Breaking Some Rules by Megan O'Connor

Chapter 1: My Planned Summer             It was the summer after my high school graduation. My parents owned a condo in Maui, Hawaii, which is where we spend every summer. Both of my parents graduated from Harvard University with a degree in law. Today, my mom works for a well-known law firm in Boston and my dad is a professor at Harvard Law School. They commute with each other every morning on the train from Connecticut. I graduated from Darien High School with a 4.0 grade point average and college credit in both English and U.S. History. I was the captain of my school's scholastic decathlon team and we won state my senior year. My parents and I basically had my life laid out in a book: graduate from high school as the valedictorian, attend Harvard, earn a law degree, become a well-known lawyer at a law firm in Washington D.C., and maybe run for office. Harvard and law has been a tradition in my family for many generations, and it was now my turn to follow in that path. When my parents went through the mail and saw a large package from Harvard University, I knew that my decision was already made before the envelope was even opened.                                                                               "Janie!" I heard my mom, Mary Anne, call from the kitchen. I set my book, "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks, down on the table, stood up from the large chair on the balcony of our condo, and walked towards the kitchen. "Your father and I were thinking we could drive into Lahina tomorrow for the day. And on Friday, we made reservations to go on a snorkeling trip on the Trilogy."             And that is how every summer was-planned week after week. "That sounds fun. Are we just going to unpack and get settled in for tonight?"             "No, we are going to do that right now because tonight, there is a small get-together for the members at the Plantation House. This weekend should be clear though because I have some work to do before Connecticut goes down the toilet." My mom ran for the governor of Connecticut during the last election and won. She quit her job at the law firm shortly before running.              The best part about Hawaii was that formal attire meant a Hawaiian summer dress or tan slacks with sandals and a Hawaiian shirt. Thankfully, the party wasn't too boring. There were a few speeches here and there about upcoming events at the Plantation House after dinner, but the food is always incredible. However, the six hour jet lag was starting to get to me.              On Thursday, we went to Lahina, which is my favorite town on the island. It is right on the ocean with one strip of cute little shops and restaurants. In this town, casual attire is always a bathing suit under summer clothes. We ate lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, then ended the day with dinner at Mamma's.      Chapter 2: Keith              The only problem with the snorkeling trip was that I am deathly afraid of deep water and sharks. This will be the first times I will have ever been snorkeling even though I have been coming here every year for the last eighteen years. I've never been the adventurous type either. This trip is supposed to take us to Molakini and Turtle Cove.             The Trilogy was run by a family, and there were about three other boats they use. On our boat, there was the father, who owned the business, his daughter, and his nephew. When we reached Molakini, I looked down at the clear, turquoise water. I could see the bottom, which helped me feel a little safer. The daughter, Faith, jumped into the ocean from the side of the boat. She had a snorkel on and went under the water to tie the boat to a huge tie hooked to the wall of the inactive volcano. The father, Tim, gave us directions as to what to do when we reached the end of the ladder. Either Faith or her cousin, whose name is Keith, are going to be sitting on a surf board and we are supposed to swim to it until we get used to the Hawaiian ocean waters. My dad, being the adventurous one of the family, was one of the first ones in the water. My mom and I, however, were the last ones to walk down the ladder and into the ocean. When I reached the bottom of the ladder, I made sure that I was prepared and chomped down on my snorkel. However, instead of following instructions properly, I decided to leap from the ladder to the surfboard.             "You freaking out?" Keith asked me. His soaking wet blond hair was pushed by his goggles and snorkel.             I looked at him and he was smiling at me. But instead of doing something flirtatious, I said, "No," with the snorkel in my mouth. My jaw was probably white from clenching down on the snorkel, and my eyes were practically bulging out of my head.             "Welcome to the ocean." He said laughing slightly. I removed the snorkel from my mouth and smiled at him, laughing a little. "Want me to show you around?"             I nodded. "Sure."              "So, hold on to the surfboard like this, breathe normally, and just look down. Let me worry about where we are going. You just enjoy."               I smiled at him and he smiled back. His smile looked like the smile from one of those Crest toothpaste commercials with the sparkle on the teeth. When I put my face in the water, all of my fears of sharks and deep water left me. It was like a whole new world. There were plants and fish of hundreds of different colors. It was magical. I panicked for a second when I saw a shark down at the very bottom, but then I realized that it was thirty feet below me and only a couple of feet long. Panic over.              