Shorts

The world around you is pitch black. You sit shaking. at the edge of your bed Your hands covering your face as tears run down your cheek. Your heart sinks and you feel as if the world is crumbling around you. Who knew one decision could have such an impact on a man? One little slip and your life has come to an impasse filled with both fear and apprehension. You feel arms drape over your shoulders, something press against your back, and a familiar voice in your ear. "Everything is going to be alright. We'll get through this." Lips press softly against your cheek. Your eyes open and meet her gaze. "I'm scared too. This is a big change for both of us, but I'm more excited than anything else. We'll finally be a real family," she says as she places one hand to her stomach. She leans back on the bed and holes out her arms. "Everything will work out in the end. Now come here" You turn and fall into her arms with tears still rolling down your cheek. She squeezes you against her chest and as you listen to her heartbeat your body drifts peacefully to sleep. The greatest miracle in life is the one that is now growing inside of your love. A treasure that only the two of you could make.

A warm breeze wafts across the field. You feel her arm across your chest as she lays on your shoulder asleep. The gentle coo of her breathing as she sleeps fills your heart with amazing warmth. You look up at the night sky. A full moon and a billion flickering lights as far you can see. The thought that if each one of those stars was a person for you to find her amongst billions crossed your mind. Your love suddenly felt more tremendous than ever before. You reach your free arm towards the sky and close your fist around one of the stars. As the wind kicked up and you felt her hair brush against you, you turned your eyes down to gaze upon the beauty you held in your arms. Your glance was met with a small smile on her sleeping face. You wrapped your arms around her and pulled her closer. She nuzzled her face into you and squeezed you tighter. With her in your arms you realized, you already grabbed that star out of the sky. You've found it, that thing which human's spend their lives searching: Love.

A beautiful summer day, warm with a gentle breeze. The perfect day for a date. The two of you decided on a picnic in the park. She is wearing a short skirt and a lovely top that compliments her hair color. The two of you find a spot with her away from the sounds of children, and the busy sounds of the world around you. An oasis only for the two of you. You lay down a blanket and set out your meal. The conversation over the food is rowdy and filled with laughs. After the meal the two of you decide to lay down and relax. Her laying on her back, and you laying with your head resting on her stomach. You turn onto your side and see her shirt has pulled up slightly exposing her belly. You blow against her belly gently. She giggles and grabs your head, only spurring you on. You give her stomach a light kiss and blow on it once again. She curls her legs and pushes your head down even more. Her entire body is curled around you. She can't stop laughing as you continue to kiss her stomach ignoring her cries to stop between her laughs. The two of you forgetting yourselves and becoming like two teenagers in love.

You lay in bed facing the wall. You reach for the light and with a click the room goes dark. An awkward silence overtakes the room. You feel the covers pull ever so slightly as she moves. You can hear your own heart beating out of your chest. Your palms begin to sweat. Who would have thought just sleeping together could be so nerve-racking? A still silence falls over the room. Not a word spoken between the two of you. You turn your head and glance at her. All you see across the seemingly vast distance between the two of you is her back. You turn your head once again facing the wall. Minutes pass without a word spoken. The two of you sitting in silence only pieced by the sound of your own heartbeat. You reach your hand behind you and all you feel is the sheets. The distance between you is too great for you to even reach her. As you move your hands upwards reaching out for any faint contact with her you brush against something. You find the tips of the fingers of her outstretched hand searching across the same vast expanse. You grab her hand and turn to face her only to find her gazing back at you. The distance between two hearts is never so great as to not be more than an arms length away.

A cold winter night. The two of you laying in bed. She shivers and curls herself up facing away from you. You hold your arms out and say, "Come here, honey." She rolls over and slides into your arms. Still shaking she wraps her legs around yours. Her feet touch yours, they are freezing cold. You begin to rub your feet against hers. She squeezes you tighter, and presses her chest against you. You pull the blanket up to tuck her in, and wrap your arms around her. She snuggles her head into your chest. The shivering stops and her eyes go closed. Holding her close on this cold night you feel more warmth than ever before.

A warm breeze wafts across the field. You feel her arm across your chest as she lays on your shoulder asleep. The gentle coo of her breathing as she sleeps fills your heart with amazing warmth. You look up at the night sky. A full moon and a billion flickering lights as far you can see. The thought that if each one of those stars was a person for you to find her amongst billions crossed your mind. Your love suddenly felt more tremendous than ever before. You reach your free arm towards the sky and close your fist around one of the stars. As the wind kicked up and you felt her hair brush against you, you turned your eyes down to gaze upon the beauty you held in your arms. Your glance was met with a small smile on her sleeping face. You wrapped your arms around her and pulled her closer. She nuzzled her face into you and squeezed you tighter. With her in your arms you realized, you already grabbed that star out of the sky. You've found it, that thing which human's spend their lives searching: Love.

The sound of birds echo through the trees as you walk hand in hand with your love. Her hair sways in the cool breeze of the warm spring eve. Beads of light pierce the canopy of leaves above you, giving the world an almost ethereal look. As you turn your eyes to her a ray of light from above illuminates her angelic form perfectly captured in that fleeting moment. Staggered by the beauty before you, you stumble and pull her with you through the hedge. As the two of you fall to the ground you grab her in your arms, you land on your back with a thud and her on your stomach. She pulls herself to her knees and gets off you. You look up to her face expecting a sneer at your clumsy behavior, but instead her eye laid wide looking behind you. You roll over to see what she was staring at and are met with a vision that will last for the rest of your days. The sun setting behind rolling hills, it's orange radiance contrasting the field of purple flowers in front of you. "It's beautiful," she says as you sit up beside her. You can't help but feel that this moment was meant only for the two of you, a boon from the heavens. You wrap your arm around her and pull her close, and watch as stars begin to dot the sky with the passing of the sun. The ephemeral moment that you share with her on this Earth and in your arms that allows you to behold this majesty is the greatest gift you can ever receive.

The blinding light of the sun beams down from overhead. You walk hand in hand through the park with your love. In every direction you look flowers are in full bloom. A strong breeze blows against your face, a brief reprieve from the sweltering heat of a summer day. The gust pushes her body against yours. As she is driven to your shoulder by divine will you grab her hand. She squeezes your hand in silent approval. You turn to look down at her, and she quickly moves here parasol to hide her face, but you can sense the smile on what you know to be her ever reddening face. You take a glance towards the sky and notice the first few clouds roll into view and with them come a few droplets of rain. The fickle summer weather had taken a turn for the worse as the droplets fell at at ever quickening rate. Then in an instant all you could hear were the sounds of the rain overhead. You looked up to see the fabric of her parasol overhead. She pulled herself closer to you. She handed you the umbrella and wrapped her arms around your stomach. The two of you walked onward unabated by the nature itself. The power of love is the power to defy all obstacles, big or small.

