything you want?"

"No mommy," Ella cried.

"I'll go, I could use some air," I offered.

"Just grab something that we can make for dinner," Amy said, sitting down on the couch as Dally tossed me the car keys.

"See you guys later," I said, walking out to the car.

I knew my way around town, but it still took me a while to get to the store. I drove for a while, just to look around the town. Each familiar place brought back many memories, and I couldn't get Sodapop out of my mind.

I walked through the small grocery store, looking for something that would be easy to make for dinner. I thought of Charlie, and how we loved to go out for pancakes together, so I grabbed a box of pancake mix and headed to the cash register.

"Callie?" The familiar voice made me freeze. I turned around to see Sodapop Curtis standing in front of me. He had the same handsome features, but he looked more mature.

"Soda," I said softly.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Visiting Amy," I answered, trying to overcome the awkwardness of our conversation. "How have you been?"

"I've been good," he answered, putting his hands in his pockets. "I've missed you Callie."

Instead of saying anything, I hugged him. I held him tight, never wanting to let go.

"Remember, the night before you left, you told me that someday, if we met again, that maybe we were meant to be together," Soda said, pulling away from the hug.

"I remember," I said.

"I know this may sound crazy, but Callie, will you marry me?" Sodapop asked. I froze with shock. "I don't have a ring or anything, but I'm not going to let you go again."

"Soda, I'm never leaving you again," I said, "of course I'll marry you." I started to cry with tears of joy.

He leaned in and kissed me softly, just like he had on our last night together. I pulled away, and reality hit me. I looked around at my surroundings.

"We just got engaged in a grocery store," I laughed. "Where are we going to live? When are we getting married?"

"It doesn't matter," Soda said, "we're together again."

As we walked out of the Tulsa grocery store with our hand intertwined, I thought about all of the summer nights and everything we had been through. At twenty seven years old, I still felt like a teenager when I was with Sodapop Curtis, we were happy, and that was how the rest of our lives would be.

A/N

that's all for Summer Nights :(
thank you all for reading, I really enjoyed writing this, and I'm sad to end it. I hope you enjoyed this story
xx
maddie