Salmon Falls

The barn owl lives very quietly at the top of the barn. Where the barn roof meets and he can lay tucked away whenever he so pleases. It was a curious day as I sat, feet thrown upon a bale of hay. The barn owl soared back into the barn with a small letter in his mouth. He slowly dropped it as he flew to his perch atop the barn. The piece of paper waved back and forth in the air until it lightly drifted and fell right beside me.

“As the waves meet the surface, and the surface meets the sand. On the 7th day at noon, that is where I will land”- the piece of paper read. I sat there in the barn, bewildered as well as intrigued. I put the pieces together the best I could. On the 7th day, which is Sunday at noon. “That is where I will land”, this part stumped me. We were surrounded by the ocean far and wide where I was located. There was one special part that my boyfriend and I loved, Salmon Falls. Salmon Falls, during every season held a new kind of beauty. The winter was a magical ice land filled with snow, frozen water as remnants from the trickling waterfalls. As spring came, the waterfalls started flowing again. Summer and fall came with new memories and changing leaves. Salmon falls means everything to us.

Although, I must admit I became more hesitant and confused, Saturday night rolled around and I pondered whether I should go to Salmon Falls at noon that Sunday. It felt absurd, and to be quite honest I was not really sure what had gotten into me. I had my bestfriend drive with me to the falls that Sunday afternoon. I was excited but also very nervous. As noon approached the beach where the sand meets the water. The falls were flowing as my thoughts raced. All I could think of is what would arrive at noon and how I would react. Was this mysterious note even meant for me? Why am I even doing this? Am I crazy?

My thoughts would not stop. I sat down at a nearby tree. For a few moments I meditated as I started to feel like the most foolish person in the world. One more breath in, and I started to calm down. This place and this specific memory felt all too familiar. That was it, I then realized that just ten years earlier, my boyfriend and I sat right next to each other in this exact spot. It was our third date, we swam, went diving into the cliffs, and I think that is when we both fell in love. I breathed in once more, my body felt safe, and at home. Noon arrived, and I saw a shadow walk around the corner. There he was my boyfriend Noel. Noel slowly walked towards me and asked if I had gotten his message. As I looked up to respond, Noel was down on one knee.

“Will you marry me?” he asked. This curious note was not so curious at all. Noel had planned this for many weeks before, and even included my sister. He knew I would know where to meet him, and he knew that my little barn owl friend would get me to where I needed to be. It all felt so perfect. It was the 7th day at noon, when I started my forever. It was the 7th day at noon that I saw my future in front of me. It was the 7th day at noon, when I realized that love is kind, and love is all things small and big. Love is found in the form of barn owls, falls, and proposals. It was the 7th day at noon, years later that I wrote this story. It was the 7th day at noon.