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The two teens sat on the beach, watching the waves roll gently onto the sand. Neither quite knew what to say. It was getting dark, and they had yet to hold a full conversation.
Fred decided to speak up first. "You ever think about how gin traps and bear traps are basically the same, but you almost never see them mentioned in the same article?"
"Oh, Freddy," Daphne sighed, leaning squeezing Fred's hand. "What are we going to do? Our parents are gonna flip if we actually go through with the marriage. I can't imagine a life without you, but- I can't imagine a life without them, either." She looked up at Fred for some kind of reaction.
His expression didn't change. He just stared blankly at the ground. "I can't imagine a life without dad, either." He mumbled after a short silence. "I just wish he felt the same about me."
I'm sure he does. Daphne wished she could say that truthfully. But she couldn't bring herself to lie like that. "I know, Freddy. And I'm sorry. But as much as I wish he would, he's never going to change. The best you can do is try to live a happy life... without him. I'll be next to you every step of the way. It'll be okay. You'll see."
Fred wrapped an arm around her gratefully. "Thanks, Daph--" He suppressed the sudden urge to cry. Crying was not something he could do in front of other people. "--For being honest. You're the best girl any guy could ask for. But I don't know if I'm strong enough to stand up to dad." He blinked a single tear out of his eye. "I understand if that's a deal-breaker. Just- just promise you'll remember me."
Daphne reached up and gently wiped the tear off of Fred's face. "Freddy, I'll stay with you as long as it takes for you to gather your strength. One day, you'll be ready to cut ties with your father. I know you will. I don't care if it takes days or years- I'll never give up on you. Got that?"
Fred hesitated, then scrunched up his face and held a single hand against his head as he started to cry. He leaned into Daphne, wrapping his arms around her and weeping silently into her shoulder.
She hugged him back, holding him as tight as she could. Nothing would ever come between her and Freddy, she thought. Not even his stupid dad. She'd love to see him try.
The two remained in that spot on the beach, crying and hugging and eventually sleeping, until the sun finally showed it's face from beyond the horizon.
The trip home was slow-- neither looked forward to the argument with their parents-- but even still, they felt less scared than normal. They knew that no matter how much their parents wanted otherwise, they would have a future together, and that thought kept them going as they went their separate ways.