Surrender

The next stop on the trip is a very small boutique that you are not familiar with. As you come to a stop in front of the shop, he tells you to wait for him as he disappears inside. He emerges in about 5 minutes. He answers your look with a smile as you back out into the street. The final stop of the day is at the grocery store. "I thought you had everything?" you question. "Everything for me, but not everything for us." As you enter to automatic doors you realize how much you like doing these tasks with him. How natural it feels to be with him, he turns and looks deep into your eyes. As if he could read your mind, "It is fun, isn't it?" You just smile, a very big smile. You stock up on several items that almost make you blush as he picks them up, especially the way he held the peaches as he looked at you, running his tongue across his lips, you try to playfully hit him with the cart. Fresh bread from the bakery. Laughing as he picks up a bag of ice and mudslide mix, not exactly the chocolate shake you normally have. Although you do not drink very much, you both have spent numerous hours sitting with friends drinking over at the Redneck Lounge. Quite a place, a lot of freaks go there. Guess you both fit right in. "At least one of us does," he is very fond of saying. That remark will usually get him a poke in the ribs if he is close enough.

After loading the groceries into the car, he drives back to the house. You love to sit and watch him. Of course he knows you are watching and glances at you quite often. You love him, plain and simple. You arrive with the dusk, the sun setting earlier and earlier. After unloading the bags and packages, he asks you to prepare a salad while he starts the grill. He goes into the refrigerator and comes out with a bowl containing two delicious looking steaks he has had marinating all day. Shaking your head in awe, you begin to cut up the vegetables. After a fabulous meal, you feel totally stuffed. he makes a pitcher of mudslides, pours two tall glasses, and you go out on the deck. The first stars are beginning to come out yet there is not a chill in the air, Indian summer.

You sit together on the wide steps looking out over the lake. He takes a small drink and sets his glass down. He turns to you as you clasp the glass in both hands in front. You turn and meet his gaze. The evening twilight highlights his face, you can see the sparkle in his eyes as he takes the glass from your hand and sets it down. He takes both of your hands in his. "I have known many women in my life, I thought I loved a few. That is until I met you. You have turned my life upside-down. All that I thought was truth was wrong. Everything I thought I wanted for myself was indeed for someone else. You brought the truth into my life. You have captured my heart as no other ever could. You are the standard that all women in my life will forever be measured by. No one comes close. You hurt me very much when you pushed me away. I did understand your reasons and will always respect your feelings in all things. The one thing you could never understand is my feelings for you. I could not stop loving you even if you walked out of life here and now and I never saw you again. You will forever carry my heart in your hands. I have asked you several times before including this morning if you would be my wife. You know how much I love you. I can provide for you and promise I will never physically or mentally abuse you. You mean more to me than life itself, I would die for you."

He moves slowly in front of you, bracing himself on one knee. All your emotions spring forward as he quietly asks, "Will you marry me?" He looks into your eyes, you cannot hold back the tears as they fill your eyes and spill quietly down your cheeks. For the first time that you can ever remember, you are not afraid of some one seeing you cry, you are not ashamed of your feelings. Your voice is lost as you softly take his face in your hands and lean down and kiss him. As your softly rub your cheek against his, you answer him, almost a whisper, "Yes." He reaches into his pocket and removes a beautiful diamond ring. You are barely breathing as he slides the ring onto your finger and kisses your hand. You feel him take you into his arms and pull you tight against him. You feel as if he is holding you for the very first time. You never want him to let go, never give you up. Everything you have ever wanted is in your life now. All those walls have come crashing down as you have finally let someone in. What the future holds, no one really ever knows. There is something you now know. The love of this very good man makes it all worth the risk.

THE END