A few minutes before everyone got back on the boat, Keith helped me up onto his red and while striped surf board. "So, what do you think?" he asked me.             I pulled the snorkel and goggles off of my face. "Amazing! Beautiful! I thought I was going to be terrified, but I wasn't." He smiled at me. "Thank you."             "I'm Keith." He held out his hand.              I shook his. "Janie."             "So, what brought you to Maui?"             "My parents own a condo in Kahana and we come here every summer. We're from Connecticut."             "Wow, you come quite a ways."              "Yea. We would probably move out here, but with my mom being the governor and all, it's kind of hard to get away. What about you?"             "What about me?" he seemed puzzled.             "Well, I believe it's your turn to tell me about you."             "Oh really?"               "Fair's fair."             "Well, my uncle owns this whole Trilogy business and I've been working with him for as long as I can remember. I go to the University of Hawaii and I'm majoring in recreation. I'm taking over this business when my uncle retires in a few years."             "His daughter isn't?" I asked curiously. It seemed normal that the daughter would take over the family business instead of the nephew.             No. Faith is going to start at the University of Hawaii this fall. She's planning on majoring in marine biology. It's not that she doesn't want to take over the business, but she has made it clear that she wants to do something different with her life."             "Wow! That's impressive. You guys love that college, huh?"             "Well, it's home. We've never been any place else, and we are happy here." I smiled at him. We were silent for a few minutes. "Well, I should probably start getting everyone back on the boat." He hesitated for a moment. "Hey, are you busy tonight?"             "Actually, I'm not sure. I may be busy relaxing after this stressful day." I exaggerated while looking around teasingly.              He laughed. "So, you're free?"             I laughed with him. "Yes, I am."             "Meet me at the Fat Cat in Lahina. It's right across from the Banyon Tree. The best fish tacos you will ever have."             "Great! So, seven o'clock?"             "Seven." We smiled at each other."Now, go enjoy the ocean. I have to get back to work." I put my snorkel on and slid off of the surfboard.             "Am I distracting you too much?"             Instead of responding, he splashed a small wave of water at me then headed back towards the ladder of the boat.                             Back at the condo, I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out what to wear. I have never been the type of girl who deliberates for hours over an outfit, but this had been my first real date other than prom. This was ridiculous! How do some girls do this more than once a day? I don't get it. After about thirty minutes, I chose a light blue halter dress with white flip-flops.             "Hey Dad, I'm off. Mind if I take the jeep?" I said picking my purse up from my bedroom floor.             "Come here for a minute please, sweetheart." My dad was out on the balcony enjoying the warm Hawaiian night reading his book. "You know that your mom is pretty skeptical about this, right? I mean, meeting a boy for a few minutes on a snorkeling trip, then saying that you are going on a date with him is not really her cup of tea." My dad knew how mom responded to everything and always warned me before something blew up.             "I know, but I've never been on a date before other than prom."             I know, and I'm beyond ready to let you meet someone. You're an adult now and can make your own decisions. I just want to be aware of how your mother feels about this. Even though I consider you to be a mature adult, she may not see that completely yet."             "Thank you, Dad. But it's time for me to find a life now.  It's my turn for my own summer romance."             He smiled. "Have fun, kiddo. Love you."             "Love you too. "What time do you want me back? Eleven?"  I said taking the car keys off of the hook by the front door.             "Whenever." He answered opening his book.             I jumped slightly at his answer. "Thanks Dad!"             I shut the door behind me and walked towards the red jeep. I finally found the entrance to the Fat Cat. It took me a while to find the stairs that led me to the elevator so that I could get to the second floor. When I reached the front of the restaurant, I saw Keith sitting at a table with two chairs by the railing. He was wearing white shorts, brown flip-flops, and a green t-shirt. He stood up when he saw me. I walked towards him.              "Hey, Janie."             "Hey."             We stood their looking at each other. It was kind of an awkward situation actually.               "I have something for you," he said. I looked at him confused. "It's nothing big, but I figured that you're in Hawaii, so you might as well feel like it." He had an orchid in his hand and tucked it behind my ear.              "Thank you!" I smiled. "It's beautiful! I love it!"             He smiled back at me. "Here." He turned around and pulled out my seat for me.              "Oh, thank you." I said taking my seat. I was surprised at how polite he was.             