Jess's POV

I feel like throwing up. Me and Darcy are pretty private about our relationship, and it doesn't help that all my private thoughts are just thrown out in the open. But Darcy finds my private thoughts hilarious, so he's no help.

"Okay," Mrs. Hawthorne starts."So, it's our first day in England and we're all walking home from dinner at the George Inn."

Emma squeals. "Oooooh this is my favorite part too!"

I whip my head around to her. "Wait, you read this already?!"

"No, I just remember it."

I think for a minute. We're walking home from dinner in our first day in England…. I groan. "Really Mrs. H?" Darcy turns and gives me a questioning look. I whisper it in his ear. His eyes light up.

He leans in close and whispers "Might be my favorite part too." I squeeze his hand.

Mrs. Hawthorne grabs the book from Cassidy. "I'll read."

We split up into groups of twos and threes. Emma winks at me and drifts over to where Cassidy and Megan are standing.

"What are you planning?" Stewart asks Emma.

"You would've known if you didn't break up with me because of Rupert." Emma retorts. Stewart frowns.

"Mooooooooooo" We all chorus.

Mrs. Chadwick who is complaining loudly about how tired her feet are, and how she's not sure she can make it back to the mini-coach, has Stewart firmly by one arm and Becca by the other.

Mrs. Chadwick scowls but I hear Mr. Chadwick chuckle.

The rest of our parents and Gigi are happily chatting together. Darcy materializes, holding up a flashlight. "Want to walk with me?"

"That was smooth!" Tristan says. "Unlike Stewarts forehead kiss."

Stewart throws his hands up. "Is it pick-on-Stewart day or something?!"

"Every day is pick-on-Stewart day. I'm surprised you haven't noticed." Darcy jokes. I swat him.

I nod, smiling. "It's pretty amazing here, isn't it?" he says as we walk along. I nod again. "It's like time stood still or something." "I know. There are places at home in Concord that feel that way to me—the Old North Bridge sometimes, and Kyle Anderson's house, with that bullet hole from the Revolutionary War—but here it's just about everywhere. You don't even have to half-close your eyes to imagine the past." "You do that too?" I ask

"You guys do what?" Cassidy asks us.

"We kinda squint to see the past" Darcy explains.

Becca gives us a look. "You guys are weird."

, surprised. I thought I was the only one who used that trick.

I look over and see Tristan and Cassidy squinting.

"Sure. I love history. I'm thinking I might major in it at college." We talk for a while about what we want to be when we grow up. I always figured Darcy would want to do something with sports, since he's such a jock, but he tells me he thinks he'd like to be a professor.

That's just what he did. I look up at him and he winks.

"I was talking to Tristan and Simon's father over spring break, and he's a really cool guy. He loves his job and says I should think seriously about a career in academics." He kicks a stone into the canal, and it lands with a plunk. "How about you, Jess? What do you want to be?" "I don't know," I reply honestly.

"I don't blame you." Mrs. Sloane says. "With all those amazing talents you have, it's probably hard to pick just one."

As I think it over, I realize that ever taking care of Lydia, though, I've stopped worrying about it. We walk along in silence for a while. A few pin pricks of light twinkle against the inky blue darkness of the sky, reflecting in the calm water of the canal.

Mrs. Wong sighs. "Beautiful."

Darcy starts whistling, I recognize the tune right away. It's the same one my mother and I sang in our back pasture that night last fall, during the Leonid meteor shower. "When You Wish Upon a Star." I hum along under my breath, looking up at the sky.

"Oh my gosh, I'm swooning" Mrs. Sloane puts her hand on her heart.

I haven't felt this happy in a long, long time.

Everyone sighs and I bury my head in Darcy's chest to hide from the embarrassment. He kisses the top of my head.

"I'm really glad you came," says Darcy suddenly. "Me too," I tell him.

"Melt my heart." Someone says, maybe Gigi. "This is better than any romance novel I've ever read." Definetly Gigi.

And as we round the bend toward Ivy Cottage, he tugs my braid just the way he always has ever since I was six, and then he reaches down and takes my hand.

I hear collective oohs and aaahs, and then look up at Darcy. He smiles, lifts up my chin and gently kisses me. It's quick, yet perfect and I wish it could've lasted forever. He leans down and whispers "I love you, Jess." I kiss his cheek. "I love you too, Darcy"

Maybe sometimes dreams really do come true.

"Best chapter by far." Megan declares and everyone agrees. Cassidy grabs a cookie. "Who's next?"