The Sunset of Love

Renee love the spring time, the smell in the air, the blossoms poking up their heads from the frozen  earth and the birds singing.  It often reminded her of her favorite childhood movie, and she thought back to the little dear wandering in the forest, the wise old owl sitting in the tree high above answering questions about spring.  The owl had said that the creatures of the forest had become twitter patted.  She remembered that scene and the owl fondly, because it was spring and love was in the air for her.  She smiled as she imagined herself running through the woods laughing at everything and nothing for Renee knew that this was how she had felt from the first moment that she had laid eyes on Grady.

Grady had been outside of the norm for Renee, she had always chosen men that were career oriented, those that could offer financial stability for her, the tall dark and handsome man that would complement her tiny fair frame, but Grady was different.  He walked different, he talked different and he knew all the right words.  He had given Renee hope when she thought that all men were self-absorbed and self-aggrandizing, Grady had spoken the soft words of dreams of a life he had envisioned for them.  He quietly played music for her, telling her that he had penned the lyrics for her.  Grady was a poet, and he was music to Renee’s ears. 

The words that Grady had spoken to Renee were music to her ears, they were proof positive that love existed and the bond that they had between them could not be broken.  Their countless conversations and their fantasies carried them through the hard times, it gave them a sustenance that fed them and fueled their love.  He proved himself over and over again to her, showed her that he loved her and that they had a future because somewhere they had a past in another life.  A past that had kept them apart and even now when they were separated by miles he sensed her need for him, knew she was thinking about him and longing to fall into his arm.  He was just that kind of a man.

He was a man, more of a man than any Renee had ever known and every day she was a little more amazed by him, by his love and what he gave to her. Until Renee had met Grady she had only known men that were driven by success, by money and their stature in life, it was boring to her and it didn’t offer her the passion that she had always longed for deep in her heart.  He was not driven by any of the things that the other men she had known were driven by, because Grady, in his totality was driven by his heart.  She had listened carefully to his words, the things that he had said, the promises that he had made her and she knew that he wanted to give her everything that he was.  She watched as the tears flowed down his checks as he spoke of his love for her, their unity and what they would do together for the rest of their lives.  Renee knew that the courage that it took for him to express himself to expose himself to her made him the greatest man of all time, greater than she had even seen her own father whom she had adored. 

The smell of spring brought more hope into their relationship for it renewed them, it renewed their adventures and it gave them the opportunity to be where they wanted to be, in the high mountain plateaus of New Mexico.  They had traveled there, dreamed of living there and sharing a life together in a log cabin.  They had spoken of their art, their creations, of children and family. They had formed a bond over and in a place that was rich with culture and tradition and they both longed to be there, to start a life looking out over the multi-dimensional sunsets, to watch as the sunset upon the hills and glistened off the rocks forming a rainbow of colors that captivated the heart and the eye.

Tonight they sat together, hand in hand on an old Indian blank, one that they had purchased together at a flea market.  They watched as the sun began its long decent across the hills, they stared in amazement as the colors began to change and life began to stand still.  At that very moment when light no longer existed and darkness had yet to begin Grady stood up, an act that Renee thought odd for they always waited for the stars to shine their brightest before they began their trek home.  But he was different tonight, he seemed somewhat aloof, a side that Renee had never seen in Grady, he had always been so open and honest with her in a raw sort of way.  She was pensive as Grady stood there towering tall above her, not knowing what he would say or do.

Grady stood there for a moment, looking out on to the landscape, not uttering a word.  Renee watched him, glanced over his body looking for anything that she could find amiss, she saw his silhouette against the setting sun; he was striking with his broad shoulders and thin frame.  She thought about how attracted to his physical characteristics she was, his arms that held her, his face that contained the smile that lit her life on fire, the mouth that uttered the words that she longed to hear.  Renee thought about how many times the strength of his arms had wrapped around her, holding her, keeping her warm and letting her know that she was loved.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Grady reached out his hand to Renee, lifting her up off the blanket, pulling her into him.  It was a place where she felt comfortable and loved, it was her home in his arms tightly wrapped around her.  Grady gently kissed her neck and then her lips, he whispered into her ear that he loved her more than the sunset, more than the plateau, more than his dreams.  Renee felt the dampness of the tear running down her face as she pulled back and looked into his eyes.  She knew that this man, the man that held her in his arms this night was the only man that she would ever love, that would ever capture her in that way, the way that romance novels dictated, the way that fairy tales ended.  She knew that he was the only great love of her life and she knew, as she whispered back, that she would love no one ever the way she loved him at that moment.

It was then that Grady announced that he had a surprise for her and grabbed up their Indian blanket, shaking off the sand while he half-heartedly folded it.   He looked at her and told her that he would be eternally grateful if she accompanied him.  Without a moment of hesitation Renee grabbed her bag, slipped her hand into his as they headed towards his car.  She didn’t ask what the surprise was, she didn’t want to spoil it, but in her heart she ached for him to ask her to be his wife, to share the rest of his life with her.  She wanted that, more than anything to be a family and create life with him and through him.  Renee remained silent, her fear of the unknown washed away by her hand in his as they pulled away.

What seemed like an eternity to Renee was, in reality, only a short time.  They hadn’t driven far when Grady stopped the car, putting it into park and turning off the ignition.  Renee didn’t even have time to formulate or ask a question before Grady had run to her side and pulled the door open for her.  Holding out his hand to her, she grasped it and used it to give her leverage out of the vehicle.  They were standing in front of the most beautiful cabin she had ever seen and there were no questions coming from her lips for she was in such awe, the landscape, the cabin, all of it was just as they had spoken about.  It was, in fact, their dream, a dream they shared together and it was just as they had imagined.

Grady took Renee’s hand as he walked her up the steps to the front door of the cabin.  He held it tightly as she seemed to be in a trance of sorts, unable to put one foot in front of the other.  He gently out his hand into his pocket, and pulled it out, contained in his hand was a key, a key to the door that stood in front of them.  He handed the key to Renee and told her to go ahead and open it.  She looked at him in a sort of disbelief as she took the key from his hand and inserted it into the lock.  With one swift turn and a twist of the knob the door to the cabin swung open revealing every conversation the two of them had ever had.  The art work, the furniture, the kitchen; it was all as they had imagined; it was all they had talked about.  Grady took Renee’s hand one more time as he led her into the kitchen.

There on the counter was a bottle of champagne chilling to perfection, a box and an envelope.  Grady reached for the box as he dropped to one knee and opened it.  Inside was the most beautiful sapphire ring that Renee had ever seen, and her hand went to her mouth, she didn’t know what to do except wait for Grady to utter the question, would she marry him.  It didn’t take Renee a single second to answer him, for she knew this was what she had longed for and her response would always have been a resounding yes.  And when she did respond, he lifted her into him, kissed her gently and told her that he was sorry for the wait, but that he needed to make all her dreams come true first.  With that, he reached for the envelope that lay on the counter and said, welcome home my love, this is our dream.

 

Thanks to Shane Alexander for the music and in part for the inspiration.