A Life of Love

Forever in Love

After rekindling their old relationship, the woman quickly broke off her connections to the educator in her occupation's department. Meanwhile, the man had renewed his passion for chemistry and worked harder to research various developments in chemical engineering. Though he still worked long, hard hours, he managed to find time to accompany his girlfriend to various events and dates. After months of repairing their relationship and building a stronger one, the man decided it was time. Time to make the relationship permanent...

One evening on a fine summer's day, he took the woman to a luxurious restaurant. She was somewhat confused by the unusual display of extravagance but thought nothing of it as she sat down to eat in her lavish red dress. As the meal continued, the man laid subtle hints and references to their love, compelling her to blush and smile with delight. After they had their share of food, they drove around the city until they finally stopped at the top of a hill overlooking the town. A beautiful scene of dazzling city lights presented itself before the lovers and the sky had turned a romantic shade of violet. The couple sat on a bench for a while, talking softly and remembering their most exuberant memories together. A few minutes later, they simply sat on the bench silently, taking in the sounds of their surroundings. Grass rustling. Birds chirping. The man slowly got up and presented himself to the woman. He meticulously got down on one knee and produced a black velvet box from his pocket. The woman began sobbing; tears of joy ran down her face. As he spoke to her about his true feelings and intentions, tears began to roll down his cheeks as well. He opened the box steadily, and inside lay a beautiful silver ring with a sapphire heart placed in the center. Their shiny eyes met in the darkness as he asked her for her hand in marriage. With a soft but confident reply, she said yes...

The church bells rang loud and clear throughout the city. White, soft doves soared through the sky, heralding the birth of a new marriage. As husband and wife exited the church, the sun looked down on them with a bright smile. After getting into their car, they immediately set course for the airport to go on their honeymoon in Europe...

The years after the couple's marriage went by quite slowly. They bought a house together on the edge of town, near the park at which they had first met. Setting it up for children was a pain, but as with most of their challenges, they faced it together. About three years after they married, the lovers had a baby boy. A year later, they had another child. This time, a girl. Though the couple lived together for the remainder of their lives, they still faced many obstacles and trials. As with all parents, the couple struggled to let their young ones leave the nest for college. The children eventually came back to show the lovers their new partners and returned once more to boast about their newly-born children. For the most part, however, the couple was left at peace. What peace that remained, that is.

For after the children left, the couple began to fight once more. At first, it was over house duties. Then, it evolved into issues about love and jealousy. Over the years, the fights became more numerous and chaotic, with both parties arguing loudly and sometimes leaving the house. One night, these conflicts reached a climax. After a particularly heated fight over what amount of love they still felt for each other, the wife left the house in a storming fury and did not notice the car that streaked towards her in the darkness...

It was fall. The leaves of the nearby trees turned brown and fell to the earth as an old man stood weakly before a moss-covered grave. It had been six years since her death, and the man could still remember that one fateful night. He stood for what seemed like hours under the willow tree that had once served as their reconciliation place. He spoke quietly to those engraved words on the stone. He talked about how he wished he could have taken back what he had said that night, but that it was too late. He wished that he could have stopped her from going outside. He wished that he could tell her he loved her one more time. By now, it was evening, and it was time for the old man to go to bed. But before he went inside, he squatted down next to the grave. He placed down an ancient photo of his lost beloved and planted a kiss on the cold, earthen surface of the grave. After speaking a few words of goodbye, he stood up on his cane and hobbled back inside of that worn house in which he had lived in for nearly fifty years. As he lay in bed, he wished for one last chance to reunite with his destined love. A small sigh escaped his lips and he settled down into a deep slumber. From that night forward, his eyes never opened again. Now, he was reunited with his love for the last time...forever.