I can't take my eye off of her hand.431Please respect copyright.PENANAVW3IrgAhDB
We're back at the bar where we first met, each with a bottle of ginger ale.431Please respect copyright.PENANAigjMbhlP4t
The ring... it fits her finger perfectly. Its as if her finger was destined to wear that ring as a symbol that she is mine, and I am hers. Forever.431Please respect copyright.PENANAsWULEFnHpV
"Caleb, if you could get a pet, what would it bue?" she asks.431Please respect copyright.PENANAGIWlI3cjPW
"A parrot," I reply almost immediately.431Please respect copyright.PENANAQDeh0gts22
She smiles. 431Please respect copyright.PENANAHLzPU52O94
431Please respect copyright.PENANAhSfFaC9BWg
431Please respect copyright.PENANARl9f5BRdqA
"Me, too."431Please respect copyright.PENANAzqWmYIlC6F
431Please respect copyright.PENANAHzV1GQEh5q
431Please respect copyright.PENANASmOCgsJLGk
"Why?" I ask her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAM8dnxJOyJN
431Please respect copyright.PENANAMiNOcooLIo
431Please respect copyright.PENANAE7HBSbH8ay
"They're loving and they live long."431Please respect copyright.PENANA34OmEVqN9s
431Please respect copyright.PENANA10P5MMuNfw
431Please respect copyright.PENANA0PQjkLDyb0
431Please respect copyright.PENANA4JSIA90u3r
431Please respect copyright.PENANAFell66v6qd
"That's my reason, too," I grin.431Please respect copyright.PENANAFu0bDXrnXs
I have a love for animals, and I know how hard it is for an owner to watch their pet die; I don't want to go through that. 431Please respect copyright.PENANANsUjW8HZeD
At my age, if I get a young Macaw or African Grey, it would probably outlive me. Problem solved.431Please respect copyright.PENANAveuzwl6Mpg
"What's your favourite type of parrot?" I ask her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAJJ2R27WU44
"Military Macaw," she responds with a giggle. "It's probably because I've watched 'Rio'so many times."431Please respect copyright.PENANAfkkRz5IZsG
I smile at her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAmqjVXeuJOy
"They can also be very aggressive," I mutter to her, wincing as I recall a Blue Macaw tearing its beak into Eli's flesh.431Please respect copyright.PENANAu7lbzbKPwF
That wasn't fun.431Please respect copyright.PENANA3hu9apjkXj
"True," she mutters.431Please respect copyright.PENANAKxIOPDgGvL
I look at her for a few seconds.431Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6PyUrOegi
"You want one."431Please respect copyright.PENANACieM3DNGts
She looks back at me.431Please respect copyright.PENANAf5sJwW0cfZ
"Yeah, I've been thinking about it," she says with a smile.431Please respect copyright.PENANACOg8tcG1FG
"Well, lets do it then," I say to her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAyUPvF64dmQ
"Really?"431Please respect copyright.PENANA0vakTrORny
"Really."431Please respect copyright.PENANA6Difrwxmpt
She awards me with one of those heart melting smiles again.431Please respect copyright.PENANAfqJubGnvpd
"I hope you can teach me how to take care of it, because when it comes to that shit, I suck."431Please respect copyright.PENANA1hhmvtjpSG
"Of course," I retort, smiling to myself.431Please respect copyright.PENANA9dGqC7eAUe
"Do you know where to get one?"431Please respect copyright.PENANA6Is9pyfTZe
"I can find out," I reply.431Please respect copyright.PENANA0TaGF0oV6K
She looks down at her ring finger, and smiles, then looking up at me.431Please respect copyright.PENANA6ZC2LGeZoq
"So, when are we gonna do this?"431Please respect copyright.PENANAfPAtM1yyL0
"Huh?"431Please respect copyright.PENANAE2XLcrmOBj
"Get married," she clarifies.431Please respect copyright.PENANAFa0h4KWWDA
I hadn't even thought about the wedding yet, to be honest.431Please respect copyright.PENANAFm1Cj3LbQm
