I can't take my eye off of her hand.598Please respect copyright.PENANAJ11QP7LchB
We're back at the bar where we first met, each with a bottle of ginger ale.598Please respect copyright.PENANAPrJy0HkPen
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAwquTqfEf4u
"Caleb, if you could get a pet, what would it bue?" she asks.598Please respect copyright.PENANAsJnQll697p
"A parrot," I reply almost immediately.598Please respect copyright.PENANAuOnip8SonL
She smiles. 598Please respect copyright.PENANA31vKba8lb0
598Please respect copyright.PENANAza6rBN1sfh
598Please respect copyright.PENANAMPrSZx2WZL
"Me, too."598Please respect copyright.PENANAKmhnrm8dFS
598Please respect copyright.PENANA6L0SahDz4B
598Please respect copyright.PENANAzgBL51LcsJ
"Why?" I ask her.598Please respect copyright.PENANAg4oPMekQHr
598Please respect copyright.PENANAe10SP2bVOq
598Please respect copyright.PENANAw1QhLtkK1q
"They're loving and they live long."598Please respect copyright.PENANAnms2rKPPiu
598Please respect copyright.PENANA8XL5IC3fzl
598Please respect copyright.PENANACfOvqtDth6
598Please respect copyright.PENANA5BkeCvyQFW
598Please respect copyright.PENANAWhQI6Foomc
"That's my reason, too," I grin.598Please respect copyright.PENANAD7qqDED2Uv
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. 598Please respect copyright.PENANAUAiBBbg37b
At my age, if I get a young Macaw or African Grey, it would probably outlive me. Problem solved.598Please respect copyright.PENANAXzs612mrkw
"What's your favourite type of parrot?" I ask her.598Please respect copyright.PENANAyy9YxDdPuk
"Military Macaw," she responds with a giggle. "It's probably because I've watched 'Rio'so many times."598Please respect copyright.PENANAAguasUDn6O
I smile at her.598Please respect copyright.PENANAhw3Ru9NxaK
"They can also be very aggressive," I mutter to her, wincing as I recall a Blue Macaw tearing its beak into Eli's flesh.598Please respect copyright.PENANAEyLyD4FcOM
That wasn't fun.598Please respect copyright.PENANAniKI8ve0OB
"True," she mutters.598Please respect copyright.PENANAjgmfqagSxb
I look at her for a few seconds.598Please respect copyright.PENANAMxnJD4zq9o
"You want one."598Please respect copyright.PENANArwLJlLOhsb
She looks back at me.598Please respect copyright.PENANAtmENOnfsIo
"Yeah, I've been thinking about it," she says with a smile.598Please respect copyright.PENANASil6ByuTbC
"Well, lets do it then," I say to her.598Please respect copyright.PENANAfVLxAFF6He
"Really?"598Please respect copyright.PENANAkbgklRSs0g
"Really."598Please respect copyright.PENANAPfI7v2DN0E
She awards me with one of those heart melting smiles again.598Please respect copyright.PENANAE16qHaGcnq
"I hope you can teach me how to take care of it, because when it comes to that shit, I suck."598Please respect copyright.PENANAKjdNG7ZUXw
"Of course," I retort, smiling to myself.598Please respect copyright.PENANArj0ILNp4TZ
"Do you know where to get one?"598Please respect copyright.PENANA5MbtBIzafu
"I can find out," I reply.598Please respect copyright.PENANA5RlFIWy1EM
She looks down at her ring finger, and smiles, then looking up at me.598Please respect copyright.PENANATKfH8zOKup
"So, when are we gonna do this?"598Please respect copyright.PENANAA4gvwwr6Gg
"Huh?"598Please respect copyright.PENANAs02Meu2KaL
"Get married," she clarifies.598Please respect copyright.PENANAY9d7baL7UV
I hadn't even thought about the wedding yet, to be honest.598Please respect copyright.PENANAYE8FS4zGAl
"I don't know. When do you want to do it?"598Please respect copyright.PENANA8vNO1cJq04
"July," she mumbles, but I know that she wants to say more.598Please respect copyright.PENANAV0TleZ8NR1
"What is it?" I ask.598Please respect copyright.PENANAOhnpgHZBPZ
She chews her lip, and then exhales. 598Please respect copyright.PENANAKfadhYByjn
"I want to get married in Jamaica."598Please respect copyright.PENANA3cKU5rhZBj