We ordered our food and made some small talk here and there. We were still at that awkward stage of a first date. We both ordered fish tacos, and surprisingly, he was right. They were the best fish tacos I've ever had.             "So, there's still one thing you haven't told me that I've already told you about me." Keith said over dessert. We were splitting a hot fudge sundae with extra whip cream along with smoothies. It may sound disgusting to have a smoothie and chocolate at the same time, but it's not too bad. Whip cream has always been my favorite part about dessert, and it happened to be his too.             "Oh really? And what might that be?" I asked flirtatiously.             "Where are you going to school?" He took another bite of the brownie.             " I'm starting at Harvard in the fall."             "Harvard? Wow! Incredible!"             "Thanks! My parents went there and they both studied law, and that's what I'm going to do. It's kind of like a family tradition I guess. We are just a family of lawyers."             "Is that what you want?"             "Well, yea. I mean, it's what my family has always done and where they have gone to school. So, I guess I'm destined to do it too."             He just looked at me and didn't say anything.             "What?" I broke the silence.             "Nothing." He blinked back into focus. We finished the sundae in the next few minutes and he paid for both of us. "Come with me." He held out his hand, and I placed mine in his. I didn't bother to ask where we were going, I just followed him.              We walked down the main strip of Lahina until we reached a small flight of seven steps that lead to the beach. The sunset was almost over and the waves gracefully broke upon their entrance. We took our flip-flops off and walked across the beach holding hands. We were the only two there. Everyone else was busy shopping or eating dinner.             "It's so beautiful here." I said looking out towards the horizon. "I love it."             "You never get used to this when you've lived here your whole life either."             "I wish we lived here."             "Me too." He replied looking into my eyes. "Can I see you again tomorrow?"             "Yes, absolutely." I said smiling. We exchanged cell phone numbers. "I just have to check and see what my parents have planned."             "Okay, great!" We stood there in silence looking at each other. We didn't say anything, yet it felt as if we could stand there and read each other.             He gently raised his left hand, tucked a my hair behind my ear, then softly stroked my cheek. He moved his head down and his lips gracefully touched mine. It had its own sense of romance with the empty beach and ocean waves crashing in at our feet.         Chapter 3: Summer Comes to an End               Throughout the rest of summer vacation, Keith and I spend every day together. There were some days we spent at the beach and others spent helping his uncle on his snorkeling day trips. By the end of the summer, I came to love the Hawaiian ocean and being in the water. I guess some fears can be overcome.             "There's a place I want to take you tonight." Keith told me while we were lying on the beach one afternoon.                           "Have we been there before?" I asked.             "No."             "Have I ever been there before?"             "No."             How do you know? I just met you this year."             "Because you just turned eighteen in the spring." I ran out of questions. "I was thinking late last night that I haven't taken you dancing yet." I glanced up at him smiling. "There's an eighteen and over dance club in Lahina. I figured that tomorrow night is the Luau, so we should go tonight."             "We should?"             "Yes."             "Are you sure?"             He laughed. "Yes," he said kissing my hand. I lied down in his arms. "I have to work the day after the Luau, but are you free that night."             "No," I mumbled quietly.             "Oh, what are you doing?"             "Packing."             He didn't say anything. All he did was kiss the top of my head and held me tight.              "I love you Janie." He said softly. My heart leaped and I knew he sincerely meant it.             "I love you too." I squeezed his hand.                    The night we went to the club, I decided to wear a white strapless dress that flows down to the very top of my knees. I chose to wear my pink flip-flops and curl my hair to make it look slightly wavy.              "Hey." Keith said as I opened the front door to my condo. "You look beautiful."             "Thank you." I smiled at him. He was wearing white shorts and a Hawaiian t-shirt with his brown flip flops.             He held up a white pooka shelled necklace. My mouth dropped. "Turn around," he said. I turned my back to him and lifted up my hair. He gently lifted his arms up and placed the necklace around my neck. To my surprise, it only took him one try to hook the lock. He quietly kissed the back of my neck before I turned around to face him.             "I love it!" I smiled. "You didn't have to get me anything."              "I know," he took my hand in his, "but I wanted to. It's something you can remember your first summer romance by." We kissed. "Ready to go?" I nodded and followed him out to his car.              The club was in Lahina above an art gallery. They played all different genres of music, and there was a disco ball hanging in the middle of the dance floor and a D.J. set up in the front.             "Like it so far?" Keith shouted in my ear over the loud music. We were sitting one of the tables drinking soda.             "Yea! It's great!" I shouted in response and took another sip of my Dr. Pepper.             "Let's dance!" He pulled me by the hand before I had even finished taking a sip of my drink. He quickly found an open spot on the dance floor. We didn't take a break from dancing until the club closed at midnight. Afterwards, we made our way down to the beach where we first kissed.             It was going to be hard to say good-bye to Keith tonight. I wasn't sure how I was going to do it, but I guess I'd manage just like I did before I met him. I would be interning along with taking classes, which means I would hardly have any free time. Six thousand miles apart would be ridiculous too. It's not like one of us could just jump in the car and come visit if we couldn't stand being away from each other anymore. It would be an expensive ten hour flight too.             "Hey Keith, you know that this is going to be really hard, right?" I asked. We were walking down the beach with our arms wrapped around each other, holding our slip-flops in the opposite hand.             "I know," he replied. "Law school is hard and I'm going to be juggling a job and school." I looked at him confused. How could be work at his job when the University is on the big island. "When I'm away at school, I work as the event planner. I take the messages and arrange the trips for my uncle. It's the only way I would still get paid and I need the money for school. But, it'll be alright. We'll be okay. Love is love." He kissed my cheek and I smiled at him in response. He was right, and I knew it. I loved him and he felt the same way in return.                    Keith and I said our good-byes when he dropped me back off at my condo at around two in the morning. From outside, it looked as if all of the lights were off, but when I opened the front door, I found my mom reading in the recliner.             "Hey, Janie. Did you have a nice time?" My mom asked sitting up and placing her book on the coffee table.             "Yea, I did. Thanks. I didn't mean to keep you up though. "             "Oh, no. You didn't. I was at the best part of my book and I couldn't put it down. Your father has been asleep for hours though. Come sit down for a minute." I sat on the couch next to the recliner. She looked at me in silence, and I knew that she was about to bring up a topic I wouldn't like.             "Now Janie, I want you to listen to me, okay?"             I nodded.             "I don't want you to see Keith anymore." I knew it. My heart sank. "You need to realize that you are going to be one hundred percent committed to your studies at Harvard. This is not the time to have this big of a distraction in your life. You have certain expectations you have to reach."             "I don't have to reach up to anything."             "Yes you do. You have a family to please."             "No, I don't!" I raised my voice.             "Don't you argue with me. Just obey what I am saying like you have for your whole life."             "Does Daddy know what you're asking me to do?"             "No, but he and I have always agreed on things when it comes to your education."             "I have worked my ass of for the last fifteen years! I deserve to have a man in my life!"             "Don't you dare sware again or I call him up on my own! Yes, you've worked hard, but you're not done. You've had your fun."             "No!"             She stood up and started towards her bedroom with her book. "Well, you either do as I say and follow your family's tradition or break it. And I can assure you that you'll become a disgrace to the Martin family."             "I sat there in the dark devastated. The last thing I wanted to do was upset my family. Maybe he would understand and want to keep in touch. I wanted to believe it, but I knew it probably wouldn't happen. I didn't want to lose him though.             I immediately grabbed my purse and ran to the jeep. I knew that I was not going to have to worry about waking his parents because he rented a house with two of his friends from high school. When I got there, I went around the back of their house and knocked on the sliding glass door that led to Keith's bedroom. A couple of seconds later, he was at the door fumbling with the lock.              "Janie?" he said, both confused and startled. I stood there in silence looking at him. Tears began building gin my eyes. "You alright?" He hugged me close. "Come inside." I followed him inside and he closed the door behind me. I set my purse down on the floor and sat on the side of his bed.             I told him everything.             "I thought your parents liked me." He sounded confused and upset. "I'm lost on what you're trying to do."             I drew in a deep breath. "I can't be in a serious relationship right now, especially one that's six thousand miles apart."             "Janie, two hours ago you were saying that you wanted to make this work and telling me how much you loved me."             I released the tears in my flooded eyes. "I do love you."             "Then why? Is this your mom speaking or you?"             I have expectations to meet, and my family…"             "What? They what?" He interrupted me shouting. "Do they want you to marry a serious lawyer? Run for President? Spend all of your time behind a desk at an office twenty-four seven?"             "I…I don't…" I was at a loss for words. I had never seen him so angry before.             "They do, don't they?"             "I'm sorry!" I sobbed.             "Janie, you can't do this! I love you!" He placed his hands on the sides of my face.             "I love you too." I whispered back.             We stood together in silence for a few moments with our heads resting against each other.              "I should go." I broke the silence.             "Don't." I could hear his voice crack. I didn't want to go, but I pulled away and picked up my purse. "Let me ask you something." I turned around to face him." Whose life are you living? Yours or theirs?"             "Bye Keith." I ran out the sliding door to my jeep in tears.     Chapter 4:  Only Temporary              It was August fifteenth-moving day. My roommate seemed pretty normal: smart, mature, and disciplined. My parents seemed satisfied, which meant a lot, but I wasn't. I missed Keith. I wanted him back so badly, but I had broken his heart. The look on his face two weeks ago was indescribable. He was so shocked and hurt. He hasn't even attempted to contact me, but I don't blame him at all. He probably hated me. I had to move on, both for my sake and his.             One month into school, and I hated it. My parents kept nagging me about grades, I was getting three hours of sleep each night, and spent the days studying. My only friend was my roommate. I had no life here, and I couldn't do this for the rest of my life. Keith was right. I wasn't living my life, I was living theirs.             "Mom, I'm going to tell you something very important and I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?"             "Okay." It sounded like she was going to get on my case even though she had no idea what I was going to tell her.             I took a deep breath to try and relax. "I'm transferring to the University of Hawaii."             "No you're not."              "Yes, I am!"             "Janie, you are not! And that's that!"             "It's not your decision! I have had it with you telling me how to live my life. I'm not happy anymore, and if you care about me at all, you will support me in whatever it is I choose to do.  You couldn't have been happy when your parents pushed you into this too."             There was silence on the phone. I could hear heavy breathing in the background. Three…two…one…             "Not necessarily. If you go against your parents' wishes, deceive your family, and do all of this for some boy, then I don't need to support you. And neither will your family. Maybe I wasn't happy with my parents, but they knew what was best for me, and I was too young to know for myself. You can pay for this yourself too. Good luck with that."             "Fine. Thanks for the concern, but I received a full ride scholarship for being the valedictorian of my high school class. I'm double majoring in marine biology and recreation."             "You hate science."             "Maybe, but I have always loved dolphins and sea turtles. I fell in love with being in the water when we were in Hawaii this last summer, and you would have known that if you would listen to your daughter. Maui has an aquarium in Kahana that I'm planning of working at."             "So, you are throwing your valedictorian and Harvard Law Degree away to become a tour guide?"             "No! A veterinarian! And so what if I wanted to become a tour guide? As long as it made me happy, then so what?"             I heard her smirk on the other line. "Then was is this silly recreation business?"             "First of all, it's not silly. If it's an actual major at many universities, I wouldn't call it stupid. Anyways, I'm going to run the Trilogy business with Keith."             "Wow, unbelievable. Well, have a good life Janie. Don't bother to contact us."             "Mom, come on! You are being ridiculous!"             She hung up. I sure hope she heard those last four words though. She deserved to hear them.                     I packed my belongings and moved to Hawaii on Christmas day. It seemed like an odd day to travel, but I ended up getting a great deal on my airplane ticket. Thankfully, I wouldn't have to worry about a place to live when I landed. My parents weren't talking to me, but they never took my condo keys away. I had everything planned out, except for Keith. The rest of the plan was up to him. I hope he'll forgive me.             When I got to the condo, I decided to not unpack just yet. Depending on how things went with Keith that night, I may be staying here or at his house.             While I was on the plane, I came up with a brilliant plan on how I was going to approach him. I would drive to his house in the middle of the night and knock on his sliding glass door, just like I had the night before I left in August. Apparently, I had to end it there because the rest is up to him. He could either forgive me or slam the door closed without saying a word.             My heart began to race as I knocked on his door. I heard him fumbling around inside. It was obvious that he had been in a deep sleep. Suddenly, I saw him peek through the blinds then I heard him unlock the door.             I didn't say anything. I just stood there looking at him.             "Janie?" He said softly.             I stood still while tears began forming in my eyes.             "What are you doing here? On Christmas night?"                 "I'm so sorry, Keith. I'm so sorry." I sobbed.             "Janie, I can't believe it's you! Janie!" He threw his arms around me and picked me up. We kissed passionately as he carried me into his room and closed the door behind him along with the curtains.                    