I meet with Persephone, aware she's running late due to her boss asking her to stay a few minutes longer than her shift. It's been seven months of courting her and I'm asking her to be my girlfriend, but that's not until I take her to meet Nick, AJ and Cassie. They plan on meeting us at the beach later on, somewhere near six tonight. She steps out of her car and runs to me, throwing her arms around my neck. I held her for a moment before she let go and smiled at me. 
"And how are you, dear?" I asked, pushing the hair from her eyes. She shrugged. 
"Tired," she replied. "But excited about meeting your brother and friends. Gimme a few to go change and then we can go." 
I know, I know. Despite what you might be thinking, I spent the better part of half an hour sitting on her porch with my body pressed against the deep wall to keep hidden until she had texted me so that I knew she was leaving work and it takes five minutes to drive between the two places. I moved to the top stair so she could see me before even getting out of the car. "I can wait here for you." 
She shakes her head, pulling me to my feet and into her apartment. "Come wait inside. Sit in the living room or explore the place, but my room is off limits." 
I sit on the couch and she runs off to change. I slowly make my way around her place, checking out all her knick knacks and pictures. It's not much, but it all means something to her. I stop at her end table in the hallway and smile at her school picture collage she must have made for a school project. There are pictures of her growing up, and letters she's written. I see how her handwriting has changed and improved over the years from basic scribbles to beautifully scripted half cursive/half print, making it look almost like calligraphy. She’s spent years perfecting her style, making it all her own. Her handwriting is absolutely beautiful. I hear her walk into the hallway I’m in, her arms gently wrapping around my chest. “Could you do me a favor for the holidays and my birthday?”  

“What would that be?” she softly replies, my hands reaching up to take hold of hers as I turn to face her. 

I place a kiss on her lips just as gently as she had embraced me. “Write me letters.” 

She looks at me strangely, slowly pulling her head back a little. “Why?” she slowly questions. 

“I love your handwriting; it’s beautiful.” 

She smiles, the kind of smile that drives me crazy for her. “I can do that.”  

We sit on the beach sand, the water nearly touching our bare feet. “What’s up, short shit?” Nick questions, sitting beside me and resting his arms on his knees. His eyes are focused on the ocean. 

I glance around to see if everyone is here and they are, including an extremely pregnant Cassie. “Everybody meet Persephone. Persephone, these are the people closest to me. My brother, Nick. His friends and band mates: Brian, Kevin, AJ, and Howie. Cassie is with AJ; Leighanne is Brian’s wife and have a son named Baylee; Kevin is with Kristin; Howie is married to Leigh. Justin, Joey, James who we also call Lance, and Chris. Wait, where’s JC?” 

“Being a shut in,” Cassie and Justin answer unanimously. 

“This is JC’s sister, Jazzy. Her real name is Samantha.” 

“But I don’t usually answer to my real name unless it’s either professional, I’m in trouble, or it’s my parents,” she rattles off. 

“Or family,” Justin adds. 

“Or is in a relationship with that person and usually that lucky guy calls her Sam.” 

“Shut up, Nick.” 

“Which reminds me, A; Lauren had an audition and couldn’t make it. She said she will call you to set up a double date.” 

“Who’s Lauren?” 

“Did he send you into this blind?” 

“No, he tried to drill all the info about you all into my head, but I have a bad memory.” 

They all chuckle. “It happens, Sephie,” Chris concedes. 

“He likes you,” I whisper in her ear and she nods.  

“Why don’t us girls go for a walk to get to know each other and let the guys talk?” Jazz suggests. 

She looks at me. “It’s alright, honey.” 

A few minutes of silence after they left, Nick bumps my shoulder with his. “You really do like her. Where do you want it to go with her?” 

“I’m planning on asking her to be my girlfriend before we leave here,” I admit. 

“I guess you can say that we’re all hoping everything goes well and you stay happy,” Nick informs me as I look down the line and they all nod to confirm what he had said. 

“Thanks.” 

We talk about quite a few personal things in the half hour or so before the girls return, laughter coming from all of them. “That’s adorable,” Persephone comments to something one of the other girls had told her about. 

We all cuddle up to our other halves and watch the beginning of the sunset. “Persephone, can I ask you something?” 

“Sure, honey.” 

“Will you be my girlfriend?” 

Her head turns to look at me, ensuring that I’m not joking. A smile slowly creeps onto her visage. “Yes, Aaron.” 

We kiss as the sun sinks into the water, making a beautiful scene. “Keep each other happy and be brutally honest with each other,” AJ tells us.