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAKsdj64GvVA
"Never mind—"598Please respect copyright.PENANABrcuWF4MYa
"That would be amazing," I breathe.598Please respect copyright.PENANAmnSgOFQuCa
"Really?" she asks, a huge smile spreading over her face.598Please respect copyright.PENANAndZFFrLbOs
"Yes! I'd love to see that part of your life."598Please respect copyright.PENANA7wLZxDlZlk
She reaches over and hugs me.598Please respect copyright.PENANAl5tWe422xr
"Thank you," she whispers.598Please respect copyright.PENANAtLRiXSaquw
"You're very welcome, Eve."598Please respect copyright.PENANA8WFeVqNVFh
***598Please respect copyright.PENANA46ziz9cq1o
We got a female Military Macaw; she's one year old, and Evetta named her "Jade", because of the colour of her body.598Please respect copyright.PENANAgFFiXCmx7N
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANA7Ee84lyyWL
She looks over at me, and her brow furrows.598Please respect copyright.PENANAetBqDz5daE
"What?" she asks.598Please respect copyright.PENANAp07T9savLH
"Nothing. It's just that... you're really beautiful."598Please respect copyright.PENANAGqykVCyjrg
She smiles at me; sometimes, I wonder if she knows what that smile does to me.598Please respect copyright.PENANA1tpDQwhtat
"Same," she replies.598Please respect copyright.PENANAUC9YC2Ayy3
I move over to her, and rest my head on her shoulder. She leans her head on my head.598Please respect copyright.PENANAYhcQ1MT3PG
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAXY9WAEOz5i
But Evetta stayed.598Please respect copyright.PENANAcqS1IV7pbz
And for that, I will forever be grateful.598Please respect copyright.PENANAL7Zq48Vb52
"Thank you," I mumble into her neck, and she pulls back and gives me a questioning look.598Please respect copyright.PENANAIiKj3yOXOQ
"For what?" she asks, looking and sounding puzzled.598Please respect copyright.PENANAzXgAFMEZrB
598Please respect copyright.PENANAsoSlZMJHIq
598Please respect copyright.PENANAFXvVJxvvUa
"For not leaving," I clarify.598Please respect copyright.PENANAPNyMEcKiQH
598Please respect copyright.PENANAI2UWf8FWen
598Please respect copyright.PENANAEjzcrlb4Yf
She looks straight into my eyes, then drops her gazes and sighs.598Please respect copyright.PENANAhGyyX57XrY
598Please respect copyright.PENANAFACA84SqyI
598Please respect copyright.PENANAcH5viUpQr9
"I love you more than you could ever know," she whispers.598Please respect copyright.PENANAZi1O1Pa2Jh
598Please respect copyright.PENANAlLO6SEjYXF
598Please respect copyright.PENANADfBMDXxh6m
"If it's anywhere near as much as I love you, " I start, tilting her head up so that she will look at me.598Please respect copyright.PENANAa8R9DiQ98j
598Please respect copyright.PENANArahrUc0LZp
598Please respect copyright.PENANA3fxRzYhtFm
"—then I think I have a pretty good idea," I finish.598Please respect copyright.PENANAMl9VTyGvjI
598Please respect copyright.PENANAey1NmMpbuA
598Please respect copyright.PENANAQSwLGT1KAA
I kiss her, and she moans into my mouth, not expecting it.598Please respect copyright.PENANAaKk74YXDyr
598Please respect copyright.PENANA4G3owxJ1GB
598Please respect copyright.PENANAUoFRaEHLPm
"Don't do that," I grunt, pulling away from her.598Please respect copyright.PENANAG0pXUifvTR
598Please respect copyright.PENANA6LXPNU0epL
598Please respect copyright.PENANATZoF9dAJSz
"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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAOvZavGrvRM
598Please respect copyright.PENANAWBkiLanMUL
598Please respect copyright.PENANAhrkymuZNYC
"I think Jade is jealous," Evetta says with a chuckle.598Please respect copyright.PENANAnAexmxgknM
598Please respect copyright.PENANAxhFfJmNRWX
598Please respect copyright.PENANAC0DPOoODiY
"Well, shell just have to learn to live with it," I reply seriously.598Please respect copyright.PENANA76ELnzQVhp
598Please respect copyright.PENANAdn7MnoxhPz
