Our Own Little Heaven

    The trees rustled and her hair wisped around her face in the breeze. My body broke out in chills, because I knew nothing would ever be so perfect. She must be an angel, I thought. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. 

    “Kid” played in the background as we swayed to the melody. The song was beautiful but nothing would ever compare to her wonder, her perfection. She jumped into my arms and I turned and turned. We were suspended in time, lost in our very own sense of euphoria. 

     Her fingers made their way up my neck, tightening in my hair. Her other hand traced my jaw line, curled around my ear, caressed my bottom lip. My skin erupted. I felt the blood rushing through my veins, my heart beating fast. I was afraid she would be able to tell how nervous I was, but I couldn't let go of her. She was just too amazing. I looked into her topaz eyes, glowing in the dim lighting. I set her down and continued to dance around the yard with her under the moonlight. It illuminated her skin, making her almost translucent. It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen.

     I let my hand slide down her back. She laid her head on my chest. I could think of nothing but her extraordinary loveliness. With my left hand still on her lower back, I placed my right on her soft cheek. She stopped moving and looked into my eyes. She locked her fingers in my hair again, and I allowed my fingers to wander through her gorgeous golden locks. She moved closer and I could smell her perfume, which was equally sweet and savory. It was just the right balance and just the right amount. I moved my head down and our lips intertwined. Time seemed to slip away and nothing else in the world mattered anymore. I couldn't move and I couldn't breathe. My whole body was on fire from within, tingling and swirling under her kiss. 

     Surely this was love, what all the fairy tales speak of. I couldn't imagine anything getting any better than this. After what seemed like a lifetime of wonder, she pulled away. She looked into my eyes and caressed my cheek again. “I'm in love with you,” she whispered. At that moment, everything fell into place. Anything that I had ever questioned, anything I’d ever been afraid of, any anger or resentment I’d ever felt, suddenly disappeared. It all fell away at the admittance of the three words I already felt. I hadn't said it not because I didn't want to or because I was too afraid to, but rather because I didn't want her to feel obligated to say them back. I wanted her to love me on her own, to speak it on her own. I respected her too much to force her into anything, willingly or not. 

     And there we were, on the lawn under the stars, and all the planets aligned. I knew then that nothing would ever be that bad again, because I had her, and because she loved me. 

     I gently moved a strand of her blonde curls away from her face, planted it behind her ear, and whispered, “I can't imagine loving anyone or anything more than I love you in this moment.” 

     She reached up and pulled my lips back down to hers. Nothing would ever be more perfect than it was in that instant. We slipped into our own little heaven and spent the night there. And in that moment, it felt like forever.