Brave Love

Alyssa had been best friends with Ethan since before they could talk. Always put in the same playpen, they would share their toys while speaking a baby language understandable to only them, and you could sense a connection even then. A bond so strong, you had no doubt in your mind it would last. Later, when they did learn to talk, the first words out of their mouths were each other’s names. Anywhere Ethan was, Alyssa was sure to be only a few steps behind him. They were inseparable, always linked, like things that went better in twos: footsteps, bread and butter, holding hands, Ethan and Alyssa. They were always there for each other, Alyssa ready to put a smile on his face whenever he was down, and Ethan always there to comfort her whenever she was having relationship problems. The day Eric broke up with her had devastated Alyssa so badly, and Ethan was there to console her and wipe her tears away. When Alyssa’s long-time dog passed away of heart problems, Ethan was there to offer his open arms and a handful of roses to put a smile on her face. “Why can’t she just realize that I can be the one she needs?” Ethan thought. Lately, he had been debating whether or not he should express his long withheld feelings to her. Confused, he had stayed up until the early hours of the morning writing numerous letters, only to have them end up as crunched up papers overflowing in his trashcan. There was only one letter that he felt would suffice. A beautiful letter that he had written after he had been comforting Alyssa almost half the night after her boyfriend had abruptly left her. I wish I could express to you every single feeling that inhabits my soul. How much I love you and how much I value you and our time together. In my eyes, you are the stunning image of perfection. You are my miracle. You never cease to amaze me and my life is unimaginable without you right by my side. Oh, how I long to tell you in the most intricate of details about my love for you, but I lack the talent to profess such unwavering love. But I stand here before you, giving you my heart. Take it, it is yours to do as you please. I stand here before you with nothing else to offer except the simplicity of my open arms. But he had to tell her. He was a firm believer that we were the maker of our own destinies, and he wanted nothing more than for his future to include Alyssa. Alyssa was a woman he had watched grow before his very eyes, a woman who had blossomed into the epitome of a perfect woman. She was no longer the girl that would throw mud at him at the park or the girl who would fight with him over silly and immature things. She was now a grown, wise woman, his ideal partner. He didn’t want to tell her how he felt because he feared that the same feelings would not be reciprocated. But Alyssa had taught him to be brave. “Bravery is something no man should lack,” she would always say. This was one of the many things he had learned from her, so why not take the chance? It was because of her that Ethan grew up to be the man he was. She was the one that had always encouraged him, so he made the courageous decision to give her the letter. That night, he couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned as he tried to figure out the perfect way to give her the letter which had the feelings he had withheld in his heart for so long. As he tried to sleep, he gradually fell into a deep sleep that caused him to dream of Alyssa’s beautiful eyes. Ethan loved to look at her eyes, the way they seemed to glisten in the sun, and they were the way he always knew what mood she was in. The dream caused him to wake up at once, inspiring him to write a poem. He wrote away like a madman, causing his palm to sweat, but his heart to beat with infinite love for Alyssa. He wrote and wrote until the poem had reached perfection. Your EyesYour eyes are like sapphire, Deep and full of mystery, Limitless and filled withEndless love and wisdom.When I look through them,I see the world all at once,Love, laughter, sorrow, grace.You’ve lived an eventful life,I can see it in your eyes.They shimmer with hope,Wisdom, honesty, and longing;A true story of survival.Your eyes, they shine like gold, But I can see that they lack some luster.Something is preventing them from shining to their full potential. Those eyes that draw me near,Those eyes which draw me close,Let me give them the luster needed To shine with utmost resilience. After he had written his heart out on paper, he went to bed, convinced that everything would go okay. When he woke up, he felt happy and eager, the type of eagerness that only love can give you. He grabbed the envelope that held both the letter and the poem he had written and headed to Alyssa’s house. Nerves began to stir in his stomach, causing him to think twice about giving his heart to her. Not letting anything stop him, he fanatically knocked on the door. Alyssa was surprised to see him at the door. “Hey Ethan, I didn’t expect to see you until later,” she casually told him. “Alyssa, I need to give you something. I want you to read it and if you don’t feel the same way you can just tell me, I have been your best friend since we were little and I want you to be honest. You don’t have to pretend to have feelings for me if you really don’t. I’ll understand completely…,” he blurted out. He must have been flustered because Alyssa just grabbed the envelope from his hand and read it without ever looking up. When she was finished, she gave Ethan the most sincere and happy expression he had ever seen. She put her arms around him and whispered in his ear, “Oh Ethan, I’ve loved you since before I was even sure what it meant.” He was glad that she had said that, he now felt content and complete, as if everything in his life had finally fallen into place. He looked forward to what the future would bring for them. Ever since he could remember, Alyssa had always been by his side. Like things that come in twos, footsteps, bread and butter, holding hands, Ethan and Alyssa. He then realized another lesson that Alyssa had taught him: To tell a person that you love her, and sincerely mean it from the bottom of your heart, is probably the most beautiful moment anyone can encounter. And with that, he looked her in the eye, looked down at her lips, moved closer to her, and gave her a kiss.