Chapter 36: The First Official Date

Saturday night officially marked their very first genuine date- not sitting casually on the dusty hood of a truck out of sheer necessity, and not simply sharing snacks between grueling classes, but an international, planned evening out at the downtown diner featuring red vinyl booths and a classic jukebox playing old country tunes. James wore his nicest button-down shirt, smelling faintly of clean laundry detergent and cedarwood, while Lily wore a simple blue dress that made her eyes sparkle like the deep river water by the willow tree.