The Perfect Days in Life

That's Why I Love You

"We have another surprise for you," Eeli says as we head for the cars.
"Do we have to put the blindfolds on again?" Kordelia complains. I know she thinks it musses up her hair.
Avory looks at Eeli for permission. He wants to make his girlfriend happy. Eeli looks at me. I give him puppy eyes, not so much for me. I don't care about the blindfolds. More for Kordelia. I know Eeli will give into my puppy eyes better than hers.
"I guess not," he says. he opens the door to one of the cars and gestures for me to get in the passenger side. Avory does the same for Kordelia.
We twist and turn on the Parisian roads for a half an hour or so until we reach our destination. When I realize. What it is I scream with joy. I feel like I can hear Kordelia doing the same.
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" I tell him, kissing him on the cheek. He parks, hops out of the car, and comes around to my side, opening the door and offering me his hand. I grab it, propelling my self out and give him a gigantic bear hug. A few yards away, Avory is still parking.
After a few minutes of them still not getting out of the car, Eeli asks if we should check on them.
"No," I reply, "wouldn't want to interrupt their 'private time.'" he winks at me. Finally they emerge. Kordelia prances up to me.
"Omg, omg, omg!" She yells giving me a quick, tight hug. "We're gonna go hot air ballooning." She bonds back over to her boyfriend, giving him, for the first time, a public kiss without either of them blushing.
"I'm glad you like it," Avory tells her, kissing her back.
"McLanston's party of four?" asks a young gentleman, probably an employee.
"Yep. Two two person hot air balloon rides." Eeli responds. Grinning his weird smile at me for the fifth or so time today.
"Oh..." the guy reaponds, "I see." I look at Eeli and laugh. He kisses me, his lips warm on mine.
"Save it for the ride," the man suggests. It will be plenty romantic. He motions to a bench and we sit, waiting for our balloons to be filled with hot air. Eeli's and mine is done first. The man comes back and walks us over to a turquoise balloon with pink and yellow diagonal stripes. We step into the basket and sit down on the mini bench that runs the rim of the basket. Slowly, the balloon lifts off the ground. I feel like I am flying.
"Wow," Eeli says, taking the words from my mouth.
Below us, Paris lays with all her lights turned on. She almost glows with city life even though it is now night. If we got any higher she would be only a splatter of gold paint on a dark canvas but from where we are now we can see every street, every store. We see the Eiffel Tower, standing tall, all lit up. We see more people at the restaurant we went to for dinner, dining, laughing, kissing. We see the nooks and crannies of the town, the places only the residents go to because they are not famous. We see it all. And we love it. Eeli turns to me and kisses me, not taking his lips away for almost a full minute. When he does it is gradual. I feel every millimeter of lip leave until there is no more. And I long for it to come back. We sit there on the bench gazing into each other's eyes. Eeli has such warm brown eyes. Like hot chocolate after a cold winters day. I can't get enough of him. I breathe in, sucking in air at the same time as him. It is almost as if we breathe the same air. We are so close. I feel his body heat radiating out. I feel his breath. I hear his heart beat. And then he kisses me again.
"Lily?" he asks.
"Yes?" I respond.
"I love you."
"Why," I ask, "tell me why."
"I love you because you are sweet. As sweet as honey. As sweet as apricots."
"As sweet as dried apricots?" I ask.
"As sweet as dried apricots," he responds, "I love you because you are beautiful. Oh so beautiful. I love your long, brown, silky hair," he reaches out and runs a hand through my hair, "I love you beautiful, little, hazel eyes. I love your long, thin, soft fingers. I love your tiny, little, cute nose." At this he taps my nose, "Lily I love your courage. I love your readiness to stand up and fight. I love that you try to do everything you can before you give up. Even if you fail. I love your imagination. I love every story you dream up. Every poem you write for me. Every wild explanation for the things you do. Lily, that's why I love you." And he kisses me.
When I go to bed that night I dream of what he said. I think of our past. I think of our future.