The Ultimate Gift

The Conditions Continue Part 2 📜

Stella was snuggled up in Kelly's arms as Jackson was finishing up a phone call. Martha was watching the young lovers, remembering how she was when she and Jackson first got married. She smiles as Kelly keeps tickling her side and Stella was giggling. She hasn't heard Stella giggle since she was a little girl.

"I bet your grandparents are smiling down with pure happiness watching you two fall in love."

The couple gave her an odd look. "Don't look at me that way; you both know that's what's happening. You are slowly falling in love, and it's the best feeling in the world."

Kelly looks down at Stella, who was biting her bottom lip.

"Do you know why they call it falling in love?" She questioned the couple.

"No, why?" Kelly asked, curious about her answer.

Stella looks up at him and smiles; she too was curious.

"You don't see it coming; you have not planned for it, but in an instant, seemingly out of nowhere like a wave crashing to the shore, love knocks you off your feet. You find yourself in the midst of it all. The entire process opposes all rational thought and cannot be easily explained. You have no control. You are caught up in the euphoric rush of love."

"Love finds you; you don't find love. It has a little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what's written in the stars." Jackson says, walking into the room. "That's what my dad used to say to me." He sat down next to his wife. "And boy was he right." He looks at his wife. "I was just minding my business one day, my second day of college, and I ran into the most beautiful blonde woman I've ever seen. She looked like Marilyn Monron's twin sister."

Martha blushes. "Stop it; I did not."

"You did; she took my breath away. You still take my breath away."

"His charming personality had me wanting to be everywhere he was; we connected from the moment we met. Two years later, we married, and this spring we will be celebrating fifty years of marriage and dedication."

"Wow!" Kelly whispered. "Fifty years?"

"Yep, these fifty years gave us four kids, seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and a unique bond."

Stella looked up at Kelly and watched him watch Martha and Jackson. She wondered what he was thinking. Kelly glanced down at her, their eyes locking.

Jackson and Martha watch the couple for a moment. "Ahem..." Jackson clears his throat. "I think we need to finish the second part of the conditions."

Stella looked over at him. "Well, continue then." She said this as she laid her head on Kelly's shoulder. Kelly smiles and kisses the top of her head.

"Okay, next condition, which I think is kind of cute. They want you guys to adopt a pet; they prefer you adopt a dog and a cat. But one is actually okay." Jackson smiles. "The side note says this is to help Stella achieve her dream."

"A pet is supposed to help me achieve my dreams." She was confused by that one.

"Well, thank God, there are cameras everywhere. Your grandma had video loaded to a DVD of your conversation on the porch when you first came back home." He tells her as he stands up with a DVD in his hand.

"Do what?" Stella sat up straight. "She recorded our conversations?"

"Not all of them, just this one, because this one told her what you truly wanted out of life, and she wants to remind you of what you told her." He puts the DVD in and hits play.

Kelly sits up because he's curious about what Stella wants out of life too.

Stella's eyes widen as she remembers this night. "It was storming like crazy, and we sat out on the porch watching the rain fall and the lightening light up the sky. I love nights like that. I told her one time I would love to sit out on the porch swing with someone I love and watch the power of mother nature together." She glanced at Kelly, who was staring at her.