The Love of My Life; A Gift

It was a hot sunny day in a flowery garden. Butterflies are everywhere, various vibrant color of roses too, the chaotic flowers of cosmos and lavenders. The sweet tweet-tweet-tweet of those littlely-tiny humming birds. The music of the waterfalls as it hugs the rocks below it, and the brilliant rays of the sun as it kisses the river.

The green green grass that touches my feet as I walk towards you, and you welcome me with those sweet beautiful smiles in your eyes. Those filled me with honey, and bees were around me.

Such a cliche but I'm head over heals to you. I really love the way you love me. The way you held me in your arms. How you whisper "I love you" to my ears, and the way you kisses my cheeks. I am just... madly deeply in love with you!

We were on our way to our sweet-cutie home. Holding hands while touching the dandelions. Lovey-dovey along the road, and stopped by the hill top to watch the sundown. While you're humming a love song we go on. Kisses me goodnight and cuddles me to sleep. You're a sweet-like-perfume pillows to me, that puts me to sleep easily.

In the morning, I woke up with the delicious smell of the fresh chocolate drink you made for me. The unfaded scent of your sourdough matched with the recently made ham, cheese, and farm fresh eggs. Plus the sight of you preparing our breakfast completes my day. As you noticed my presence , you'd stop, look at me, and then smile as you rushed to me. Offering a big hug, kisses, and I love you's. Then I'm giving you back the kisses and things you specially deserve.

Everyday in our life is just as sweet as it is. We don't need anything for we lack nothing. You, me, and the nature around us that supports us with everything. We were contented, not until we discovered that we were barren.

Things slowly change. The laughter days turns into tears. The sweet warm night become as cold as winter. And I suppose, our love slowly withered.

But then we found a suspicious gift in front of our yard, that very exact same day when we decided to exchange our vows, our cotton anniversary. It was a huge golden box with a name engraved in it, Ashieia Narriegh. A unique name that catches both our attention.

It was a gift from a person we didn't know. Yet we decided to take risk and opened the golden box, and a beautiful baby smiled right before our eyes. Calling us Baba and Mama as if she's our very own.

After we took her in , she grew so fast. Different from the other kids. In a year, she's tall half of your height, a beauty that nowhere could be found. A flawless skin she has, pointed nose, brilliant blueish-brown eye, long eyelashes and a sweet-pinkish cheeks, along with her red-orange lips. Her curly golden-brown hair down to her waist, and her smiles so sweet.

"She's perfect my love. She's perfect!" You told me with happiness in your eyes, and everything has come to place. Again we're living sweetly-happy in peace with our treasure, our gracious gift.

But something went wrong. When she's at the age of 22, she started to cover half of her face with her hair. She burst out to suffer the loss of her beauty and confidence. She doesn't want to go out of our home anymore. She come into being a loner, keeping herself away from her companions.

Then the day has come that she open up herself to us and tell s us everything that has changed about her.

She said, "Ma, Ba, I know you cherished me so much and cared for me as if I am your own child. I know everything from the beginning. From the day I was brought up from the bottom of the kingdom of the sea, to the deepest beauty of the forest. To you, my new home.

I was shocked and trembling , couldn't respond to what our daughter told us, so you gentle tap my shoulder.

Then she continued, "22 years ago, the Goddess of the Sea heard your suffering. That time, there was a palace servant with a newborn. The servant wanted to kill her baby but the Her Highness found out about it and stopped her. Her Highness punished the servant, and her neonate was sent to the shore by the Goddess's trusted guards. But before reaching the shore, Her Highness put a necklace on the baby's neck with a S-like pendant which symbolizes the Seahorse Kingdom. This pendant prevents me from turning back into a seahorse, store my memories, and preserve my beauty. But once I reached 20, I have to find a man. A man who can accept me for who I am. A man who could give me his strength willingly. A man that will love me until death do us part. A man like you Baba."

"A man?" you asked her my love. "But why would you need a man at such a young age?" your added. We patiently wait for her response while tears started to run down her cheeks.

"To prevent me from dying Ba. I'm getting older than you think. The reason why I covered my face with my hair is because I started to age and is a symptom of me aging, dying." she replied.

We couldn't speak of what we heard from her. We're so worried and doesn't know what to do. Two years has already past and she's turning 25. The worst is she's bed-ridden since she turned 23, and our Sapphire anniversary is coming. It ight be too late for her and losing hope now.

Never did we know when we realized that our good friend neighbor Chlarieghn and Jother Scotter has this handsome lonely son named Rieghther Louinne Scotter. His only friend is our daughter, he took care of our daughter when he heard that she's bed-ridden. Since then he didn't leave a second besides Narriegh. Narriegh too seems happy and gaining strength from Rieghther.

Our anniversary is around the corner and we are so worried. So we talked to Rieghther, his mom, and dad.

"Jother, I... I badly need your help. We badly need it." you said with a cracked voice. Chlarieghn seems so worried and asked, "What help do you need from us Yan'er?" So I answered her, told everything while crying, sobbing. She hugged me, smiled at us and said, "Jother, I'll respect your decision dear. But, Rieghther, my son?"

Jother took Rieghther outside to talk with. Hours has passed and they're still discussing about it and we patiently wait inside. Chlarieghn keeps on comforting us, saying that everything will be fine and Narriegh will never be gone from us.

After a long discussion Jother, alone came back inside. "We visited Narriegh into your house earlier and Rieghther is with her. She... She got high, very high fever. Her time is getting shorter and shorter while your anniversary is tomorrow.

I lost my strength and fainted, fortunately I fall into your arms. When i woke up, we were home with Rieghther and his parents. You said to me with your sweet voice , "Are you feeling better? Don't cry, no more crying. Dress up my love. Make yourself beautiful. Do not disappoint my eyes." I just stared blankly at you then you said, you continued, "Narriegh... and Rieghther are going to be together, they agreed to give their precious son to our lovely daughter."

Hearing only our daughters name got my heart beat heavily-fast. Hearing that they're getting married relieved me.

So we prepared, made ourselves beautiful. Got our daughter dressed up, on the wedding dress I wore in our wedding. She's stunning, shining on her bed. She's so lovely.

"How beautiful my soon-to-be wife is!" Rieghther said with his eyes full of love and smiles that are sweet as yours my love.

The wedding ceremony has began, they're exchanging vows.

"You may kiss the bride." The most awaited first announcement for them to be officially married. Rieghther kissed Narriegh gentle. "I now pronounce to you husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Scotter." Along our surprise with the announcement, Narriegh come forth standing, walked on her own two feet, smiling towards us, then cried in front of Rieghhther and his parents.

"Rieghther, thank you so much. I'll definitely be the best wife and a daughter-in-law for you my sweetheart. I love you and will always love you with all my heart." she said.

"I'm the most happiest man in the world my darling. You need not to do anything, let us just love each other genuinely." Rieghther replied.

After they got married they stayed at our sweet-cutie home. Narriegh cut her hair shoulder-short, slowly got back her beauty, and living the life she wanted with the love of her life.

...

This ain't the end, sweeties.

Love, Hale Marie