First love is thrilling. But it is often full of uncertainty and unbearable pain. Growing up in sports-crazy suburban Pittsburgh, Leo and Jessie each kept private their passion for poetry and writing. But when their middle school friendship blossomed into young love, it was strengthened by the very words they wrote to each other—their Secret Words. For Leo, Jessie’s shocking death takes all the sweetness from life, leading him down a path that brings him to an unexpected understanding of himself and his true connection to friends, family, and God.