The Diary of Rebecca Elizabeth London (on hold)

15

March 21

Today was our last day in London. In the past few days, we spent a little more time with Freya, and we talked about writing to each other every once in a while. Tomorrow morning, our flight leaves for back home. We toured the city in the last few days, and I showed James all of my favourite spots, while trying to avoid photographers. We stood packing up our bags, and as I lifted up my suitcase, everything fell out, including a large envelope that I had not seen before.

"What's that?" James asked.

"I have no idea," I said. I looked at the words on the front, which read Your Wedding Present. Love, Mom and Dad.

"Our wedding present? Wasn't it enough that they paid for our wedding and our honeymoon?"

"I suppose not," I said, opening the envelope carefully. As I discovered the contents of the envelope, I gasped in surprise.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let me have it."

"It's the deed to a house."

"What? They bought us a house?"

"So it seems. The key is in here too." I pulled it out and handed it to him.

"I wonder," he said.

"It looks like it's only a block or two away from their house," I said, looking at the address.

"Wow. And here I thought your father hated me," James said, laughing.

"Obviously he got over it. Maybe he finally saw in you what I do."

"If he saw what you do, he would have married me."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Hilarious."

"I know, right? I thought it was pretty clever, myself." He was grinning and I could not help but smile back. His sense of humour is a rather quirky thing, but it makes me love him even more.

March 22

As we boarded our plane and took our seats this morning, I said goodbye to the city I once knew and loved. It had formed me, made me the way I was, but it was time to leave it behind forever. Never again would I set foot in the glorious home of my childhood, and I was perfectly fine with it. It was time to move on.

"Are you okay?" James asked.

"Fine," I said. I turned away from the window to look at him.

"I don't want to have to make you choose," he said, "between me and this city."

"You didn't. I made the choice on my own. And it's okay. I'm okay."

He still looked at me as if I might suddenly break down into tears. "Are you certain?"

"Yes. We both know I'll never be back here again, but I've said goodbye and made my peace." I took his hand and squeezed it, then smiled. After a few moments of silence and heavy thinking, I asked, "James?"

"Hm?"

"When did you first know that you loved me?"

"Oh, that's easy," he said, looking me directly in the eyes. "I knew I loved you right after I saved your life. I went out there because I heard you screaming and I knew I couldn't just let you die if I could do something to stop it, just as I would have done for anyone. But afterward, as I held you close to me, I didn't want to let you go. Even though we were sitting there freezing, I wanted to stay there forever. My world was complete right then and there. That was when I realized that I loved you, because I almost lost you. And when we went back home, I knew you would be just fine in your own bed, but I couldn't take any chances, so I locked you up with me."