The sun dips overhead. You feel the warm sand beneath your feet. She grabs your hand and hurriedly rushes towards the water. The cool tide washes over your feet. She let's go of your hand and runs out into the water. She beckons you towards her. You slowly make your way deeper into the water to follow her. As you get closer, she splashes you with water, giggling as the cold droplets hit your skin. You stand in the knee-deep water and splash her back. The two of you are soaked from head to toe by the time you are finished. You take her hand and lead her back to the beach. Her wet hair glimmers in the setting sun and her top has become slightly see through. You drape your shirt over her shoulders and grab her hand once more leading her down the beach. She entwines her fingers with yours. The waves crash against your feet bringing with them the cooling chill of night. The evening wind blows and she presses herself against you. She squeezes your hand. You turn to look and your eyes meet hers. You stare deeply into her big eyes and reddening face. "Thanks for taking me out today. I had a lot of fun," she says as she turns her face downwards. You feel her grip on your hand tighten. You wrap your free arm around her embracing her. She looks up and without saying a word you press your lips to hers. The sunsets on your day together, but the night has only just begun.

The clock strikes the hour as you run. With your breath ragged and your body covered in sweat, you throw open the door. You watch as the orange glow of the setting sun behind you paints the room in its color. The air is filled with the sent of old paper and ink. The only sound around you is the gentle patter of the stores few clientele. As you make your through the long aisles filled with tomes you find her. The two of you had agreed to meet here just before the sunset, your delay had kept her waiting and she had fallen asleep. You take a deep breath as you approach your lover and gently touched her shoulder. Her head tilts up and her eyes meet yours, and she smiles. Her face gleaning with a brilliance reserved only for you. Love waits for no one, but a lover will wait their entire lifetime.

The sound of music filling your ears, singing met with the cheers and whistling of your friends. The instantly noticeable smell of alcohol filled the air. You turned your gaze to her. She is sitting quietly nursing a drink, obviously a little tipsy. You wrap your arm around her waist and pull her close. She blushes and lays her head on your shoulder. Your intimate moment didn't go unnoticed by the crowd around you. The lights began to dim as the microphone is handed to you. You stand and take your love's hand in yours and pull her to her feet as the music begins to play. You heart pounds as the two of you stand in front of everyone. As the lyrics begin to play, you look her in the eyes and begin to sing. In the moment her eyes meet yours time seems to slow down. The world becomes quiet. The only thing in your eyes, head, or heart is her. She begins to sing back to you. With each lyrics you feel her love pouring out and flowing into you. In this world for only the two of you, that no one else may reach, you share a song of your love and before your love even this world standstill. As the song winds down to it's conclusion and the microphones drop from in front of your mouths, you lean in and kiss her. The onlookers erupt in cheers. You take her hand in yours and speak the only phrase the song was missing to display how you felt about her, "I love you."

You shiver as the morning air touches you. Your body feels heavy. Dizziness overtakes you as you try to sit up and you notice the pounding of your head. She sits up beside you in bed and rubs her eyes. Your breathing feels strained and you begin to cough. She looks at you with an air of concern surrounding her. Her hand reaches out for your forehead. A cool feeling spreads across you from the gentle touch of her hand against you, an obvious sign of a fever. She stands up and leaves the room. A moment passes as you hack and cough with every breath. When she reappears before you she is carrying some pills and water. She helps you sit up and hands you the medicine and water. Once you finish your drink she lays you back down and covers you. Once more your body quakes from the cold. She sees your suffering and lays beside you and wraps her arms around you. Before you can protest she says, "Don't worry about getting me sick, just go to sleep. You'll feel better when you get up, until then I'll keep you warm." Her body pressed against yours made you feel warm and safe, but the part of you which felt the most of her warmth was your heart.

The two of you stand only a shoulders length apart. As far as the eye can see there is nothing but a black expanse filled with glimmering dots. The far-off sounds of the tide fill your ears as they crash against the shore. A cool breeze wafts over you bringing with it the smell of salt. The wind causes a chill to spread throughout your body. You feel her inch ever closer to you until you are shoulder to shoulder, and she grabs your hand with hers as the first orange glimmer peeks out from the deep blackness. You watch the sea before you turn blue under the rising sun and the once vivid stars fade from the sky. You turn to her to witness her reaction to the beauty you have just beheld. As the sun strikes her, casting away the shadow that had shrouded her, you saw a scene more beautiful than the rising sun: Her smiling face. The star that shown in the sky illuminating the world could never compete with her radiance in your eyes. She turned and her gaze met yours with the same beaming smile on her face. In that moment you felt your body move as if by some unknown force and you wrapped your arms around her. Was it fear that she would this shining maiden would burn out and disappear if you didn't grab onto her to feed the flame or was it something more?

Small lights flicker in front of you in stark contrast with the dark room. The room is filled with voices, but bodies that they belong to are shrouded in black. Across the table in front of the flickering lights she sits. As the lights glimmer her face is illuminated and you can see the blush covering it. The voices go quiet and you watch her take a deep breath as tights piece the darkness. You watch as each of the little flames go out and the room becomes completely dark. Suddenly the lights come up filling the room with familiar faces and jubilation. You look across the table at your love, her face still red but smiling ear to ear. You stand up from your seat and make your way towards you. She looks up at you as you stand beside her. You take her hand in yours, take to your knee and give her the greatest gift she could ever ask for. "Will you marry me?"

The sound of running water fills your ears as you lay on the edge of your bed. You rest your arm on your eyes to shutout the light. You feel as though the world is spinning around you. The drinks you had earlier that evening had gone to your head. The sounds of the water stop and the door to your bath swings open. You turn to the side to see a figure shrouded in light. As your eyes adjust enough to piece through the veil, you see her. Her body wrapped in a towel that she held with her hands, an image reminiscent of "The Birth of Venus". Her eyes cast downward as she notices your gaze. She quickly makes her way over to you, and sits between your legs. She turns back to you and holds out her hand. In her hand she holds an object that had become part of your daily life and a symbol of intimacy between the two of you: A simple brush. You sit up slowly, your head still spinning, and take the brush in hand. You reach up and run your fingers slowly through her hair. You can almost feel her eyes close with your touch. You deftly run the the brush through her hair like a veteran beautician. Each of your motions met with soft sighs from her. You can feel her beginning to nod off as you finish. You wrap your arms around her and kiss her cheek. The most simple of pleasures are the ones that bring us the closest together.

You shield your eyes from the bright sun beating down on you overhead. You stare out across the concrete and tile to see the bright blue water just beyond. The smell of chlorine fills the air. You hear the sounds of children playing and music in the background. You feel a tap on the shoulder. As you turn around, you see her standing in her swimsuit with a towel pressed against her chest covering her stomach. Even with the towel covering her you're stuck silent by the radiant maiden standing before you. Her face turns read as you scan her top to bottom. She averts her gaze and stares towards the ground. As you stare dumbfounded you stutter out a few words of praise met with a smile on her still red face. She walks past you, grabbing your hand in her stride. She lays down her towel by the pool and once again you're momentarily overtaken with a sense of awe at her beauty like viewing a piece of art, beautiful time and again. She pulls you by hand to the poolside and the two of you jump in. The cold water all around you in stark contrast to the sweltering heat of the summer's day causes your body to shake. You open your eyes beneath that endless see of blue and the first vision you see is her staring back at you. Her bright eyes meeting yours wash away the chill of the water as she warms your heart. You breach the surface and wipe your eyes and as you do you see her surface in front of you like a mermaid, a romantic's image of radiant beauty. The sunlight making her skin gleam as the droplets of water ran down her body. You reach over to her and push her wet hair out of her eyes and right there, in front of a crowd of onlookers, you pull her close and press your lips to her. Your attempt to cool off on a summer's day had only served to heat up your relationship.

