Week 11: Post- Post

The sun was dipping lower and lower in the sky as Hadley and Dane approached the summit of Roan Mountian. This was Hadley's favorite part of the Appalachian trail and it was right down the road from her childhood home in Tennessee. A late spring day like this one made the hike even better. Known for it's Rhododendron gardens that were in full bloom this time of year, she and Dane had started their hike at Carver's Gap and had been hiking for several hours along the wild flower covered trails. It was a surprisingly empty trail for that time of year, but Hadley never felt as alive as when she hiked these trails and so she never minded when they belonged to her alone for the day.

She had thought it odd when Dane had surprised her with a trip up the mountain so late in the day; they usually left early in the morning and had hiked up to the summit in time for a picnic lunch. But today, he had asked her to hike up the summit for a sunset dinner picnic. She was a little fearful of hiking back down in the dark, but both she and Dane had grown up here and knew the trails as if they were their own backyards, because, well, they sort of were. She hadn't wanted to disappoint him, because he had seem so excited so, ignoring her misgivings, she consented to a late hike.

They were reaching the top of the summit where it seemed to plateau off a bit, and her breath caught in her throat. No matter how many times she reached the Roan Mountain summit, she was always swept away by the beauty of the valley below her. This was her land, she had always lived in that valley and never wanted to leave.

"Hadley," She heard Dane's voice behind her.  She turned to face him, and was surprised when she found him down on one knee... What was he doing? No, he couldn't be....

"Hadley Grace Johnson," he paused, " I have loved you ever since third grade, and I cannot imaging spending the rest of my life with anyone but you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She stared at him, trying to grasp what was happening. "But my Daddy..." she started, her accent that faded when she was at college in Boston was making a full-fledged appearance.

"I have already asked your father's permission."

Hadley felt the tears start falling down her cheeks as she held out her hand and Dane slipped his grandmother's wedding ring one, the one Hadley had only dreamed would be on her hand one day.

"Is that a yes?' Dane said with a nervous laugh.

Hadley grabbed his hand and pulled him up into an embrace and through her tears of joy, she said, "Of course! You have always known it would be a yes."

The two of them turned and looked out over the valley. The valley where they had grown up and where, now, their kids would grow up.