I started to wonder about what would happen at the end of this summer. I knew he was going to another school. I couldn’t change that. Even if I could, I wouldn’t, because I knew he would be happy. And his happiness was more important than my own.
That’s what true love is. It’s so simple to say the words, “I love you.” But you don’t really know until a situation comes up. A tough one. One where it would be so much easier to say, “No. Stay. Don’t go.” But you know in your heart, deep in the pit of your stomach, every thought that runs through your head that it’s a selfish choice. It’s the selflessness, the sacrifice that really shows love at it’s core. It’s realest form.
Because again, at a time when it’s so easy to think about yourself… you don’t. You think about that person. The person you have fallen madly in love with. You think about their well-being and what they want. What would make them happy.
And as tough and difficult as it is to open your mouth, with tears running down your face and feeling your heart shatter into a million pieces that bandages, glue, tape, anything repairable could fix, you let them go.
“Gabe, please answer me,” I whispered. I could feel tears forming in my eyes and my stomach sinking. For a split second, I thought maybe he had changed his mind about getting us the room. But then he looked at me. Really looked at me. Almost like he was looking at me for the first time. “Sarah, I hope—” but he shook his head. Looking back down at me, tears spilled from his eyes and he said, “I pray one day we’re standing here at a hotel room with a key in one of our hands. You dressed in white. Me dressed in a black suit.” He took a deep breath. “With something very important, special, and priceless on our ring fingers.” He looked deep into my eyes. “I don’t see anyone else on that day besides you, Sarah Thompson. More importantly? I don’t want anyone else. I want you. I want to share all of those major steps in life with you. The wedding. The children. The grandchildren. A life.”
I couldn’t stop crying. I knew Gabe loved me, but to hear him say all of that was… well, it’s the stuff you read in books and watch in movies. The stuff you hear in music written by Taylor Swift, and you wonder why can’t it happen to you. It’s almost too perfect to happen in real life. The words you wish someone would say to you. And then it happens. And the words you wished they would say seem almost bland and boring.
Because they’re yours. Not his or hers. Not everyone can write or form words so beautifully the way an author or a musician can. But when the words are spoken from the person you love? It’s the most beautiful gift someone could ever give you.
You can only hope that the words they’ve uttered are real. Raw and true and real. Because this is one of those rare moments in life that your heart overtakes your brain and thinks for itself. And my God, you pray every single night before you go to sleep and every morning before you wake up that it’s true.
“Please say something, Sarah,” Gabe whispered as he choked on his words.
I watched as his chin quivered and he pulled his lower lip into his mouth. After sucking in a breath, I cupped his face in my hands. “I love you, Gabe. More than anything else in this world. As long as I have you?” I asked. Pausing, I sucked in a breath. “Then I will have made the most beautiful choice I ever could have.”
“We did.”
“We did what?” I asked.
Leaning down to kiss me, he said, “We made the most beautiful choice two people could ever make.”
As Gabe released my lips, I asked, “And what was that?”
“We chose each other and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to stay together,” he said simply.
Leaving his eyes for a split second, I looked down and saw the key was still in his hands. Looking back up into his eyes, I said, “Gabe, make love to me.”
Breathing heavily, Gabe said, “Always.” I felt overwhelmed, like my body wasn’t mine. Almost like I was looking down at the two of us. I couldn’t believe that I was actually living this moment. Breathing, smelling, and taking it all in with a man. Gabe Prescott.
Unlocking the door, Gabe turned back to me and smiled. After taking my hand in his, we walked into the room, but we didn’t stop. Gabe walked us straight into the bedroom. He didn’t bother turning the lights on. We just walked straight to the bed and laid down. The mattress was comfortable. It wasn’t too hard or too soft. Not to be all Goldilocks here, but… it was just right.
“Lay down on the bed,” Gabe whispered as he released my hand from his.