"I don't know. When do you want to do it?"431Please respect copyright.PENANAQ118kNBR6P
"July," she mumbles, but I know that she wants to say more.431Please respect copyright.PENANATxxxwnXRXf
"What is it?" I ask.431Please respect copyright.PENANAgsjs8cmycT
She chews her lip, and then exhales. 431Please respect copyright.PENANAxzs2QArn8j
"I want to get married in Jamaica."431Please respect copyright.PENANAaShSGlOGSy
I hadn't even thought about that, but the truth is that it would be fantastic; I've never been to Jamaica, never seen her family, her childhood friends, looked into that part of her life.431Please respect copyright.PENANAWMq7ykM7DA
"Never mind—"431Please respect copyright.PENANAFZPN8D4JVc
"That would be amazing," I breathe.431Please respect copyright.PENANAZPOxPhinhz
"Really?" she asks, a huge smile spreading over her face.431Please respect copyright.PENANAS5PXBDlv0d
"Yes! I'd love to see that part of your life."431Please respect copyright.PENANALjKOTw6sj3
She reaches over and hugs me.431Please respect copyright.PENANAU5bC3oHTKH
"Thank you," she whispers.431Please respect copyright.PENANAbY24KGSWmz
"You're very welcome, Eve."431Please respect copyright.PENANAVXi0tJ4X5M
***431Please respect copyright.PENANAM6qXErIVl2
We got a female Military Macaw; she's one year old, and Evetta named her "Jade", because of the colour of her body.431Please respect copyright.PENANA8p10ykuwjv
Right now, she's scratching the bird's head, and it's leaning into her hand. I don't know why this looks so beautiful to me; then again, everything she does looks beautiful to me.431Please respect copyright.PENANAHOWQ63bByt
She looks over at me, and her brow furrows.431Please respect copyright.PENANAFCdTSNkT15
"What?" she asks.431Please respect copyright.PENANAaHjZOU8UfB
"Nothing. It's just that... you're really beautiful."431Please respect copyright.PENANAotf58UgcCE
She smiles at me; sometimes, I wonder if she knows what that smile does to me.431Please respect copyright.PENANAA7ZGVMRXv8
"Same," she replies.431Please respect copyright.PENANAJu2H8FGQqt
I move over to her, and rest my head on her shoulder. She leans her head on my head.431Please respect copyright.PENANAnrlFXT3F56
Recently, I've been thinking about... everything; bout me being in a coma for over a year, about how I did remember her when I woke up, or for the weeks that followed, about the fact that she could have just gotten up and left my ass.431Please respect copyright.PENANAEDdRFnbXlo
But Evetta stayed.431Please respect copyright.PENANABDDzbaKH5i
And for that, I will forever be grateful.431Please respect copyright.PENANA85mkIOQVrU
"Thank you," I mumble into her neck, and she pulls back and gives me a questioning look.431Please respect copyright.PENANANpTLmwS0EZ
"For what?" she asks, looking and sounding puzzled.431Please respect copyright.PENANARpN3DZ6JPW
431Please respect copyright.PENANAdZdKv9Uh5P
431Please respect copyright.PENANA2PgikkieNB
"For not leaving," I clarify.431Please respect copyright.PENANADMWsR781cs
431Please respect copyright.PENANAvfrEVC7zBf
431Please respect copyright.PENANASrmaMPnao9
She looks straight into my eyes, then drops her gazes and sighs.431Please respect copyright.PENANAhmBye1Ff2d
431Please respect copyright.PENANArVtux7TxXb
431Please respect copyright.PENANAQeStlTUEb5
"I love you more than you could ever know," she whispers.431Please respect copyright.PENANA4Fw59nGGsu
431Please respect copyright.PENANAGCLDsbGx8L
431Please respect copyright.PENANAjiM4iP7ozx
"If it's anywhere near as much as I love you, " I start, tilting her head up so that she will look at me.431Please respect copyright.PENANAaSNhFsYvWP
431Please respect copyright.PENANA71k3pAJjLs
431Please respect copyright.PENANAwvixbxIH2p