The overcast sky covered the world before you in a gray haze. The sound of droplets of water crash down against the roof above you fill your ears. She lays her head against your shoulder. You wrap your arm around her. You turn slightly and kiss the top of her head. The strawberry scent of her hair floods your nose. She wraps her arms around you and cuddles snugly against your chest. In that moment this world covered in gray seemed to sparkle more vibrant than any color you had ever seen. A bright light pieces through the clouds that covered the sky. A shade of brilliant orange fills the world around you. Both of your eyes turn skyward to behold the beautiful before you. The rain slowed as the sun pierced the covering clouds. She sat up and turned to you. Taken by the beauty of the moment her eyes, as dewy as the trees surrounding you, seemed to smile at you. She wraps her arms around your neck, pulls your face close to hers, and presses her lips to yours. As the last few drops echo their melody overhead the two of you create their own.

The world around you is dark. The dim light of candles barely illuminates a few feet in front of you. The flicking light serves only to deepen the dark world as you looked around your home. No streetlights or houselights can be seen through your windows. A cool air fills the room. Her cold hand in yours stand in stark contrast to the warm blankets covering the two of you. Your bodies bundled up to survive the frigid night. Her body trembles as she lays between your legs, curled up in a feeble attempt to keep warm. You wrap your arms around her and pull her closer to your chest, but her body continues to quake in your arms. You release your grip and as her eyes turn up to you; you remove the coat that had been keeping you warm and lay it on top of her. The cold air hits you and a chill runs up your back. Before you can even react her arms are wrapped around your chest and her body is pressed tightly against you. The chill on the outside of your body on that frigid night was nothing compared to the warmth you felt spread throughout your chest in that moment.

The two of you laying in bed after a long evening. A cool breeze wafts through the room from an open window. She pulls her body close to yours and wraps your arm around her. Her glasses gently lifted off her face as she lays her head on your chest. You grab her arm and pull her on top of you. Her face flush as she lays atop you. You wrap your arms around her and squeeze tightly. She stares longingly into your eyes, a face expectant of more. You release you slide your hands up her back until you are running your fingers through her hair. Her eyes light up on her ever reddening face as your hand brushes against her cheek. You tell her to close her eyes and when she does you lift the glasses off her face and press your lips to hers. A passionate embrace of lovers setting the tone for your night and the rest of your lives.

A beautiful summer day. The sun is high in the sky and you've just finished preparing lunch. She said she would wait for you outside for your meal in the garden. The meal itself is nothing fancy, but the time spent with her was special to you. As you open the door carrying your food, you see her sitting at the table asleep. The laziness of a summer day had taken it's toll on her. You sit the food down on the table in front of her. She has a look of complete tranquility on her face. Her chest heaves with every breathe she takes. You softly press your hand to her cheek. Wishing that with that touch you could, for even a moment, become part of the world which has granted her such peace. She presses her cheek against your hand as her eyes gradually open. She smiles at you with a warmth that put the summer heat to shame. She places her hand on top of yours and says, "You know, I just had a dream about you."

A single blinding ray of sunlight hits your eyes forcing you awake from your peaceful slumber. A gentle breeze comes in through the window. The cool air feels good against your skin in contrast to the warm room. As your eyes adjust you see the clock that reads 10:32AM. You try to sit up, but your arm is stuck under something. You turn your head to see what it is only to be met by the bright eyes of your beloved. Her hands pulling the covers up to her chin with a smile peaking out over the top. You reach your free hand over and run it along her face as if to see if she was real or merely an illusion. Her hand comes up to meet yours, and as she sits up the cover slips down and you flash back to the night before. She presses her cheek against your hand in hers and you pull her closer pressing your lips to hers your body remembering the throes of passion from a scant few hours earlier. You wrap your now freed arm around her back and pull her close. You can feel her supple skin pressed against her chest, eliciting one more unbelievable memory from the previous night. As you press onward your hand tracing down the center of her back, you lean in against her and she land against the soft bed. She stares up at you with a reddening face, but her expectant eyes scream for you to continue. You, once more, embrace your love in your arms and kiss. Memories ignite passions that last a lifetime. ... Your breath ragged and your body barely able to move. You plop back down against the bed beside her, and lay your arm over your eyes to block the late morning sun. A giggle echos in your ears, and you turn your head to see the beauty laying beside you. The brilliant light of that morning sun became a back light against her body, the spitting image of an angel at your side. You pulled your hand up to hers and entwined your fingers with hers. With her hair a mess and her body weak she smiled in a face that only you will ever experience, one meant only for the eyes of her love.

Something soft presses against your back, and arms fall over your shoulders. A breathe hits your ear. Her lips press against you, and her teeth bite down gently on your earlobe. As her grip on your ear is released you hear your name echo in your ear in her voice. You turn to see her face, and as you do her lips meet yours. Locking lips the two of you kiss passionately. You wrap your arms around her, and circle your tongues around one another. As the kiss breaks, she grabs your lower lip between her teeth and applies a little pressure. As she releases you from her mouth she looks up at you with eyes filled with passion. You may have escaped her grip on your body, but not from her clutches on your heart.

The moon over head as you walk home from dinner carrying her. A night out punctuated with a few drinks in a nice restaurant. The gentle breeze reminds you of the brisk chill of a fall night as it hits your face. In stark contrast to that, her body was warm pressed against your own. Her arms draped around your neck and her head resting against your shoulder as she sleeps. Her chest pressed against your back. You hands around her hips to support her. A slight blush on her sleeping face, the noticeable affects of alcohol. With each exhale her chest heaves, rubs against your back, and a warm draft tickles your neck. The night is completely silent except for the sounds of her breathing, and your foot steps. Her voice next to your ear breaks the silence. In her sleep she utters out your name. As you walk down the dimly lit streets clutching onto her you reminisce about the first time the two of you met. An day unlike any other you will ever have again. She squeezes her arms tighter and you continue your walk home, to the place the two of you will spend the rest of your days together.

The sun high in the sky partially obscured by clouds overhead. The two of you walking arm in arm through the park. A gentle breeze brushes past the trees surrounding you. As the newly blooming leaves fight the wind to stay on the tree she squeezes your arm to her chest fighting to stay attached to you. You glance down and notice something has caught her attention. Following her eyes you see her staring at a stand selling ice cream. You lean in close and say, "Let's stop there." She looks back at you with child-like excitement. The two of you get your treat and sit down The two of you talk over your snack. As she talks you notice the ice cream has started to melt and run down her hand. You grab her hand in yours pulling it close to your mouth, and run your tongue up the trail the cream had left. When you look up your eyes meet hers. Her face is beet red. You feel a smile creep across your face and without missing a step you say "Looks like I missed a spot." You pull her by the arm still in your hand. Her eyes widen and press your lips to hers. The taste of her lips would be the sweetest one of the day.

