Crashed

I first met him after my car crash. I had been badly hurt, my leg shattered in three places. He was my lawyer, and he had more compassion for me than my own family.

He worked hard to make sure I'd win the case. I could tell the stress he was under, though it was an easy case. The other driver had ran a red light, crashing into the side of my car. I wondered if something else was bothering him.

I knew it was none of my business, but I invited him out to coffee to go over the case before the court date. He was in a lovely suit with a red tie, his smile friendly as ever.

We talked about the case for a while, but the conversation shifted after a while. He opened up, telling me about his recent divorce. He'd been married for a long time, and he'd found out his wife had cheated on him. I felt awful -- who could hurt such a kind man? He'd never hurt anyone intentionally.

In court, I could tell that he was in his element. The case was easily won, and we went out to a victory dinner afterwards. We exchanged numbers, promising to keep in touch. I watched him leave, my stomach twisting. I could already tell that I was developing a crush. I went home, trying to tell myself it was just a stomach flu, or that I hadn't eaten enough, but I knew.

I was already falling for him.

I went home, taking a shower as thoughts of him went through my head. How could I already fall for someone? It usually took me a while to warm up to people, but with him? It was already like we were friends. He'd helped me when I needed help, and not many people were there for me anymore.

Laying in bed that night, I sent a quick text to him, telling him goodnight and that I was thankful for him. He sent back a goodnight text, and I smiled, falling asleep.

Over the course of a couple of months, we texted more and more, going out for lunch every so often. It was a chilly November night when he officially asked me on a date. I, of course, said yes, and we went out to a movie.

It was a wonderful night, and it ended in a kiss that lingered on my lips the entire night. I had found someone that would love me, and it felt amazing. I'd never felt like this towards anyone, not even past boyfriends. They'd been wonderful, but never this gentle and loving.

We dated steadily for a year, and it was the best year of my life. We went to so many places -- the zoo, hiking, the aquarium -- and it was always a blast with him. If I was ever down, he'd be there to help me cheer up. If I was angry, he was there to calm me down. He was the one for me.

It was a beautiful spring day when we went to the botanical gardens. I had been admiring the lilies when he popped the question. Seeing him down on one knee, holding the ring up for me was a shock, but I of course said yes. The wedding was planned for December -- I'd always wanted a Christmas wedding. He was more than happy to let me choose the date, too.

When that day came, it was snowing. It was a magical sight. My father took my arm, leading me down the aisle. I could feel myself tearing up when I saw him, my Alexander, at the altar.

And I knew that I would soon be Mrs. Shunnarah.