They Call It Depression {edited}

Epilogue

"Mackenzie, I'd like you to meet my grandson," Clara said. She stepped out of the way to reveal a tall teenage boy.

He was gorgeous. His hair was black and kind of tousled, but in a cute way. His eyes were a piercing blue, staring straight through to my soul. He was wearing a plain gray T-shirt, and you could tell he had defined muscles.

"Hi," he said, his voice deeper than I'd expected.

"Hey. I'm, uh-"

"Mackenzie. Yeah, my grandma's told me a lot about you," he interrupted. Then he held out his hand, and I shook it. "I'm Nathan."

- - -

I wake up the next morning, remembering the first time I met Nathan. I remember thinking he was the hottest boy I'd ever seen, and so interesting too.

But he wasn't just cute. Nathan took care of his grandma; he loved her and made sure she always had everything she needed. He held her hand as he walked her to her car; he brought her meals and anything else she wanted. He was the perfect grandson.

And as I got to know him, I discovered just how much Nathan loved Jesus. He wasn't just a believer: he served in his church back in Maine; he had a daily prayer time; and he attended both Sunday morning and Wednesday night youth group services at his church. He was so inspiring to me, and I did everything I could to be around him. He helped me become a better Christian. He taught me more about God, and shared his beliefs with me. After the first week of his stay, I couldn't believe he was even still talking to me.

But he kept talking to me even after he left. We'd text, write letters, FaceTime-just about everything you can think of. While he was in Maine, I began to fall in love with Nathan. And then when we were both old enough and had graduated high school, I moved to Maine and applied to the same college as he did. Both of us were accepted.

Our journey began there, but it didn't end. It still hasn't. There's a lot of love stories out there, but ours is my favorite. It's special in a way that no other story is. Because Nathan was and is the one boy who stayed with me through it all. And I know he'll continue to do that until death do us part.