Finding You

I Think I'm in Love

She stands in front of the Beluga tank as close as she can get, illuminated by the glow of the blue light. I lean against the rails and watch her fascination, making sure to take a picture of her as she falls in love with the playful animals. She lifts her hand to the glass and the animal bops her hand, causing her to laugh.

"I think she likes you." The man standing close to her leans in and tells her.

"What can I say? I gotta thing for Belugas." She tells him, turning only to look at him briefly, her attention very obviously somewhere else.

"They've got a thing for you too. Are you from around here?" He asks and she shakes her head.

"No, I'm here with my boyfriend." She turns and looks back at me and I smile.

"Oh, nice. You on vacation?" The guy asks and she looks back at him.

"Something like that. Have fun." She says before leaving his side and walking to me, grabbing my hands and pulling me to the next exhibit.

"Look at him swimming around!" She says excitedly as she watches the otter. I look down at her wild smile.

"Stop looking at me." She says low and nudges me. I slowly lift my head to the otter. It's cute sure but she's all I want to watch. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close to my side.

"Bradley, you paid way too much for these tickets to watch me the whole time." But she doesn't pull away from me, instead she nuzzles closer to me.

"I paid for this." I kiss her head and she shakes her head.

"You've also got to stop taking pictures of me when you think I'm not looking." I watch her reflection and see her smile.

"You take such good pictures though. You'll thank me for them one day."

"Penguins are up there." She points to our left and I take a deep breath in. If I had known she already knew the aquarium like the back of her hand I might have chosen a different place. Might. I don't think I would have changed though. Especially after I saw how excited she was to come when there was no time restrictions.

"Take me to your favorite place here." I tell her and she smiles, taking my hand into hers.

"Okay, but you have to promise to walk through the rest with me and stop in the same places again." I let her lead me quickly out of the arctic zone and into the Ocean Voyager section. We zoom past the tunnel and into the large viewing room. Natalie stops as she watches the whale shark swim by. Like at the other tank, she walks away from me and moves so close to the tank that I swear her nose is pressed to the glass.

"I love sharks. All kinds. I think they're just graceful and beautiful." I smile. Of course she loves sharks.

"They are something else, aren't they?" She laughs at me and crosses her arms across her chest.

"I thought we agreed that was over." She tells me and I shake my head.

"Never over."

"Come here." I walk down the few stairs to her and drape my arms over her shoulders.

"How did you know that I would love the aquarium?" She asks me and I take a deep breath in. I just had a feeling but it was solidified the other night at her house.

"Because I know you and you might have left your Netflix on so I could look at your recently watched section." I watch her smile and she pulls both of my hands to her mouth and kisses them softly.

"I can't believe this is my life."

"Why?" I ask and she looks down.

"I spent so much time unhappy and waiting for the moment that everything would finally work out. I can't believe that I have my dream job and I get to be with someone who cares about me." She refuses to look at me and I know that she's embarrassed of what she said. I pull her around so that she's facing me.

"Don't be ashamed of someone caring for you." She looks up at me and smiles sadly.

"I'm just afraid that i'll say the wrong thing and you'll be gone."

"Always be truthful with me." I tell her and she shakes her head.

"Always." She rises to her tiptoes and kisses me gently. She always manages to keep me wanting more, more of her, more kisses, more touches, and more time. I don't understand how she does it to me especially after a month. It doesn't make sense. I fight the urge to pull her to me when she drops down to her normal height.

"What do you want to do now?" I ask her and she smiles.

"Can we just sit here for a minute?" I nod and let her drag me to the stairs that double as seats. She sits in front of me and leans back between my legs. I close my eyes as her scent wraps around me, intoxicating me. It isn't until she begins tracing shapes on my knees that I open them again.

"This is my happy place. Right here." She tells me quietly and I can't help but smile. I want to tell her that she's my happy place. Anywhere she is is where I want to be. Anywhere she goes, I want to follow. I think I'm in love with you.

"I love seeing you happy." I tell her instead of sharing my thoughts. I would scare her off.

"I've been really happy, no faking, since we started this whole thing. I thought that I would spend the rest of life chasing this feeling."

"You have so much time to be happy. It just takes time and the right people."

"I know. I know. It just seemed so far away."

"I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're happy." The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. She takes a deep breath in and rubs my legs softly. God, I love you. There it is. The truth. I've known since Sarah kissed me that I loved her. I love this woman.

"I want to make you just as happy as I am." She tells me and I kiss her head softly.

"You already have." I whisper, just under my breath. I know she heard me. Theres no way that she didn't. When she sighs, I know it clicked in her head. I wrap my arms around her and she lays her hands on top of mine, finally letting herself relax against my body.

"I'm really lucky to have you in my life." She says softly. I let the corners of my mouth rise in a small smile. I kiss her neck and let my face rest there. She leans her head against mine briefly before turning her head, searching for a kiss, I'm sure. How could I tell her no as she pushes her lips out?

"Do I really have to share you tonight?" I ask playfully and she smiles.

"You don't have to. I can cancel." Our lips come together in a short kiss.

"You don't have to do all that. Just promise we won't let them keep us out too late."

"You keep looking at me like that and they're going to throw us out." She tells me and I chuckle. I didn't even know I was looking at her in a certain way.

"Why don't we go grab some lunch and then I'll let watch you admire the rest of the animals this place has to offer?" I ask and she kisses me before turning her head back to the massive tank in front of us, just in time to catch the beginning of a whale shark swimming in front of the tank.

"Why don't we get a picture together real quick?" She offers instead and one of my arms leaves her to grab my phone out of my pocket. This is the first time she's mentioned us taking a picture together.

"Sure." I hand her my phone and she holds it out to catch both of us in frame and takes a picture, my arm still around her.

"Make sure you send that to me. Can I post it or should I wait?" She asks and I shrug.

"It's up to you. I've always given my girlfriends the option to put themselves out there with me." I tell her and she nods.

"I respect that. You're okay with me posting it though? I don't mind someone making the connection but I want to make sure you're comfortable." She tells me and I smile.

"I am okay with you posting it as long as I can post pictures too." She smiles and pulls out of my arms to stand up.

"You can post anything you want. I'm not ashamed of who I'm with and I'm not afraid of what anyone has to say." She holds her hands out to me and I take them, but don't use her to pull myself up.