Her face is illuminated only by the flickering lights before her. The room is pitch black with only the soft ambiance of night breaking the silence. She inhales deeply and blows out the candles in front of her. As she pulls her face away from her cake, you press your lips to her cheek and whisper "Happy Birthday," in her ear. Even in the utter darkness of the room you knew she was smiling. You turned the lights back on and presented her with her gift for this important day: A small box. She opens the box with bated breath only to discover that what is inside is more than she could ever hope for. You grab both of her hands and bend down onto one knee. You look up at her, and when your eyes meet she begins to well up in tears. In that moment you say to her the one thing you've wanted to say since you met, "Will you marry me?"

Fireworks burst overhead, illuminating the night sky before the eyes of two young lovers. Seated on a blanket, your arms draped over her shoulders and her body pressed closely against you between your legs. She wraps your hands around her chest and cups your hands in hers. You gently rest on your head atop hers. She squeezes your hand slightly with every burst. Elated or perhaps started, it matters not as she grasps your hand your own pulse quickens. The reverberations in your chest from the fireworks are nothing compared to the feeling she gives you. You squeeze her tightly, pulling her as close as possible. You can feel her heartbeat against your chest as you pull her closer. Her pulse matches the pace of your own; two bodies, hearts, and minds in perfect unison. As the show reaches it's climax, you slide your face right beside hers and kiss her cheek. She turns to you with a smile on her face, and presses her lips to yours. The biggest fireworks of the evening were not the ones in the sky, but the ones between two young lovers nestled atop a blanket.

Small lights flicker in front of you in stark contrast with the dark room. The room is filled with voices, but bodies that they belong to are shrouded in black. Across the table in front of the flickering lights she sits. As the lights glimmer her face is illuminated and you can see the blush covering it. The voices go quiet and you watch her take a deep breath as tights piece the darkness. You watch as each of the little flames go out and the room becomes completely dark. Suddenly the lights come up filling the room with familiar faces and jubilation. You look across the table at your love, her face still red but smiling ear to ear. You stand up from your seat and make your way towards you. She looks up at you as you stand beside her. You take her hand in yours, take to your knee and give her the greatest gift she could ever ask for. "Will you marry me?"

You find yourself at a friend's home. A boisterous gathering of acquaintances. The sounds of music and small talk fill the room. As you make your way through the crowd in an attempt to find a less congested area. You spot her. This gorgeous woman who had long since caught your eye, but you never had a chance to speak with her alone. Radiant and beautiful did her no justice. To you, she was the epitome of everything feminine, like a goddess gracing mere mortals with her presence. "Tonight for sure!" you think to yourself as you make your way towards her. You make only a few steps before your heart begins to pound at a tempo rivaling the music. The thought of approaching her is almost too much for you to bear, but the thought of letting this opportunity slip by forever goes beyond even that. The few feet between you seem like miles, the seconds it has taken you to travel those feet seem like an eternity. As you come close she looks at you, and your eyes meet. In that moment, she smiles. One simple gesture towards you makes your heart skip a beat. Your arduous trek made trivial in an instant. Still overcome by your nerves you manage only to stutter out a soft "Hi," that is deafened by the music. She points to her ear in a gesture which you can only interpret as "I can't hear you." Much to your surprise, she mouths three words to you that you will never forget, "Let's talk outside," as she grabs your hand and leads you towards the door.

The sun had fallen from the sky and your long day had come to an end. The two of you sitting together in your dimly lit room relaxing your exhausted bodies. The chatting of the television filling the air. She sat beside you leaning her body against yours with her head on your shoulder. In her lap she hed a small red container. You reached down and took out one of the small sticks inside. Placing it between your teeth you turned to her and winked. Her face turned slightly flush at your invitation, but she pulled herself up and grasped the snack in her own teeth. Each bite from your end was met with one from hers. As the few inches between the two of you closed so did her eyes, expectant for the reward of that last bite. With only a few millimeters separating the two of you, you open your mouth and find the snack gone, it's taste replaced by another far sweeter one against your lips. Her flavor begins to spread throughout your mouth as you press on. The snack had been the last thing on either of your minds, it was one another that you wanted. You lock your arms around her waist and much like her lips meeting yours she returns the favor in kind. With your bodies entwined you fall backwards onto the couch. Your lips separate only for a moment, and you watch her eyes open and a smile appear on her face before she pulls against your waist and you once more taste that same flavor that had become so addicting to you: Her love.

The two of you sitting together quietly in the park. A gentle wind blows across the field. You hear a call from a small voice off in the distance, "Daddy! Daddy! Come play with me." You look over at your love who meets your look with a smile. You stand up and run over to your child. You take to chasing them all over the park, feeling like a child yourself. When you finally catch up to them, you lift them up and carry them back towards their mother. Like all young children do when they see their mother, the child fights out of your arms. She opens her arms and the child rushes to meet her. Your heart swells as you see your own progeny resting in her arms. You sit down beside the two of them and wrap your arm around your lover. You meet eyes with your child and smile. You are greeted with an ear to ear smile in response. Seeing the crystallization of your love for her so happy is the greatest gift you could ever receive from her. You turn and meet her gaze. You wrap your other arm around the child and pull the two of them closer to you. With the tikes' face pressed against your chest you press your lips to hers. The perfect image of a loving family.

As the two of you sway back and forth, her grip around your waist slowly becomes more and more loose. Her face, once looking you in the eye, falls to your chest and her eyes slowly close. All that is holding her up is your grip on her hips. You lift her into your arms, and carry your sleeping beauty to her bed. You pull the covers over her body, and gaze deeply into her sleeping face. You bend down to kiss her forehead and you hear your name in a drowsy voice. Sleeping beauty calling our the name of her prince even in her dreams.

Her hair brushes against your face. You can feel her heartbeat against your chest. Her chest heaves with each breathe. Your eyes are focused on her figure as she lays beside you. With each breathe she pushes her face a bit deeper into your chest. Her body shakes slightly, a shiver. You wrap your arm around her and pull her a bit closer hoping your body heat will warm her. You pull the hand that you used to drag her closer up and place it on top her head, and run your fingers through her hair. Her breathe tickles your chest and your body is enveloped by a warm softness as she squeezes you. You bend your head down and softly kiss her head and whisper, "Goodnight, my love." She responds in a sleepy voice with only your name and a sigh.