598Please respect copyright.PENANAN670Pui8Bs
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAdlUpS4lX8S
598Please respect copyright.PENANAOfhlZCYv8d
598Please respect copyright.PENANAiC2UiFYncl
"So... about that wedding," I start.598Please respect copyright.PENANAYZfWVxl5Cj
598Please respect copyright.PENANA5YMeHKOL01
598Please respect copyright.PENANASTdSr8YYM8
"I was thinking we should have it at my mother's house," she replies.598Please respect copyright.PENANAqGSq7co2In
598Please respect copyright.PENANAXj9CWuZ3l2
598Please respect copyright.PENANAbFnUUTDxvD
"Really?" 598Please respect copyright.PENANAu8N6GOPQfs
598Please respect copyright.PENANADLxMBFHWLp
598Please respect copyright.PENANAGUcAYjxRA6
"Yeah. Not like I want many people there, anyway," she states.598Please respect copyright.PENANAniftsl5Qtc
598Please respect copyright.PENANAo3w1Sbrcet
598Please respect copyright.PENANAYNXWN88BTO
"Who would be there?"598Please respect copyright.PENANA6MENb5N281
598Please respect copyright.PENANADX2DDjtXNz
598Please respect copyright.PENANAI8FLUBL96c
"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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAzwBrzmAMV8
598Please respect copyright.PENANAvR0HKyNa6y
598Please respect copyright.PENANAp3FvTwABIo
"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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAROp8DzpdwO
598Please respect copyright.PENANAjlZMqYtGjl
598Please respect copyright.PENANAVuqihLfNLf
"So Caleb, I never knew that you were into the darkies. I mean, they're good to shag, but not to keep."598Please respect copyright.PENANAstH09Ytbsb
598Please respect copyright.PENANA7W7qPEOXpU
598Please respect copyright.PENANAsKy7i2xFHl
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAPpMS75mFwc
598Please respect copyright.PENANAAAeVmscNiB
598Please respect copyright.PENANAHbXpmeruil
"What is it, girlie?" he asks.598Please respect copyright.PENANAomJLxR8tLF
598Please respect copyright.PENANAVkyOwPI35i
598Please respect copyright.PENANAAhJBQv3Ilo
"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."598Please respect copyright.PENANAcnDaa1ARb7
598Please respect copyright.PENANAzPcAytFcm0
598Please respect copyright.PENANAvgJL7JEUnT
Needless to say Uncle George wasn't too pleased. He was even angrier when my parents kicked him out.598Please respect copyright.PENANAwWT3Y8afaS
598Please respect copyright.PENANA7u2OkuxTeT
598Please respect copyright.PENANAEU8qWQ4Aah
"Caleb, sometimes your mouth is really too big," he said.598Please respect copyright.PENANAySsJzhbyFh
598Please respect copyright.PENANAyFKi6II8VX
598Please respect copyright.PENANAHaCHQ9qdwB
"You don't have to do—"598Please respect copyright.PENANAaiCs9dZc6v
598Please respect copyright.PENANApk7xcN5Ps7
598Please respect copyright.PENANA4NPO0p4w4A
"Evetta, its fine," my mother reassured her.598Please respect copyright.PENANAaaSFEHcQHn
598Please respect copyright.PENANA8hhpX6aWXp
598Please respect copyright.PENANAd3fDqIDWRL
So with that, Uncle George was exiled.598Please respect copyright.PENANAkhqrBFbeKs
598Please respect copyright.PENANAB0gaAmv1Ff
598Please respect copyright.PENANAeUKPoOXbxi
"Please don't bring him up," I say to her.598Please respect copyright.PENANA8N68DNq20L
598Please respect copyright.PENANAqdedPD0Y4F
598Please respect copyright.PENANAgns4N56S75
"She giggles, and puts her head against my chest.598Please respect copyright.PENANAPULTEgKgsR
598Please respect copyright.PENANAGFuiBw3drK
598Please respect copyright.PENANAUOS29PHNl9
"This is going to be amazing," she says, cuddling up to me with a huge smile on her face.598Please respect copyright.PENANA6vY6Zlh3yh
598Please respect copyright.PENANAYcOjOPm8G2
598Please respect copyright.PENANAfAzQYKIBnO
"I love you, Evetta Maji."598Please respect copyright.PENANA2kuiUDmgk9
598Please respect copyright.PENANArj9SbuIb9S
