Amazing Grace (Jonathan Toews)

Never Stop Loving You

Gracie

This summer Jonathan and I were going to travel the world. We were going to go to all the best places nature had to offer. We wouldn't be just sitting out on beaches or staying in resorts, we're staying in huts and hiking barefoot around the place. Jonathan wanted to not just go places but to explore them, experience them and not just pass by. And I don't think he could be any more right.

We were starting our sight seeing here in the United States. We would be hiking in Arizona because it was also my 22nd birthday and I asked to start here. It was a place I came often with my parents, just not to this part of Arizona. Usually we're in a nice resort with a pool and a nice view. But now I'm going to be climbing the view like my mom and I always talked about. I wish she was here with me to hike through the same scene we've scene we've seen a million times. I still missed her with all my heart.

"You ready birthday girl" Jonathan asks as he comes up to me. He had lost his shirt already and had his backpack on.

"Ready" I smile.

He leads off and I follow him. It was hot as hell, summer in Arizona is no joke. But I liked the feeling of the sun on my skin. It was better to get a tan from this than just laying out. The view was a lot better this way.

After going up for what felt like forever we finally got to the top. Now we can just walk around and look out over the other mounds and the water.

"Isn't this place amazing" I sigh.

"It's incredible. I think this is a great way to start off our trip" he insists.

"Well I mostly wanted to start here because this is the hardest one to do and I wanted to get it out of the way" I admit and he laughs at me. "But it was also to see you shirtless" I wink.

"I mean if that's what you wanted all you had to do was ask" he teases and I giggle.

"I know. I'm just messing with you" I admit.

"Why did you want to spend your birthday here" he asks.

"I don't know. I think part of it is because when I used to come here all the time as a I kid I used to imagine it was Africa. All my mom would tell me was that it was hot and that little Chicago girl thought this was hell on earth. But I loved it. My mom and I would sit by the pool and she would tell me stories of what it was like in Africa. How it was dry like this and there wasn't all that much around.

Dad never let us go there, he was scared my mom would want to stay to help out and she would keep me with her. He was probably right. My mom missed Africa, that was her home after all. You know that feeling you have when you feel like you belong" I ask.

"Yeah. Like how I feel when I'm with you" he smirks.

"Yeah, like that" I smile. "That's how my mom felt about Africa. My dad never let her go back and she understood why, but this was the closest we ever got" I tell him.

"Do you still miss her" he asks.

"So much. The last time I saw my mom was that Sunday we went to church right before she died. She did an amazing service. My dad wasn't there and that should have been the first red flag. But I was relieved, I still hated him at the time.

At the end of the service she came up to me and gave me a big hug. She told me she was proud of me. Every time she saw me and you together she had such a pride that I ended up just like her. Fighting for love and never backing down. And she told me to never stop fighting, and I never will" I insist.

"Do you see us together forever" he asks.

"Easily" I admit. "I have never loved anything in the way I love you Jon. I wake up every morning and I thank god that I'm waking up next to you. I can't wait for you to open your eyes and smile like you do every time you see me. I love knowing that I get to spend the rest of my days with you, making memories and falling deeper into love. So deep in love that we can never get out of it. And those types of feelings never go away or die off. That's our forever" I smile.

"Man, I can't wait until we're old and I can still look at you like I'm looking at you now and feel the same way" he claims.

"Maybe someday we can go to Africa. Not live there but do missionary work like my moms family did" I admit.

"I honestly would love that" he smiles. "Why wait" he asks.

"Because you're still working. Trust me, it's hard to leave there" I explain.

"Fine. But I promise you Gracie, one day we will go there. We're going to help people and you're mom is going to look down so proud of you" he says.

"I can't wait" I smile.

After enjoying the view from the top we finally start to head back down. At the bottom there was some water you could swim in and that's just what we wanted to do. We find a nice watering hole that no one was at and decide to go in there. I strip down to a sports bra and spandex before jumping in. I feel so refreshed as she cool water surrounds me. I take my hair down and let it get wet.

"Damn" Jon starts. "You are so beautiful" he claims and I laugh. I send him a playful splash and he splashes me back. We go back and fourth for a while until he grabs my arms. I laugh as he picks me up. He places a kiss on the back of my shoulder blade giving me chills.

"Stop" I beg.

"Never" he claims. "I will never stop loving you."