You watch as the clock rolls over to 3AM. The moon shines in through your window piercing the darkness in the room. The room is silent aside the sounds of breathing. You turn your glance down to see the gorgeous creature asleep on your chest illuminated by the moon. Her head shakes slightly as she nuzzles against you and her hair falls in front of her face. As you feel each breath against your chest you begin to unconsciously match your own breathing to hers. She pulls her body closer to you, laying one leg over yours and squeezing you with her arm. You feel her soft skin against yours and your heart begins to race. You reach your free hand up and gently brush her hair behind her ear. You wrap your arm around her and press your lips to her forehead. At your touch you watch a small smile form on her sleeping face. Your eyes begin to get heavy and sleep overtakes you.

You make your way to your bed with your princess in your arms. Her face still beet red from embarrassment. You lay her gently on the bed. She sits up supporting herself with her elbows, and gives you a look of pure excitement. You pull your face close and press your lips to hers. You slowly begin to work your way down her neck, kissing her along the way. Her hand presses against your back. You glance up and your eyes meet hers. Her smiling face is brimming with the happiness of a newlywed. You pull your head up and press your forehead to hers. You smile and though words are not spoken between you, you know in your heart that the both of you had only one thought in that moment, "I love you."

A cold wind blows across your face. She shivers and inches herself closer. You wrap your arms around her waist with your chest against her back. She blows on her hands and rubs them together, hoping to warm herself. You release your grip and unzip your coat. Her body shakes again from the cold. Your pull your coat open and wrap it around her. Her face, already reddened by the cold, becomes even more red as she buries her face into your coat. To warm her body, you started by warming her heart.

Your love stands before you with a towel draped in front of her. She grabs your hand and drags you along gleefully. The smell of chlorine fills the air around you. You peer through the glass ceiling above you and see the moon sitting high in the sky above you. She leads you to a small pool and steps in, dragging you with her. The warm water washes over your body. As you slide down into the bubbling water with her every muscle relaxes and your eyes begin to close. You feel her foot run up and down your leg sending a shiver up your spine in spite of the heat of the pool. Your eyes pop open to see her staring at you with a devilish smile as you feel her toenail drag gently down your calf until her foot rests on top of yours. She slowly begins to drag her foot down further until her toes are touching yours. You lock your toes with hers and begin to rub her leg with your other foot. You watch as her smirking face changes to an even deeper shade of red than the light flush from the hot water could ever give. As you inch your way up her leg, her body begins to squirm and you feel a smile grow on your own face. With every movement she attempts to wriggle free of your grasp to no avail. As you make it to her knee and watch as she covers her now completely red face with her hands, you let her go. She moves her hands aside to see what you're doing, and in that moment you bring yourself closer and press your lips to hers. The temperature in the water had begun to rise as your passions ignited under the moon.

The light beside you flickers. You look up at the clock, now well past 3AM. You stretch your arms over your head as you turn to see her in bed behind you sleeping soundly. As you watch her chest rise and fall your eye lids droop, her sleeping form inviting you into bed. You shake your head and turn back to your work. The silence around you broken only by the hasty scrawling of your pen and the sound of breathing. You watch as a beam of moonlight slides it's way slowly across your desk another glance at the clock shows that another hour has passed. Your work nowhere closer to completion. You lay down the pen and with your elbows on the table put your face in your hands, exasperation and exhaustion over take you and you feel your eyes begin to tear up. After a moment you hear a small clack and as you move your hands away you see a steaming cup sitting beside you and her standing there with a gentle smile. She places one hand on your shoulder, bends down, and kisses your cheek. You turn to her and wrap your arms around her, resting your enervated body against her chest. She wraps her arms around your head and runs her fingers through your hair. Not a word was spoken between the two of you, but her love was clear as day to you.

A fire blazes before you illuminating the camp. With a glance to your side you see her sitting a few feet away staring into the fire. The friends who had brought you along for the trip littered the camp, boisterous laughter and the sound of tales of youth you had all heard a million times before shattered the silence of the woods. Turning your eyes to the sky you watch as clouds roll past carried by the wind unveiling the speaks of light behind them. You feel a finger brush up against your hand then quickly pull away. You turn your gaze you the beautiful woman sitting beside you. Her eyes turn quickly to the ground as you look at her. You move your hand towards hers and wrap your pinky around hers. You pull yourself closer to her and with each inch her face, brought into view with each flicker of the flame, grows ever more red. You place your hand on top of hers, and despite turning her face away she turns her hand to grip yours. In that moment, you entwine your fingers with hers. She squeezes your hand and as she turns to you, your eyes meet. You gaze into those seemingly infinite pools reflecting only you, lean in, and press your lips to hers. The world around you grows silent and motionless. In that moment, all of creation stood still for the two of you.

A ray of light peaks in through your curtains rousing you from your slumber. As your eyes adjust to the light you see her lying beside you still deep in sleep. You watch her chest rise and fall with each slow, deep breath. Her peaceful face causes your heart to flutter as you stare at her. For once you find yourself awake before her. You slowly sit up in the hopes of not disturbing her slumber. As your feet touch the cold floor you hear her groan in her slip. You turn to her and gently stroke her hair, and watch as she nestles her head into her pillow. You quickly but quietly make your way towards the kitchen and begin boiling a pot of coffee. You turn your gaze to the outside world as you wait for your drink and behold the bright clear sky of a spring morning. A myriad of colors fill the world before you, every flower in full bloom contrasted against the green grass and blue sky. The smell of coffee fills the air as you grab the pot and pour your drinks. You walk back to your bed with the pair of cups in hand. You see her body curled up on the bed as you get closer. You sit the drinks on the nightstand beside your bed, and lay down. You run your fingers in circles against the exposed skin of her back as you bring your face closer and whisper into her ear, "Good morning, darling," before pressing your lips her cheek gently. You watch as her eyes open and a small smile stretches across her face. She looks you in the eye and says, "Good morning," in a soft, sleepy voice. She sits up gripping the cover to her chest and as she wipes her eyes you hold out the cup for her. Two lovers sharing everything with one another in their bed.

You slam your fist against the wall in front of you as tears roll down your cheek. You barely notice the cold air around you as your blood boils. With a fist full of dollars clenched in your hand you bash against the wall again. The gift you had saved and saved for was sold out. The thought of the look on her face when you had nothing to give her for that special day made your heart sink. A chill set it, not from the harsh wind that blew across your face, but from the thought of disappointing her. You wipe your eyes and begin the long trudge home through a town that to you seemed desolate. The bleak gray sky covered in clouds felt like the world reflecting your heart. The dead silence of your walk broken only by the sound of your breathing let your mind wander to visions of her face. As you reached your home your heart still heavy, you turn your downcast glance upward to the world in front of you and see her standing before you blowing on her hands as she waits all bundled up. It feels to you like a knife in your chest as your love turns to you with a smile, knowing your own failure will wash that smile off her face. As you reach her she wraps her arms around you and stares at you, her smile still beaming from ear to ear. You can't even bring your own arms up to hug her back, a complete sense of defeat overwhelms you. "I'm sorry, I-" was all you could get out before a single tear ran down your cheek as you stared into her eyes. "It's our anniversary and here I am standing in front of you with nothing on such a special day. I love you, but I can't even show it." Her smile fades as she brings her hand up to your face. Her cold fingers whip the tear away and her smile comes back once again. "That single tear showed me more of your love than any gift ever could have. I love you, and always will."