598Please respect copyright.PENANA9YezSwdVCX
"I love you too."598Please respect copyright.PENANAO7JbMh6Jdu
598Please respect copyright.PENANAfi9jqPc3Tp
598Please respect copyright.PENANAk2I8sjZsmg
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAnEJ4tI0Oho
598Please respect copyright.PENANA0tFyethj7O
598Please respect copyright.PENANAedijvnBqnj
"You look like you're having an epiphany, or something. What's up?" she asks me.598Please respect copyright.PENANAZeejIxCkFs
598Please respect copyright.PENANAblsiDjCdhY
598Please respect copyright.PENANA29tz7U3nal
"You just make me... happy. I'm not angry anymore," I reply. 598Please respect copyright.PENANAa4l19D2eP6
598Please respect copyright.PENANAcpnyFWKiNB
598Please respect copyright.PENANAr4KTqE8F1U
"I've realised," she states. 598Please respect copyright.PENANAl8Rw4cfPON
598Please respect copyright.PENANALUBLJDv8Wd
598Please respect copyright.PENANADEnCpLbh2m
"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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAotcDe5FkLM
598Please respect copyright.PENANA7Vr7cYUcWI
598Please respect copyright.PENANAvLqm4wzZoC
"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."598Please respect copyright.PENANAohRkxsJx9k
598Please respect copyright.PENANAUj7mzRUPTe
598Please respect copyright.PENANAXtzb5S9X4O
"So I wasn't grateful before?" I ask her.598Please respect copyright.PENANAnUUN5aoTks
598Please respect copyright.PENANAn0FOX3eKUD
598Please respect copyright.PENANAVn3cZjprBe
"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?"598Please respect copyright.PENANAkoL6lLvirt
598Please respect copyright.PENANA6lMg86NeZ5
598Please respect copyright.PENANAfMUOmaLS4X
"Yeah," I say, taking it all in. I've never thought of it that way.598Please respect copyright.PENANANk1nX0KedV
598Please respect copyright.PENANAMFGlBByubY
598Please respect copyright.PENANAbI5pMDcuE5
"Remember before the accident, how we had that huge fight over–"598Please respect copyright.PENANAHITZF8VTFy
598Please respect copyright.PENANAxGv419rNmU
598Please respect copyright.PENANAw9oioieUm5
"—me telling you what to wear. Yeah."598Please respect copyright.PENANAnBm6JX8XEx
598Please respect copyright.PENANAVNBhQ9kNGI
598Please respect copyright.PENANAncJrb9iqAB
"It took forever for us to get over it, but every night—"598Please respect copyright.PENANAjVNmYeC8s7
598Please respect copyright.PENANABpFaPIzbpC
598Please respect copyright.PENANADFqcVxACtZ
"—we would text each other. I remember."598Please respect copyright.PENANAtPtYMpvQwp
598Please respect copyright.PENANAlZTzqeFfgx
598Please respect copyright.PENANAVLxr064vY3
She smiles, and kisses my jaw.598Please respect copyright.PENANAN31SZHzuqp
598Please respect copyright.PENANAzBsgMqXwSK
598Please respect copyright.PENANAG8kHQwrAuX
"That's when I realised how much I loved you, because at that moment, there were no fireworks—"598Please respect copyright.PENANA5f4szTS989
598Please respect copyright.PENANAnnP653hF3Q
598Please respect copyright.PENANAYLC4NQK0AT
"—but the sparks were still there." 598Please respect copyright.PENANAKSlp5Y6kEz
598Please respect copyright.PENANARY1uTJGA5y
598Please respect copyright.PENANABcG9MGeK3Y
"And they always will be."598Please respect copyright.PENANAVWGaAhgmho
598Please respect copyright.PENANA3Xs5giNssT
598Please respect copyright.PENANAOC1bO7yVXw
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.598Please respect copyright.PENANAYSRiSBQogU
598Please respect copyright.PENANAfWL7j3gfuB
598Please respect copyright.PENANAACZMXkQv2z
I will always love this woman.598Please respect copyright.PENANAI0n40CuJOf
598Please respect copyright.PENANA4tcmwJXygS
598Please respect copyright.PENANASlGUUp4le6
"Yes," I say reassuringly, "they will."598Please respect copyright.PENANA6mQRdp3TA5
598Please respect copyright.PENANAjQdFS4gpMF
598Please respect copyright.PENANAqhB2qWph0Q