She was always so hard on him day in and day out. He would try to break down the walls she had built for years. It was hard for her to be close to anyone. He listened and learned day by day, piece by piece, the story of her life. He grew more patient with her once she slowly began to trust him and slowly allowed him glimpses of what she was hiding.
Finally one day she allowed him to hold her hand. He was so happy that he turned his back and took off running yelling back "tonight I shall begin my gift for you!"
She stared at him confused as he ran down the street.
He would sneak out at night and throw rocks at her window and speak to her in whispers words of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. She grew more trusting and that night gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
He slid down the railing shouting from the darkness "I am still working on that gift for you."
The next day he took her to a movie. She slid close to his side. Their hands touched deep inside the popcorn bowl and he smiled up at her in the darkness. He was not watching the movie at all. He stretched his arms around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder. He whispered into her ear "I am still working on that gift for you."
That night they drove and drove in circles. He finally parks the car as the rain begins pelting down. She turns to him and tells him things she has never told anyone. He sits and listens as she almost cries. She reaches for him and he holds her while she sobs. He rubs her hair then softly with a giggle he says "Let's get out of here!" She looks as he opens the door in the pelting rain holding his hand out. They run through the streets soaked laughing and jumping. She jumps on his back and he carries her over a puddle then sets her down under the canopy of a closed store on Main Street. The lights suddenly go out all but the street lights in the distance. She cannot see him in the shadows but hears him say "I am still working on that gift for you by the way." She puts out her hands to find him but can't feel him. She waves her arms around and around.
"What is this gift you are always talking about?" she asks.
"You'll see"" he says and grabs her hand and tugs her close and kisses her in the dark.
The next weekend he sneaks out again and throws rocks on her window. Her lamp turns on as he climbs up. He stares at his light in the darkness.
"You look beautiful" he says.
She leans out and laughs.
"I love you." he says.
She looks at him and smiles back and reaches for him.
Tears stream down her face falling as his fingers catch each one. He looks into her eyes.
He suddenly flies down yelling "I will be right back! I have something for you!"
He returns and climbs up. He stands now beside her on the balcony. He kneels and looks up to you. "This is my gift to you. This is all that I know that you can hold that is of me and you. It is with this."
He stands and holds a necklace "Every time you brought me joy I saved that moment. It is here inside. I kept the very first tears of joy you shed for me and they shall remain forever inside this heart for your heart and my heart shall no longer feel sorrow, no our heart shall forever feel the joy of this love."
She touches the necklace and takes a deep breath as he takes another tear softly from her cheek and places it inside. "I love you." she whispers back.
He smiles as his heart beats heavy with the words he has wanted to hear have now been said. He manages to keep his hands steady and she bows her head as he places the necklace filled with tears of their joy proudly around her neck.