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Mom, please don't leave me here in the country with Dad. I want to go live in the city with you. Sweetheart, I can't take you now because you are about to start your last year in high school. I will be back for your graduation ceremony in nine months. You are welcome to come live with me at that time.

That last conversation continues to play in my mind every night before I go to bed. During the day, I can not get out of my head all the things my mom had taught me throughout my childhood. My mom always said that it was important for a person to have something to love, something to do, and something to look forward to happening. She also mentioned being careful not to make it a person because they will disappoint you. I unintentionally did not listen to her and made my something to love her, my something to do was finish school with the best grades, and I looked forward to living with her in a city.

I attended school Monday thru Friday from 8-3 every week. On the weekend I helped my father and his buddies pick fruit from their trees. My father has apple, pear, orange, and lemon trees. His buddies grow every kind of berries you can think of and own a store that sells jams, pies, and frozen fruit all year long. I can make more money helping them sell their products than I can from picking them off the trees.

That is why I love the whole concept of commission-based jobs. I would love to be a car salesman when I move to the city with my mom. Even being a real estate agent could be a decent career for me. Everyone needs a place to live and a vehicle to get to work. So I will always have customers. Both are jobs I can earn a commission off.

While I was going to school and working, I noticed that my neighbors' daughter was staring at me a lot more than usual. So one day, I walked up to her and asked her if she was alright? She told me that she had a package for me, but she was scared to give it to me. I told her to meet me in my old treehouse after school.

While I was in English class, my mind could not stop wondering what was in the package. Amanda barely ever spoke to me even though we took some of the same classes in school and were neighbors. Hello, goodbye, see you tomorrow, are you alright was basically all she ever said in three years. Honestly, I was actually excited to meet Amanda in the treehouse. My friends stopped hanging out with me when they were old enough to start working, so there was no use for my treehouse anymore.

After the last bell rang, I rode my bike home as fast as I could. When I got to the treehouse, a large box wrapped in brown paper was sitting by the window. I looked all over, but I did not see Amanda anywhere. I decided to open the box and see what was in it. I was so surprised to see all my favorite snacks because I had never told Amanda what kind of snacks I liked. The next day I waited outside Amanda's front gate to thank her, but she had already left for school. I was finally able to find Amanda in the cafeteria. She was sitting all alone with her head down, waiting for the bell to ring like she always does. I walked over to her table and thanked her. I also asked her how she knew those were my favorite snacks. Amanda told me that she was close to my mother, and they still kept in touch even though my mother moved to the city. She explained how the brown paper box was actually from my mother, and there would be more coming every week. I told Amanda that she could bring them to the treehouse whenever they came to her house. That was the only way to keep my father from finding out and taking them from me. When I went to the treehouse the following week there was a small box wrapped in brown paper. It was a brand new cell phone with only two contact numbers on it, my mother's and Amanda's. I called them both to thank them, and I informed them that I would call they were not to call me because it would upset my father.

Prom was coming up, so I called to ask Amanda if she would go with me. Amanda agreed, and my mom sent two large brown paper boxes. Inside one box was a beautiful baby blue dress, some glass heals, a corsage, and a gift card to get Amanda's hair and nails done at a boutique. The other box had a tuxedo, dress shoes, a camera, and a gift card for a limo. Mom had thought of everything, and I was so grateful.

Amanda looked so gorgeous that I could not stop staring at her and thinking how lucky I was to be with her. Prom was better than I expected it to be. As I was dancing to a slow song with Amanda in my arms, I asked her to be my girlfriend. I was so happy when she said yes and kissed me. Her lips felt so soft that I couldn't stop kissing her in the limo. I continued kissing her all the way home. It was the most amazing feeling I had ever experienced. I wanted to feel this way every day. When I called my mom to tell her what happened during prom, she was so happy for us because she loves Amanda.

Graduation day finally came and my mom was there just like she promised. I handed my mom my diploma, gave her a big hug, kissed her on the cheek, put my bags in the trunk, and opened the door to get in the car. As soon as I opened the car door, I saw something wrapped in brown paper. I ripped it open Amanda was lying down in a white wedding dress, holding a tiny brown box wrapped in brown paper. I started crying as she said, "Will you marry me"? I got in the car then mom drove us to Amanda's house. Amanda's backyard was all set up for the wedding. With Amanda's father's help, mom was able to get everything done without me knowing. The wedding ceremony was so romantic, and the reception was a delicious barbecue. After the ceremony, Amanda's father put her bags in the car, hugged her while crying, and told her to call him when she got to the city. I shook my father's hand and told him to take care of himself. Then mom, Amanda, and I headed to the airport. When we finally boarded the plane. I looked at my wife and mother with tears of joy in my eyes. I could not have ever imagined a happier day than today.