Florence wrote to Edward every single day she was at finishing school. He responded in turn, at least for the first few letters. After that, his responses became less frequent and by the time she graduated he'd long stopped writing back. She convinced herself he was just busy and focused on getting through a finishing school and breaking as many rules as she could along the way. Eventually, her two years at the school were over and she returned home. Her family even seemed happy to see her when she returned and threw her 19th birthday on the small beach by her house.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49992421581_2c54e734e4_c.jpgStill, even after she aged up and gained all the powers being a young adult granted her she still didn't hear from Edward. He didn't even call her even though many of her letters contained her graduation date and telephones were being used more frequently. Once more she convinced herself that he was just busy, although some annoying doubts did start to creep in, like fears that he was cheating on her. She tried to brush the doubts off as ridiculous, but the none-the-less they lingered. The best she could do was distract herself long enough to stop dwelling on her doubts. Edward would call she just had to be patient.
Three days passed since her return home and still, she hadn't heard anything from Edward. She was almost ready to admit that her doubts were true until she went to the beach near her house and spotted a very familiar man. Like her, he'd matured and grown, but it was Edward, without thinking she ran over and embraced him. He stiffened at first, most likely because Florence had grabbed him so suddenly, but eventually he hugged her back and for a long time they just stood there in front of all of Roaring Heights just holding one another.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49991899278_24c9ec56f7_c.jpgEdward broke away first and asked, "Doll, what are you doing here?"
"I decided to come to the beach and unwind and then I saw you which made my day even better!" Florence said.
"Mine too," he said, a little distantly, but Florence didn't think too deeply about it since it had been a couple of years since they'd seen each other last. Naturally, things were going to be a little awkward at first.
" I missed you so much! Where have you been and why did you stop writing to me? You aren't in trouble are you?" She was only half kidding about the last part.
He took a small step back from her. "Because Juice running is still illegal, I have to move around the operation a lot. There were some days the police got real close, your dad included. It would have simply been unwise and unsafe for me to disclose my location to you."
"Abraham is just my step-dad. I'm so sorry he gave you so much trouble," Florence said.
"Don't worry about it most pigs are stupid," Edward said, Florence laughed and there was a pause where they just gazed into one another's eyes before Edward spoke again. "I do have money now and there's a real nice speakeasy around here that I would love to take you too, so we can celebrate being reunited."
Florence hesitated for a moment because speakeasies were still illegal, but only a moment. "I'd love too, but let me go home and change and change first, I'll meet you back here in about an hour."
"I'll see you in a few," Edward said.
****At their date following their reunion on the beach both Florence and Edward agreed that for the time being they needed to keep their relationship a secret, even from Aunt Thelma, but they still saw plenty of one another. Even when life made it so they couldn't go on actual fates, Edward called her on the phone and they would talk long into the night, although they had to keep their voices low so no one in Florence's family would catch on.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49992668512_79425fe9a8_c.jpgThe secrecy felt a little ridiculous at times, but somehow it still made Florence's relationship with Edward all the more thrilling. However, within a few months, even that thrill started to wane weeks later when they still had to keep their relationship a secret. Florence wanted to be able to talk about her relationship with someone. Not to mention if she and Edward ever wanted to marry her parents would eventually find out. This desire to be open about her relationship came to a head the morning of Edward's graduation from a local community college. He'd explained to her shortly after they reunited that he took classes so he could appear as normal as everyone else, despite his main job being a juice runner. Not to mention college was also a great place to find new customers. Florence thought his plan was brilliant and more than anything she wanted to watch him graduate and it felt wrong to simply lie to her family about where she wanted to go that morning, graduating any sort of college was a huge accomplishment that shouldn't be hidden.
That morning she woke up determined to tell her family about her and Edward's relationship at breakfast.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49991899223_0243444824_c.jpgAs always everyone was already grabbing food and setting around the dining room table, at least everyone except her step-dad.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49992421496_b10ffd379e_c.jpg"Mom, is dad sleeping in today?" Florence asked.
"No, he had some business to attend to at the station," her mother said.
That made things a little more difficult, but her mother could always pass the information to her father when he returned home. However, wanting to confess and confessing were two different things and Florence simply couldn’t bring herself to reveal her relationship with Edward because she knew it would lead to an argument and that was something neither Clifford nor Ruth needed to see.
Eventually, though her mother offered her the perfect moment to confess. " I've noticed that you've been speaking on the phone an awful lot lately. Did you meet someone special while you were away at school?"
It was meant to be casual, light breakfast conversation, but her mother's simple question made it impossible for Florence to hide her relationship. "Yes, actually ran into Edward a few weeks back and we started seeing each other again."
Her mother immediately set her plate down on the table before briefly turning her attention to Clifford and Ruth. "You know, it is a lovely day outside, why don't you two go play out there for a little while."
Her half-siblings immediately got up from the table and headed towards the door.
"Oooh, Florence is in big trouble," Ruth said just before she and Clifford were out the door and out of earshot.
"Why that boy of all people?" her mother said, but she didn't sound angry, just worried which made the whole situation worse. "He didn't speak to you for years and now he suddenly wants you in his life again. I don't like it, Florence."
"He was just busy with college," Florence said, no need to remind her mother that he was involved with juice running. "In fact, I'm going to his graduation today whether you like it or not."
She expected her mother to yell, plant her feet in the ground and tell her she couldn't go, but that's not what her mother did. "As long as that's all he's been busy with that's fine, just be careful I don't want you to get hurt," her mother said. The yelling would have been easier to deal with and she'd feel less guilty and immature.
"Fine. I'll see you tonight," Florence said and headed towards her room to change. Her mother didn't stop her.
***After the graduation ceremony, Florence waited for Edward and the other graduates to exit the courthouse. She quickly spotted Edward and immediately ran over to him. His family was nowhere in sight.
She moved to hug him he pushed her back. "Careful people might start to suspect that we're together."
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49992421426_d0c19eed14_c.jpg"Don't worry about that," Florence said and moved a little closer to her beau. "I told my mother about us this morning, we don't have to hide out love any longer."
Assuming he'd agree with her, Florence broke the distance between them completely and kissed him full on lips.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49992421401_352428e7c9_c.jpgInstead of kissing her back though he pushed her away again. "You don't understand. Your father is still a pig and last night some of his fellow coppers picked up some of my friends from work. Odds are they interrogated them and know all our identities by now. People can't know we're dating, for both your safety and mine. "
Suddenly Florence knew just what kind of "business" her father had at the station and her mother would soon know that her daughter's beau was still a juice runner.
"I'm so sorry, Edward," Florence said.
For a brief moment, she swore Edward's face may have turned red with anger, but it quickly faded. "It's all right, Doll you didn't know any better. However, it would be best if perhaps we took a break, just long enough to let everything die down.
"Okay, I'll see you soon."
"See you soon."
They parted ways and Florence's heart ached. In hindsight, she should have listened to it a little closer, if she had she would have ended her relationship with Edward right then and there.