"—then I think I have a pretty good idea," I finish.431Please respect copyright.PENANAhM7gkgGlKs
431Please respect copyright.PENANAhEcodE9FJX
431Please respect copyright.PENANA2VtVH5koda
I kiss her, and she moans into my mouth, not expecting it.431Please respect copyright.PENANAHf0FTkUzzd
431Please respect copyright.PENANAml9dP8Ta1M
431Please respect copyright.PENANAPzgXY0v88G
"Don't do that," I grunt, pulling away from her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAkSAh0iiXGD
431Please respect copyright.PENANA105k979Nin
431Please respect copyright.PENANAdw3lZsrd5F
"Sorry," she says, not sounding sorry at all. The bird which is on her lap gives a loud shriek, as if trying to revert the attention back onto herself.431Please respect copyright.PENANAbWNmqv9eiZ
431Please respect copyright.PENANAOoDvV6Kd6f
431Please respect copyright.PENANA18kW6gt4yw
"I think Jade is jealous," Evetta says with a chuckle.431Please respect copyright.PENANAh911gvB0zZ
431Please respect copyright.PENANAiFlsdKV2jI
431Please respect copyright.PENANAQzuUixrSwD
"Well, shell just have to learn to live with it," I reply seriously.431Please respect copyright.PENANAYoB6b0LMge
431Please respect copyright.PENANAU0m0nXdF5i
431Please respect copyright.PENANA6USDTYMa08
She laughs, probably not realising just how serious I am. There is no way that I'm going to allow a damn bird to get between us.431Please respect copyright.PENANAjheRQcny8G
431Please respect copyright.PENANAuWWvUPmx6p
431Please respect copyright.PENANAS9AhsPWQLY
"So... about that wedding," I start.431Please respect copyright.PENANAJugZeJtg6y
431Please respect copyright.PENANAYE5IsIY7QA
431Please respect copyright.PENANA6vNmqyzKgd
"I was thinking we should have it at my mother's house," she replies.431Please respect copyright.PENANAN943y46tZq
431Please respect copyright.PENANA92qaBzUZVX
431Please respect copyright.PENANAUGJFScsXQp
"Really?" 431Please respect copyright.PENANAvqyDBJZpYN
431Please respect copyright.PENANAzKfqI0ai3l
431Please respect copyright.PENANAO2kk0EYCl4
"Yeah. Not like I want many people there, anyway," she states.431Please respect copyright.PENANANELzNBLKpm
431Please respect copyright.PENANACiKWPCqbhT
431Please respect copyright.PENANAYKo5mIsQ4Z
"Who would be there?"431Please respect copyright.PENANAV6IT02Q36G
431Please respect copyright.PENANAlgneVfKdsW
431Please respect copyright.PENANA5ctKx79OSG
"My friends and close family," she says, putting emphasis on the word 'close' and bringing back some embarrassing memories. I just hope that Evetta doesn't use her borderline mindreading powers on me and bring it up.431Please respect copyright.PENANAfi45OodkNt
431Please respect copyright.PENANAcWHDdChblS
431Please respect copyright.PENANA4w37mq6UUC
"Thinking 'bout Uncle George?" Evetta asks with a grin, causing my cheeks to redden. I will never forget the day that my mother's brother showed up at our house drunk and unannounced, and asked for a place to stay. Of course Evetta was staying there, and of course, he had to say something when he saw her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAjlvFPjpsvw
431Please respect copyright.PENANAcGDY5CBx5p
431Please respect copyright.PENANAOy3ysx8YYL
"So Caleb, I never knew that you were into the darkies. I mean, they're good to shag, but not to keep."431Please respect copyright.PENANANjMNwNWjHr
431Please respect copyright.PENANANps9UZgljZ
431Please respect copyright.PENANAYP3hmfrvXT
Now, most people would get upset, right? But Evetta... Evetta just started laughing. She laughed so hard that she had to bend over and clutch her stomach.431Please respect copyright.PENANAaKObfHmIiz
431Please respect copyright.PENANAUsIDgE6veh
431Please respect copyright.PENANAMQLU0JLRr3