The sound of soft sobbing stirred you from your sleep. You turned over to see her standing looking out the window. Even in the dim light cast on her figure you can barely make out the tears rolling down her cheek. You sit up in bed and softly call her name holding out your arms. She turns to you and even with her face shrouded by the darkness you know know exactly the look that lies beyond that shadow. She runs back into bed and into your arms, the sound of her sobbing becomes louder and clearer. She wraps her arms around you like a small child would around a teddy bear and cries into your chest. You place one hand on the back of her head and stroke her hair. No words come to you to as you feel her tear drops against you, all you can do is hold her in the hopes that the safety of your arms is enough. You whisper to her, "Look, honey." She turns her reddened eyes up to you, and you down on her tear-stained face with a smile. You cast your gaze towards the window, and she follows. The two of you watch as the sun rises over the the horizon illuminating the world. Without turning her head back to you she says in a shaky voice, "I dreamt that I had lost you forever." You kiss the top of her head and as you watch the brilliant orange glow fill the sky you tell her, "There is nothing in this world that can tear us apart." The morning sun casts away the doubts that fill the darkness of the night, and cloud our hearts.

The orange glow of the fire before you pierced the blackness of night that surrounded the two of you. Looking to the sky you watch as the clouds, taken by the wind, shroud the moon and blot out the stars. The deep gray masses stretching across the dark expanse above you. You feel her head press against your shoulder. Her touch filling you with a warmth, both inside and out, that the crackling fire in front of you could never compete with. You reach your arm behind you, take a blanket in hand, and wrap it around first her shoulder then your own. You lay your head against hers and wrap your arm around her waist pulling her close, wanting to feel her warmth against you. The lavender like smell of her silky hair filled the air. Her hand runs along the length of your thigh as she huddles with you. She sits up and casts her gaze on you, and as quickly as you turn your head she wraps her arms around you. The force of her lunge into your chest nearly pushes you to the ground. Barely able to hold your body upright with your arms you look down and see her body now in your lap, her arms wrapped around your stomach, and the cover encircling both of your bodies. She nuzzles herself against your chest and in a quiet voice you hear the words, "So warm... Let's stay like this." The fire before you crackles as the one in your heart roars.

You sit up in bed excited for the day the two of you were going to spend together. A chill runs down your spine as the cold morning air touches you. The light of the sun seems unnaturally bright. You reach up to cover your eyes and as you do you feel the world begin to spin. You fall back against the bed and feel your stomach beginning to turn. Your heart sinks as you touch your hand to your head and feel the heat spread across it. You hack and cough covering your mouth with your hand to muffle the noise, but to no avail as you see her sit up beside you. She wipes her groggy eyes and as you come into focus her face turns pale with a worried expression. "Honey, do you feel alright?" she says as she brings her hand to your forehead. "You're burning up! If you weren't feeling well you should have told me!" She stands up and rushes out of the room only to return a moment later carrying with her medicine and some water. "Here, take this." She sits the glass down and helps you sit up. The feeling of her cold skin against yours causes your body to shake. After you take the medicine, she lays you back down and covers you. "Now get some rest, and don't worry about me or anything else. Just focus on feeling better for me, alright?" You can only nod in reply as you feel your body being taken by sleep. As your eyes close the last image that you see is her warm, motherly smile and the feeling of her hand caressing your cheek.

The howl of the wind rattles your windows. The nearly deafening sound of rain crashing off the roof above you is all you hear. Her face buried into your chest and her arms wrapped tightly around you squeezing ever harder with each crack of lightning. With a loud boom and a flash of light she cries out and your home goes dark. You feel her head rubbing against your chest as she attempts to burrow herself ever deeper. You wrap your arms around her and feel her body quake in your grip. You feel her heart beating like a drum and as you hear the thunder roar outside the tempo only increases. You bend down and place one gentle kiss upon her head as you whisper calming words in a sweet voice. You feel her pulse begin to slow, calmed by your words and the safety of your embrace. You run your fingers through her hair and hum a mellow tune to sooth her fears. With each minute the sound of the rain slow and the thunder's echo grows more dull. The lights around you flicker back on and you turn your gaze towards your love. Her eyes are closed and her reddened tear-stained face now wears a tranquil expression. You reach to your side, grab and blanket, and cover the two of you. You allow your eyes to droop and as they do you hear her drowsy voice call out your name and feel her arms squeeze you. Even in the storm that is life, she dreams only of you.

The lavish bouquet of grapes waft through the air as the two of you sip your drinks. Looking out around you the world is filled with green as far as the eye can see. The extravagant beauty of nature made all the more dazzling by the setting sun casting it's orange hue across the verdant field before you. A gentle breeze blows shaking the leaves and chilling your skin, the first signs of the coming fall. You turn your gaze to your love standing beside you, watching her as she looks out onto the beauty of the world, her white dress and hair fluttering in the wind. She brings her glass up to her lips, her face lightly flushed from her drink. You wrap your arm around her waist as you bring yourself closer to her. She turns to you meeting your gaze with hers and as she stares up at you with those bewitching eyes you feel yourself once again falling pray to the spell that she cast the first moment you laid eyes on her. You feel your breath quicken and your body begins to move as if pulled by some unseen force. In one moment, you feel your arms wrap around her body and your lips press firmly to hers. You feel her heartbeat quicken, matching the pace of your own. The last rays of sunlight vanish from the sky as you hold her in your arms. As your lips separate, you open your eyes and are met with a smile that pierces your heart. The enchantment she placed upon you with only a glance and the passion that became it's form is simply known as love.

The smell of salt water in the air as you watched the sun rise over the horizon. The cool rush of the breeze while you stared down from on high at the seemingly endless expanse of earth. The feeling of dewy grass beneath your feet as you ran across a verdant field. The two of you have experienced the grandeur of the whole of the world together. Yet here you sit, outside of your home looking at the same scenery you see every day with her hand in yours. She lays her head on your shoulder as you watch the ever growing shadow of night stretch in tune with the pace of the falling sun. You feel her take your hand in hers, her skin as cool as the evening breeze that brushed along your face. With her touch your mind races to every moment you've spent together since you've met; Your travels, your daily life, and every loving moment you've spent together play through your head like a movie. You feel a single tear roll down your cheek as the sun disappears from your view and stars begin to dot the sky. You watch as the droplet is caught by her finger and brushed to the side. Without saying a word she places her hand on your cheek and turns your eyes to meet her gaze, her eyes like lurid pools filled with the compassion only two lovers can share. In them, you can only see your reflection, the only thing in her entire world is you and you know that the only thing she sees in yours are her. You wrap your arms around her and pull her to your chest, and you feel her arms wrap around you. The two of you whisked across the globe by your own adventurous hearts only to find that the place that brought you the truest happiness was in one another's arms.

