Love under the Weeping Willow

The Beauty of Love

Julia gaped at Michael.

She had not been expecting this when she had agreed to meet with him.

Surprisingly, the thought of running away with him didn't scare her.

If anything she felt exhilarated and relieved.

Julia started to smile uncontrollably. "Are you serious?"

"I've never been more serious, Julia. I can't stand the thought of being apart from you for more than a couple days, let alone months on end."

Michael paused to place Julia's hands in his, caressing the backs of her hands with the pads of his thumbs. "I never wanted to go to college anyway, that's what my father wants."

"What about what your mother would have wanted," Julia said, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"My mother would have wanted me to be happy ... just like yours would have. I don't need to go to college to get the job I want. You only need training and an apprenticeship to become a mechanic," Michael said thoughtfully, and then his pupils dilated when he looked at her. "I'll follow you anywhere, gorgeous. I'll protect you. I'll look after you."

Julia's cheeks were rosy with emotion.

Her heart glowed as she reached up to tenderly brush her hand over the side of Michael's face. "I know you will. But I don't want you spending your inheritance on me. Your mother left that money for you."

"She would have wanted me to be happy, remember? I'm happy when I'm with you," Michael said, trying to convince her.

"What exactly are you suggesting, Michael? I can't just disappear. My father will find me," Julia said, fear and concern clear in her eyes.

The reality of the situation was starting to kick in.

"It's a good thing he doesn't know I exist then," Michael replied a little nervously.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Julia asked, more confused than she had been before.

Everything started to make more sense when Michael got down on one knee.

Julia stopped breathing.

"Julia, three years ago when my mother passed I was a wreck. I was depressed and hated life. I didn't want to live with the pain," Michael said in deep thought.

He paused for a moment, his eyes shadowed with the darkness of memory.

"But then you walked into that classroom and put the colour back into my life. You made me smile and laugh again. You put the air back into my lungs, and brought my heart back to life. I had never known true joy until I met you."

Michael's face was a light with happiness. "I love you more than anything in this world, and I know that I always will. And I know that our love could survive months apart, but I don't want it to have to. We don't need to. You can go to college and study to be a psychologist. You're amazing at helping people with their problems."

Michael took one hand out of Julia's and reached into the front pocket of his jeans, retrieving a little blue velvet box kept safely inside.

He opened the box and held it up to her.

His mother's engagement ring was inside.

"I'm not asking you to give up on your dreams. I'm asking to be a part of them. To be with you, always. I'm asking if you'll be my wife. I promise if you say yes, every day for the rest of our lives I'll make an effort to keep our love strong and help it to grow. I promise to always make you smile and laugh, as you have done for me. I promise to be there always, and to protect you from anything and anyone."

Julia was struck speechless.

She could only stare at Michael with her mouth open, a million emotions racing through her mind, body and soul.

When she didn't say anything Michael smiled up at her and said, "Julia Faith Striker, will you marry me?"

Julia squeezed Michael's hand, grinning tenderly, her eyes glassy with tears.

Her heart was so full she thought it might burst.