"What is it, girlie?" he asks.431Please respect copyright.PENANAwv11hsjVeO
431Please respect copyright.PENANAI6NlZ89qWQ
431Please respect copyright.PENANAILuENnb8sK
"You're a drunk, you smell like piss, you've probably never had a girlfriend, I doubt you've had sex with anyone who wasn't paid or on drugs in the past year... and you're giving relationship advice? You're like those catholic priests who tell people not to use condoms."431Please respect copyright.PENANAYfznZZ5Ees
431Please respect copyright.PENANA9X3tHu2vKb
431Please respect copyright.PENANAGFCAVUD2qZ
Needless to say Uncle George wasn't too pleased. He was even angrier when my parents kicked him out.431Please respect copyright.PENANAi6OMJymRjB
431Please respect copyright.PENANA2w0JPqbNBs
431Please respect copyright.PENANAS1Suc3PgAE
"Caleb, sometimes your mouth is really too big," he said.431Please respect copyright.PENANA5apm5MbRUE
431Please respect copyright.PENANA7SXbRbiQVl
431Please respect copyright.PENANAb9RTbzEp09
"You don't have to do—"431Please respect copyright.PENANASr5hKqeBHv
431Please respect copyright.PENANAsXQFZPNFOu
431Please respect copyright.PENANAYfz70VnyYL
"Evetta, its fine," my mother reassured her.431Please respect copyright.PENANA9Yj02Ts8Vz
431Please respect copyright.PENANA4DL3M9R0Yh
431Please respect copyright.PENANA1yUplTsK8u
So with that, Uncle George was exiled.431Please respect copyright.PENANAnXGlbKaY4c
431Please respect copyright.PENANAGfLRTP8s1M
431Please respect copyright.PENANAxas6lGL4nA
"Please don't bring him up," I say to her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAfEYWaJLV1B
431Please respect copyright.PENANAedrA9A81qj
431Please respect copyright.PENANAWAQcNxceJd
"She giggles, and puts her head against my chest.431Please respect copyright.PENANA9SbbrBsuKY
431Please respect copyright.PENANAckEMmBhQVU
431Please respect copyright.PENANA7Q8bzuzZVH
"This is going to be amazing," she says, cuddling up to me with a huge smile on her face.431Please respect copyright.PENANAA9VkYbaUEa
431Please respect copyright.PENANAPZRFI9vM5M
431Please respect copyright.PENANAROfBXybpGU
"I love you, Evetta Maji."431Please respect copyright.PENANAUFKjgi4CSJ
431Please respect copyright.PENANAAuqkV8P4jW
431Please respect copyright.PENANAAre44WwKHh
"I love you too."431Please respect copyright.PENANAMbeKGiF9G8
431Please respect copyright.PENANAv2vEOHoewN
431Please respect copyright.PENANANR5JwqiK0U
In this moment, with the most beautiful woman on earth giving me a heart warming smile, giving me all the love that I will ever need, I realise something — I'm truly happy. I'm at peace. All of the resentment towards the universe, the self-hatred... it's gone.431Please respect copyright.PENANAi5UQDmw9DW
431Please respect copyright.PENANAfzMk1DpvRc
431Please respect copyright.PENANAtTZ13ib1m8
"You look like you're having an epiphany, or something. What's up?" she asks me.431Please respect copyright.PENANAeV1DWFKEHc
431Please respect copyright.PENANATP1ekxtsqX
431Please respect copyright.PENANANikvnPlrVN
"You just make me... happy. I'm not angry anymore," I reply. 431Please respect copyright.PENANAmxOwLzc0JR
431Please respect copyright.PENANAYurRtt0rew
431Please respect copyright.PENANAmCXY9QN4V8
"I've realised," she states. 431Please respect copyright.PENANARgOs3ftYOG
431Please respect copyright.PENANA6i1NtIjRnS
431Please respect copyright.PENANAsLyOTFmPiW
"So I'm the same old Caleb?" I ask her jokingly, but I can guess what she's going to say before she says it.431Please respect copyright.PENANAxwWRXnr5r1
431Please respect copyright.PENANAo4wp2qvCX5
431Please respect copyright.PENANAp3lPkyrUFS
"No, not the same... something this dramatic has to have a lasting impact on you. The core aspects of your personality are still there... but... it's as if you have a greater appreciation for life."431Please respect copyright.PENANAX6o8hdk88N
