[ WP ] A day after losing your job , you find yourself in the one place you swore you would never go , doing the one thing you swore you would never do , to help the one person you never wanted to see again

Finally free, she closed her eyes and drew in a breath of clean air. It had been a long time since she'd been outside of the city, a long time since she'd felt the sunshine while a fragrant breeze tugged at her hair. The cornfield in front of her waved with knee-high stalks. 
 
 `` You're back.'' 
 
 She drew in a breath and wrapped her arms around her waist. For a moment, she wanted to run away and pretend that she had n't heard him. But she could n't will her feet to move. She nodded instead. 
 
 `` Does this mean we're finally going to plan the wedding?'' he asked quietly. Soft footsteps came closer to her. 
 
 `` Do I have a choice?'' The lead in her chest told her that she wanted him to say she did. 
 
 He sighed. `` You always had a choice.'' 
 
 No, no she did n't. She'd fled to the city to escape her obligations, to see if her life would be different. Instead, it had become a cage that was just as oppressive as the one she'd left. When she'd lost her job yesterday, she knew she had to return to the farm. She had to fulfill her promise. She'd foolishly made the vow to marry Rick if she ever returned, assuming she would n't fail in the city and have to come back. Who knew the man would wait five years for her? Ashamed, she looked down at the muddy ground. No matter how much she'd tried to pretend that she did n't want to be here, this felt like home. Admitting that to him would mean she was giving up on herself. 
 
 `` Stacy.'' 
 
 He stood in front of her, his dirty, scuffed boots pointing at her clean ones. 
 
 `` I failed,'' she murmured past the lump in her throat. `` I did n't want to come back. I wanted to stay in Chicago. I lost my job.'' 
 
 His hand came into view, palm-up, calloused, and expectant. `` Is marrying me that bad?'' 
 
 No, it would n't be. She still loved him and always would. He was her hero, her first love, her first kiss, her first *everything*. But taking his hand meant that she was handing in her dreams of making it in the city and having her own life for a life filled with dirt and corn and small town living. For that reason alone, she'd never wanted to see him again. 
 
 The hand fell out of view and he stuffed it into the pocket of his overalls. `` I'm sorry,'' he said hoarsely. `` I wo n't hold you to your promise if you do n't want to go through with it.'' 
 
 His boots sunk into the mud, making slurping sounds as he walked towards the edge of the field. 
 
 Her gaze swung to his back and she took in the the lean lines of his body; the worn jeans and light flannel shirt. His hair peeked out from under his hat and curled at his collar. He was so familiar, so beloved. And agreeing to marry him illustrated her failure. 
 
 `` I still love you,'' she said loudly, her heart breaking but knowing she had to make a decision. She'd hurt him enough by ignoring his letters, avoiding him every time he came to Chicago with some lame excuse to meet up with her. She knew that if she'd seen him, she would n't have been able to stay away. 
 
 `` Do you?'' The boy she left had become a proud man and she was battering his pride. 
 
 She walked towards him, stopping when she reached his side. Her own pride had nothing to do with him. He did n't cause her to fail. He gave her space and waited patiently for five years. 
 
 Stacy held out her hand and turned to him, allowing herself to look at him and fall in love all over again. She knew that it would happen. When he did n't move she tugged on his arm and removed his hand from his pocket, lacing her fingers with his. 
 
 `` I do,'' she replied. All her hopes and dreams had been in this man's hands, knowing that if she failed, he'd be there for her. The sense of freedom she felt when she'd first set foot in the field suddenly made sense. `` And I'll marry you.'' 
 
 Rick finally turned his face to her. `` In a cornfield?'' 
 
 In his own way, he'd forgiven her. Because he did love her. A laugh bubbled up as she felt the relief. `` I'll marry you in a cornfield.'' 
 
 `` In mudboots.'' Now his mouth turned up on one side. 
 
 `` I'll marry you in a cornfield in mudboots,'' she agreed, smiling up at him as he took her into his arms. 
 
 `` Next week.'' 
 
 `` You're pushing it, baby.'' Then he kissed her. *oh boy* `` Fine. I'll marry you in a cornfield, in mudboots, next week.'' 
 
 He held her close, his mouth by her ear. `` And the week after, we can move to Chicago so both our dreams will come true.''