I woke the next morning to Keith's hand gently stroking my cheek. "             "Good morning, sweetheart." He said.             "Morning." I mumbled into his chest letting gout a long sigh. I was still jetlagged.             "Hey, you never answered my question last night." He stated after he let me wake up for a few minutes. I lifted myself up so I could look him in the face as I explained everything.             "I transferred to the University of Hawaii. I received a full academic scholarship for being the valedictorian of my high school graduating class. I'm going to double major in marine biology and recreation."             He looked at me in shock. "What about your parents and the rest of your family? What did they say about this?"             I'm not sure to tell you the truth. My mom was angry when she hung up on me and they apparently aren't talking to me anymore."             "But your dad will…"             "My mom won't let him." I interrupted him. He looked at me stunned. "She's got him under her wing, trust me."             "What happened? I mean, you were so set on Harvard and law. You even broke up with me because of it."             "I know, but I was miserable. I was bored to death with all of my classed and I was barely getting any sleep. My parents kept nagging me about getting good grades so I would be able to get an internship. But it just wasn't me. I couldn't live like that for the rest of my life. I kept replaying the last question you asked me before I left in August, and it made me realize that they were living their life through me, and that wasn't okay with me. It kind of disgusted me actually. So, I followed my heart, which lead me here."             He took my hand in his and stared into my eyes. "I love you."             "I love you too."       Chapter 5: Reunion               Unlike Harvard, I was having the time of my life at the University of Hawaii. I was pulling straight A's and was working at the Trilogy on school breaks. Keith told his family about the situation and made me feel like I was part of their family.             Even when graduation rolled around, my parents didn't contact me. They still owned the condo in Maui, but they started renting it out to people about two and a half years ago. I didn't really miss my mom because of her lack of care for me. My dad, however, I thought of everyday. I found it depressing that he doesn't have the confidence to stand up to his wife. Oh well, that was his problem I guess.               After graduation, Keith started working full time at the Trilogy and was learning how to run it after he takes over for his dad within the next few years. Once Keith takes over the business, I am going to become the event planner. I will be in charge of planning the trips, keeping track of who is on the guest list, and what types of food will be served on the trips. On the weekends, I work at the aquarium taking care of the dolphins and sea turtles. If I had stayed with my original life plan, I would be sitting behind a desk in a black suit with uncomfortable shoes. Overall, I would be miserable, alone, and without Keith.             On our five year anniversary, Keith took me to a romantic dinner at Kimo's where we sat on the water and watched the sunset. After dinner, we walked along the beach with the waves gently flowing over our feet. Before we turned around to head back towards the flight of seven steps, Keith stopped and stepped around to the front of me and faced me directly. He took my hands in his and knelt down onto one knee, and he asked me the four words I have always dreamed of him asking.             "Will you marry me?"             "Yes!" I jumped up and he kissed me. We walked back to the car shortly after. As we walked, he held my hand with the diamond engagement ring on my finger.                    The eight months before the wedding flew by. I was bust everyday with wedding details, but before I knew it, I was in my white wedding dress waiting for the ceremony to start.             "Janie?" Someone said behind me. I had no idea who he was, but his voice sounded somewhat familiar. I turned around. "Hi, sweetheart."             I stood as still as a statue. "Daddy?"             "I'm so sorry, kiddo. You look beautiful." I was still in shock. "Your mom is here too. She's sitting up in the front."             "This probably wasn't her type of wedding either-outside on a beach."              "No, but when I threatened a divorce, she snapped right out of it." I was amazed. I was beyond proud of him for finally finding his voice and using it.             "But how did you know about today?"             "Keith." I looked behind me at my future husband. "He called me and asked for my permission and blessing to marry you."             "He did?"             "Yea. He knew how much you wanted me to be a part of this." I stood staring at him for a few moments.              "Hey." I gave him a long hug and started tearing up. "Daddy?" I asked pulling away.             "What kiddo?"             "Will you give me away?" The tears spilled out of my eyes. Water proof make-up works wonders at moments like this.              "Yes" He said choking up and nodding his head. "Of course I will."             Before I knew it, the music began to play and the bride's maids made their way down the aisle one by one. Shortly after, I began my walk down the aisle towards Keith with my Dad's arm linked around mine.