431Please respect copyright.PENANAbW0bRmsXtw
431Please respect copyright.PENANACe3OyiRVmO
"So I wasn't grateful before?" I ask her.431Please respect copyright.PENANAgX9ceFY7jV
431Please respect copyright.PENANAHnGSs65LoX
431Please respect copyright.PENANA5oYux1zeRe
"That was just me not wanting to tell you that you're fucking whipped. Won't last forever though. Shut up and listen," she scolds when I open my mouth to interrupt her. "Being in love is fantastic. It's fun. It's the most amazing feeling ever. It's also the worst thing to depend on when trying to keep a relationship. Loving someone, and being in love with someone are two different things. I've seen it with my parents. Sometimes it's as if they're the only two people in the world; they can only see each other. Sometimes, they're completely pissed with each other, for days, even weeks... but every night, my father comes home with a fresh cupcake for my mother from Sugar and Spice, and my mother sets dinner for my father. And sometimes, there are no fireworks... but the sparks are still there. You feel me?"431Please respect copyright.PENANAbjcRPNNYvX
431Please respect copyright.PENANA6ItKOEu6UC
431Please respect copyright.PENANA61UbYFblAF
"Yeah," I say, taking it all in. I've never thought of it that way.431Please respect copyright.PENANAmkFmI7KgL3
431Please respect copyright.PENANAvzp9A0kthf
431Please respect copyright.PENANAxmfgn4eMGL
"Remember before the accident, how we had that huge fight over–"431Please respect copyright.PENANAwg1gD3hQtq
431Please respect copyright.PENANA1R2q9ea0Ux
431Please respect copyright.PENANAqLKTD5zv9u
"—me telling you what to wear. Yeah."431Please respect copyright.PENANAm5UnzJp5TZ
431Please respect copyright.PENANAznAPZogoOD
431Please respect copyright.PENANAyKC16CyRzZ
"It took forever for us to get over it, but every night—"431Please respect copyright.PENANACjXwtQ0yVF
431Please respect copyright.PENANAlxNeK3xCUT
431Please respect copyright.PENANArZzjo77Vf7
"—we would text each other. I remember."431Please respect copyright.PENANAGS1MKKeU7I
431Please respect copyright.PENANAwZPjeQyCB5
431Please respect copyright.PENANA5iMRP8wLBa
She smiles, and kisses my jaw.431Please respect copyright.PENANAe9EfpfNPBL
431Please respect copyright.PENANAZLFtNwKCzQ
431Please respect copyright.PENANAjX8Hf1Hkdq
"That's when I realised how much I loved you, because at that moment, there were no fireworks—"431Please respect copyright.PENANAWFt4bofYVa
431Please respect copyright.PENANAGZa428VNSc
431Please respect copyright.PENANAgAbK56OoWF
"—but the sparks were still there." 431Please respect copyright.PENANATTGUIMETOO
431Please respect copyright.PENANAxtwLUXP7BC
431Please respect copyright.PENANAN59EfLoaMy
"And they always will be."431Please respect copyright.PENANA7Qk45GRnUM
431Please respect copyright.PENANAA0IrUvhn3A
431Please respect copyright.PENANAKfZiFoVrng
She doesn't know how true that is. I will never stop loving her. Not even when I'm pissed at her beyond words. Not even when she fùcks up. Not even when she hurls hurtful words at me as she pushes out my child, because let's be honest, Evetta is exactly the type of woman to do that shit in the moment.431Please respect copyright.PENANAohdw0spDKN
431Please respect copyright.PENANAef3SSK7HKj
431Please respect copyright.PENANAktQufsyQkb
I will always love this woman.431Please respect copyright.PENANA7drNyCOF1X
431Please respect copyright.PENANAXwWJsltFIz
431Please respect copyright.PENANAwpQlNR1YAD
"Yes," I say reassuringly, "they will."431Please respect copyright.PENANA6sF6swLlle
431Please respect copyright.PENANAm7OSBboG0N
431Please respect copyright.PENANALltqHwI62z