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"You'll find her. You might even discover she's been right under your nose all along."
Ty doesn't realise the truth of those words, the truth of them for him, until they are out of his mouth.
Kyle keeps rabbiting on about carnations and secret admirers, oblivious to his older brother's internal existential crisis.
Oh shit. He was talking about Annie.
He was in love with Annie Sullivan. The girl of his dreams had been right under his nose the entire time and he had never even noticed.
It was like someone had suddenly flipped on a light switch and now he could see everything more clearly than before. All those times Annie had been there for him, the history between them. How funny and smart she was, how pretty she looked regardless of whether she was all dressed up or in old pyjamas. Her drive and passion and ability to see the goodness in the world.
Holy shit.
Now that's he's realised he loves Annie, it's like he can barely keep it in.
When Kyle is talking about their playground project, he stands behind her, sneaking glances at her every second word. He can't stop looking at her legs in that little pleated skirt she's wearing. Had her hair always smelt this good?
She waves at him and Kyle as they head home and he almost faceplants.
Later, at his tutoring session with Olivia, he can't focus at all. Of course, she calls him out on it.
"It seems like a waste of money to buy me coffee and not even pay attention."
"I'm trying. Math just isn't for me."
"Bull crap! Baseball is just as much math as it is a sport. Clearly your problem is something else."
He twirls his pencil as she looks at him expectantly. Ty sighs, closing his textbook and leaning forwards with his elbows on his knees.
"I've had a lot on my mind. Can we talk about it, get it off my chest?"
Olivia crosses her ankles and takes a long sip of coffee. "As long as I get a free beverage, you can talk about the BeeGee's for all I care. Spill."
Ty takes a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with Annie Sullivan."
Olivia just stares at him. "...And?"
"And I don't know what to do about it! We've been best friends forever, practically grew up together. I think she liked me last year but I-I shut it down, but now I think I'm in love with her and I've only just realised and I don't want to make things weird and I think she's still kind of dating Jackson-"
Olivia snorts. "My god, men really have no emotional intelligence whatsoever, do they? Everyday I am thankful I'm into women."
"Hey, not helpful." Ty deadpans.
Olivia sits forward and fixes him with a stare. "Luckily for you, this is much simpler than stats. Just talk to her Tyler. Let her know how you feel and listen to what she has to say."
He drops his gaze to his lap, unable to look at her when he says "What if she doesn't feel the same?"
"It's not about that. Don't go in with any expectations on her. This is just about you being honest about how you feel."
"Honest and open communication." Ty mutters.
He smiles at Olivia, gathering his books and standing. "Thank you. That's actually really helpful."
She just gives him a mock salute. "I live to serve!" she calls to his retreating back.
He's still churning it all over at pizza with his dad and siblings.
Kyle announces he's dating Lily and Ty can hardly believe that it can all be so simple, so straightforward.
"Who you got your eye on?" his dad asks him.
He thinks: Annie Sullivan. I think I've been in love with her for as long as I've known her. We'll have a spring wedding and she'll wear white roses in her hair.
Of course, he doesn't say any of that, for fear his family would think he'd gone insane. Instead he focuses on his fries, avoiding his father's eyes as he mumbles a lie about being too busy.
It almost spills out of him again later on in his conversation with Aunt Helen.
"Once I figured out baseball wasn't the meaning of life, all other priorities and feelings started to shift."
I realised I'm in love with Annie. I realised she is my priority.
"Do you regret the lost time?"
I was blind for so long. I wasted so much time when we could have been together.
"There are other things I want to do right now. Other choices I want to explore that bring me..."
I want to be with Annie. I want to stay here with her, in Serenity.
When he holds Annie on the football field after her breakup with Jackson, he's sure she must be able to feel it in his touch. But it's not the right time for the conversation.
It's the day of Aunt Dana Sue and Ronnie's vow renewal.
He can't think, can hardly breathe when the barn doors open and he sees her for the first time. She's in a olive green three piece suit, her hair pulled back and it is just so Annie and so, so hot.
She comes over to where he and Olivia are setting up.
"Hi," she smiles at Olivia, giving her a little wave. "I'm Annie. Your dress is so cool by the way, you look amazing."
Olivia beams back at her. "Annie, I've heard so much about you. You are just pretty as a peach, isn't she Tyler?"
Ty snaps his wandering eyes back to Annie's face and clears his throat. "Uh yeah...peachy."
Annie gives him a slightly puzzled look as she's called away for the procession and Olivia hits him upside the head.
She's absolutely radiant, lit up from within with happiness as she walks up the aisle. Stepping in time to the music.
Ty cannot look away from her and when she catches his eye and smiles, his mind is suddenly filled with images of Annie in a white veil, walking up a different aisle towards where he is waiting at the end for her.
He can't stop glancing at her as Pastor June speaks, as Ronnie and Dana Sue kiss.
As soon as the ceremony ends and the party starts, he makes his way towards her.
"How you doing?" God that's a corny opening line, he sounds like Joey Tribbiani.
Luckily, Annie doesn't seem to mind. "I'm so happy for my parents."
"It's wonderful...But how are you?"
Her smile fades slightly. "I was right to break up with him. But, why do right things hurt?"
He wants desperately to take away her pain, to give her only sunshine filled days for the rest of her life.
"Wish I knew." is all he says. "We should form a study group, figure it out together."
She laughs at that and the sound makes his stomach flip.
Then, always full of surprises, she holds out her hand, offering it to him.
He looks down at her upturned palm, then into her eyes. He laces their fingers together and he swears he feels the tectonic plates shifting beneath them.
He's about to say something when Kyle interrupts, talking about their parents. Wordlessly, he and Annie hide their hands from view, behind their backs.
"Worrying is how some people express love." Annie says, meeting his gaze then glancing away shyly. His eyes drop to her lips, lingering there.
Yeah, Kyle needs to scram like right now.
The band strikes up, a slower song, and Kyle scampers off to find Lily.
Ty turns to face Annie, still holding her hand. "Annie Sullivan," he says, "may I have this dance?"
She beams and lets him lead her onto the dancefloor. He places his other hand on her waist and she steps in closer to him. They sway together, moving in slow circles.
"I worry about you all the time," he whispers, his voice hoarse.
Annie swallows, her fingers curling into the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck. "You know what they say about worrying."
He cups her cheek, tilts her face up and kisses her. It's sweet and gentle and he feels it all the way down to his toes.
When they break apart Annie's hands are locked around his neck and she's close enough that he could count every freckle on her face.
"I love you Annie." he says and it's the easiest thing in the world. "I think I always have - I'm sorry it took so long for my head to catch up to my heart."
The smile on her face is like a sunset and a home run at Fenway Park all rolled into one.
"That's alright. You're worth the wait Tyler Townsend." she breathes, pulling him back down for another kiss.
He's dimly aware of someone wolf-whistling (Olivia probably) and Ronnie yelling to get his hands of his baby girl. Ty feels Annie smile against his lips and he thinks that maybe it's alright that his future it totally uncertain, as long as they have this.
He can't wait to see what the future holds for them.