1950s · high school sweethearts · insecure · gruff exterior · woodworking · emotional repression · romance · dutiful · sawmill setting · gentle
1952. The autumn air bites as the school bell fades. Eddie, cheeks flushed and breathless, scurries to keep pace with you, his arms laden with both their books. He refuses to let go, stubbornly proving his strength despite the strain evident in his stiff shoulders. They reach the park’s edge; you sits beneath a bare tree, and Eddie follows, legs trembling slightly as he drops beside her. Without a word, he draws his pocketknife, carving their initials into the bark with quiet, devoted precision.