The setting sun on the horizon cast it's last faint orange rays of light before your eyes as the twilight of the evening set in. The warm summer breeze wafting across your face bringing with it memories of long past days together with her. Visions of your youth together, your marriage, the birth of your children, and watching them grow flooded your mind. You felt a smile creep across your weary face as you looked up and your eyes met hers. Her hair had long since grayed and her skin had wrinkled, but in her eyes you see the same vibrant spirit you fell in love with, even with age her internal fire still blazed as strong as ever. Reaching your hand across the small table between the two of you, you grab her hand in yours, a small gesture bringing with it the thought of the first time you held her hand and your first kiss. You felt tears well in your eyes as you stared back into her loving gaze. Thoughts raced through your head, "Was I a good husband? Did I make you happy? Do I still? Did we do well raising the kids?" She smiles at you and places her other hand atop yours, a reflection of the first time she returned your feelings for her cast itself in your mind. No words need be spoken, that small gesture cast aside every doubt in your heart. You slowly stand, your body worn with age, and help her to her feet holding her hand in yours. The two of you walk hand in hand towards the place in this world only for the two of you: your home. As the sun sets on the world so too does the twilight of life set in for the two of you, but your love still pierces through that darkness like the rising sun.

You lay your head back and close your eyes. The sound of the television fills the air around you. You feel her feet press against your leg as she stretches out. You turn your head and open your tired eyes slightly just in time to see her face contort in pain. Her entire body sore and aching from work. You reach your hand down and gently glide one finger up the sole of her foot. She lets out a squeel and begins to pull away, but before she can you grab her ankle. She looks up at you with pleading eyes begging you not to tickle her. You raise your other hand and give her a devilish smirk while you wriggle your fingers, slowly lowering them towards her foot. She turns her head and pulls her hands up to cover her face resigning herself to her fate. The sound of a muffled sqeak rings out fromb behind her hands as your first finger touches her little toe. Working your way slowly across her foot touching each toe met with the same cry resounding from behind her clenched lips. After finally reaching her big toe you trace your way down the inner rim of her foot and as you reach the halfway point you grab her foot with your entire hand causing her eyes to fly open. You gently press your thumb against her and begin rubbing in patterns, feeling for any tense points on her foot. Her body begins to go limp as you massage her foot and her eyes close once again. You release your grip on her ankle and drag your fingers down her foot to meet the other hand. She slides down into the couch enjoying every moment of her massage, the occasional gasp or moan passing her lips. You glance up towards her face and watch as her breathing slows and her head gently falls to the side. With a simple gesture all of her stress and pain faded away and with it came blissful sleep.

The smell of salt fills the early morning breeze wafting across the deck. There were no sounds except for water crashing against steel below you. You could feel the boat rock with each wave and then steady itself much like you had done with her so many times before. Beside you stands your love looking out across the vast black expanse. You lay your hands atop of hers on the rail as you turn your eyes to the sea. What you saw before you was blackness dotted with a million specks of light reflecting the sky above it as if they were one in the same. You feel her shoulder press against your own and her lay her head against you. You hear only the softest of whispers pass her lips, a barely audible profession of her love. In that moment you felt as connected to her as the sea and the sky that surrounded you. Together you watch as the orange glow of the sun splits two black expanse and begins to paint both in their brilliant blue. Heaven and Earth painted in the same color under that ephemeral brilliance as if brought together both in darkness and in light. During the night their hearts mirror one another and during the day the colors of the world give vibrance to that same beauty. The night sky is the soul of lovers, and the sun is the love they feel for one another.

    Your knees ache with each step as the brisk morning air chills your face. The sounds of your own labored breathing seems to echo as you walk along the narrow path. You stop as you reach the top of the cliff and bend down, placing your hands on your knees while you catch your breath. Turning around you see her gingerly making her way up the steep climb, her hair wet with sweat and her breathing rough. She looks up at you and in her eyes you can see her exhaustion belying the smile on her face. You raise yourself up from your knees, you feel a throbbing ache shoots up your spine as you straighten your back, but with a smile you reach out to her. She takes your hand in hers and you pull her to your side. You watch as her eyes light up as she stares off into the distance, "Honey, look." You turn to see a vast rolling hills littering a field of vibrant green illuminated by the sun high above. You feel her fingers intertwine with yours and her grip grow ever tighter. Looking out at this stunning tapestry of nature you feel an irresistible urge well up in your stomach. You shout across the valley below, you shout of your love for her. You hear the echo, your love heard by the world. You turn to her, her face painted deep red from ear to ear. You reach for her, wrapping her body in your arms and pulling her to your chest. With your heart beating like a drum against her ear, she wraps her arms around your back and though only a whisper, you hear the words you've longed to hear: "I love you, too." Two lovers staring down on the world from the closest place to the heavens on earth: one another's arms.

You watch the sun set as you schlep your way towards your door. The pale orange glow cast upon the world a bitter reminder of your wasted work day away from her. As you open the door warm air floods out into the frozen world around you, a gentle and welcoming current that we call: "home". Upon taking the first step inside you feel your muscles begin to relax and your eyes slowly droop as you take off your shoes and coat. A few more steps and your body begins to feel heavy, the fatigue from your day rushing over every inch of you. You lurch towards the living room and there you see her laying curled up in a deep sleep. You walk in front of her and kneel; face to face with your sleeping beauty, her tranquil expression lulling you to sleep as you feel your eyes become heavier. You watch as her chest rises and falls, you can feel her breath against your face and with each one she lets out a small sigh, you smell the scent of her shampoo wafting up from her freshly washed hair, and you see the glistening of sweat forming on her brow. A vision that you described the utmost one can hope for in life; peace, solitude, and love. You reach out and run your fingers through her silky hair, each stroke bringing you closer and closer to sleep yourself. You feel your body sink and you lay your head beside her. As your eyes go closed you feel fingers run through your own hair and with your last moments before you are taken by sleep you hear her voice whisper your name and with it an "I love you."

    The deafening sound of a torrential rain crashing against the roof fills your home. The wind howls it's full blusterous force causes the windows of your home to rattle threatening to break with each gust. What a way to spend a Birthday. She lays behind you atop your bed slowly flicking through the pages of a book while you sit on the floor with your back against the bed playing a game. You can sense the disappointment in the air due to the weather ruining your plans. She has been completely silent for hours as if cursing herself for her efforts to celebrate going to waste. Your lights suddenly flicker over and over again until the house goes dark with a crack of thunder. You feel her arms wrap around you, startled by the sound and sudden darkness surrounding you. You reach behind you and place your hand gently on her head and grab the flashlight the two of you had prepared for just this sort of situation. As you you turn the light on and see her face red and swollen from tears. She quickly turns to hide herself but it's far too late and she knows it. She cries out; her words filled apologies and her own lament over your ruined birthday. Your heart swells with each word and you feel a smile creep across your face. You wrap your arms around her and pull your face close to hers. "Every moment I get to spend with you is the greatest present I could ever wish for. This is the single best birthday I've ever had." With those words the tears of lament on her face turn to tears of joy and you felt her arms wrap around you and squeeze with all of her might. The greatest present one can receive is the love of another, and today you've both given and received that so ethereal feeling.

A tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Though still warm outside, inside your home was like ice. The two of you had barely spoken a word in days after that silly argument drove a wedge between you. In the heat of the moment words became weapons and deep cuts were left by phrases that had since become a distant memory, only the pain and the rift between you lingered. She sat quietly on the couch facing away from you leafing through a book, and with each glance at her you were brought back to that night before the words that would break the silence could even form. You sit only a scant few inches away, yet the distance feels like an ever growing count of miles. You turned your eyes to the floor, which had become your standard view, unable to raise your eyes to meet hers after what you had said. While you stare at the you feel eyes filled with longing fix their gaze upon you with a deep sadness filling the heart of their bearer. As you turn in an attempt to catch the glance of the eyes cast upon you, you see her head quickly turn away. Her own heart had long since been as clouded as yours. The pain of those words coming from one your lover to much for either of you to bear on your own. In that moment you feel your body move as if pulled by some force beyond your conception, and in that instant you drape your arms around her shoulders. With tears rolling down each of your cheeks and in unison you speak the only words that had been on your mind, "I'm sorry." The room goes silent once again, and as the tension in the air clears you are left with one certainty as you hold her in your arms; though there are no promises in life, neither of you ever want to be part of this pain again.

Steam wafts up from the cup in your hands as you pull it to your lips. The sweet flavor of chocolate fills your mouth. Between your legs sits your beautiful partner, a cover draped over the two of you. She rests her head on your chest while she blows on her own drink and taking the occasional small sip. The hot drink serves as a brief reprieve from the chilling breeze of a Winter's evening. As you look out from your balcony you see a myriad of lights of every color illuminating the street below, still bustling with traffic. You feel her shiver, cold despite the warmth of her drink, and the blanket. You sit your drink on the table beside you and wrap her in your arms, pulling her as close as possible to share the warmth she has filled your heart with. So close now that you can feel her heartbeat, each pulse matching your own, even her breathing is in time with yours. You can feel a blush forming across your face. You turn your eyes straight ahead, afraid to show your embarrassment to the angel you held in your arms. In that moment, as you stare out into the night, you see a single snowflake fall, then another and another. As you watch the snow fall, slowly covering the world in its pure white, you feel the warm sensation of her hand against your cheek and the burning sensation of her gaze turned upwards toward you. You glance downward to meet her eyes with your own, beneath those vibrant pools filled with an almost childish joy, you see a blush on her face that must have mirror your own, and just below it an ever growing smile that had long since captured your heart. They say there is magic in the air on the night of the first snowfall, and on this night that was certainly true.

	An endless field of white stretches outward beyond the glass pane of your window. You watch as the innumerable flakes fall to the earth and give the world a mystique that words will never accurately describe. In your arms you hold your love, her shaking body pressed against yours with a cover draped over the two of you. She lays in your arms resting her head on your chest with her eyes closed as she listens to the beat of your heart. You feel her chest rise and fall as she breathes, with each exhale her breath tickles you ever so slightly. You brush the hair behind her ear as you bend down to kiss the top of her head. You smell a hint of sweat mixed with the fragrance of her shampoo. Memories of your nights together begin to flood back to you; her cries of pleasure, the warmth of her body, and the softness of her flesh press against yours. Your grip of her body loosens as your hands begin to wander; one hand moving north along the lines of her body, one moving south exploring every inch her supple flesh. At the same time, her hand begin tracing down your chest which only spurs you on in your quest. You squeeze at her hips, sinking your claws in to banquet that had been laid before you. You hear a small gasp pass her lips and feel her leg lock around yours. Her hands though continue to inch ever lower, the anticipation growing with each passing second. You look down at her and your eyes meet hers. Her face, painted from ear to ear in a brilliant red, and dewy eyes only served to highlight the provocative expression of her slight smile. As her gaze turned downward you felt your lips drawn ever closer to hers. Your body and soul crying out to be one with hers, and in an instant those cries fell silent with the touch of her delicate lips against yours. With each passing second, as the snow fell outside, your passion built to a raging inferno. A fervor as uniquely beautiful as any of the flakes which filled the frozen expanse beyond the glass.

You tap your foot against the floor below you, unable to keep your body still. Your heart raced and each breath felt more labored than the last. You could barely keep yourself in one spot as each second ticked by rushing you towards such an important event. The day was finally close at hand, the one you had waited what felt like a lifetime for and what would become a symbol for the rest of it: Your wedding. Your love had kept herself busy with the planning, but you had found yourself sedentary, your mind racing with thoughts of the days to come with no distraction, no reprieve. The door to your room opened and there she stood holding a white bundle of cloth in her hand. Moving right in front of you she turns her back to you and with a spin she turns to face you draping the gown in front of her body. Her eyes as bright as the sun and a smile as wide as you had ever seen spread across her face as she stared at you. You could find no words to describe the sight before you, gorgeous did her visage no justice. Despite the beauty of her angelic form you could feel, just beyond that smile, a deep fear of the future and a nervousness much like your own. As your eyes wandered down her body, following the lines of the dress she held in front of her, you caught the glint of gold against her pale white skin, a shining reminder of the promise you two had shared so many months ago. You reach out and take her hand in yours and pull her close, and as her dress falls to the side so do your fears and worries. With just the sensation of a touch the two of you knew that there was nothing in this world to fear as long as you stood together. The power of love is not in its ability to push you forward, driving you towards the future, but it's ability to hold you up, saving you from the one thing that pushes down all men: themselves.

The sound of rushing water and the far off chirps of birds fill your ears. The two combine with the twin beat of you and your love's footsteps creating a natural melody unlike any other. The scent of her perfume wafts along with the damp breeze as you walk along the river bed hand in hand. The warmth of her touch permeates throughout your body like the sun beating down on you even through the cold morning air. The two of you had watched the sun slowly rise during your walk. The rays of light first barely visible behind then trees, then slowly peaking through the leaf-covered branches, until just now it had finally sat high enough in the sky to piece even the canopy above you illuminating the forest. As you walk her words seem distant as if muffled by the melody of nature resounding in your head as you drift deeper and deeper into thought. Your eyes wander from the path in front of you towards her face. The smile on her face unlike any you've seen before, it takes but a single glimpse of it to pull you back from the jaws of defeat and raise you once again to challenge the day. Just beyond her visage you see her picturesque beauty reflected in the water. Standing there with her completing the portrait you see yourself. An image that before this moment you never could have imagined, but there it was and without it that scene would be incomplete. You had become as much a part of her life as she had become of yours. As you looked out across the water, staring at the forms reflected on its surface, your steady stride had come to a complete stop. The woman reflected in the pool that had so captured your vision turned to you and took both of your hands in hers. You eyes turned up to meet hers and in them you saw nothing but your own reflection. You motion towards the river behind her. She shakes her head and kisses your cheek. "No image could ever capture what we have."