Imagine Us in Heaven

A Very Different Sort of Day

"Blythe, look!"

He keeps pointing here and there, and I sit beside him, watching with ardent eyes every little reaction on his face. It feels different when there is a voice that complements the expression. It captures all the wonderful features that make his beauty flawless.

We are sitting by the balcony, and I've already told him stories about all the roofs and buildings that catch his attention. I've never had someone listen to me talk for hours, even if I'm just blabbering nonsense. He never questions those stories and absorbs every piece of information as if it is the truth. I've never had someone pay attention to what I deem important to me—those little things that others ignore. I know it might seem petty to ask for someone to just focus on me and what I say. Sometimes, we just need that one person to stay, to listen, to look at us like we hold all the knowledge in the universe. Sometimes, we need those things to feel validated. It makes life a bit better and helps us understand what living truly means.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" he asks suddenly, and I feel a bit shy to be caught.

"I took a day off," I admit.

He cocks his head to the side. "Aren't you going to be scolded?"

I look into his eyes and drown. I didn't think it's possible to look at someone and never take your gaze off them. "It's fine. I want to be with you."

That sudden phrase surprises me, but not as much as it surprises him—his cheeks turn pink. I see his wings flutter too, mirroring what he truly feels. I can't hide my smile either. I'm happy. So very happy.

"Tomorrow is also my day off," I tell him. "Would you like to visit that park nearby?"

He gives me one of the sweetest smiles I adore. "You promise that too."

"And I will always keep my promise."

"Always?"

"For you, always."

We gaze at the stars quietly this time as I think of all the secret places where I want to take him. I suddenly feel giddy, eager to share everything I cherish with him. This way, he can see the world through my eyes.

"Blythe..."

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in forever?"

"I believe it now."

"Why only now?"

I turn to him and hold his gaze. "Life is tough. Forever is a word that is hard to define, harder to find. But you're here now."

"You always find the right words to say," he blushes, but he doesn't seem to mind.

I chuckle. "I think I just needed to find the right word to remind me of it. To remind me that forever does exist. But it only happens when I look at you. I wonder why."

He turns to me. "And what word would you use to remind you of me?"

"Heaven..." I don't hold back and let him know. "I think it's the word I will use to remind me of your love."

He looks at me, and those gray peepers sparkle like the stars above. "How did you know I love you? This is the first time we've talked!"

"It's worth the wait," I answer and move closer to him. "Thank you for choosing me. You'll be my constant, even as everything else changes."

Winter's smile is lovelier than this morning. He leans toward me and just stares at my face. We stay like that for a long while until someone's presence makes us both turn slowly.