This oneshot is dedicated to my dearest friend LadyoftheBirds or as some of you know her, CanaryBug.

The song you played for me inspired this piece, I felt sheer emotion through this piece, I imagined fall leaves flying past and the thoughts of the stages of true love. Things start off slow in life before you meet that special person and then everything happens so fast until you realize you're an elder, having loved someone your whole life and grown old with them.

Thank you so much.

Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy.

-Claire

I remember back when we first met.

Fall colors had finally taken full bloom in the park I was walking through. Leaves danced past in the breeze.

Though however beautiful the scenery had been I couldn't shake off the constant feeling that something wasn't right. I was missing something, but I didn't know what.

On those types of days I'm reminded of my mother. She loved nature with a passion like no other.

Her favorite kind of days were days like that one. When the cool breeze tossed your hair and swept you off your feet and begged you to go outside and play.

When the air was so crisp you could almost taste it.

When the leaves crunch under your feet as you walk.

When apple cider and pastries are nice fresh and you spend the whole day reading and watching the children jump in piles of leaves.

I was walking down the sidewalk headed towards my mother's favorite spot to sit, the fountain, when an elderly man slipped on a leaf and fell.

I rushed to his aid and helped him onto his feet, but when I looked around for his cane I found a beautiful woman handing it to the very same man I had helped.

Her long dark hair cascaded in waves down her back and her bright blue eyes seemed to snatch the breath right from my lungs.

The elderly man and I thanked her and she smiled this dazzling smile that was so pure I swear it could have ended wars.

For a moment I felt like I had that something.

And then she walked away.

For the entire rest of the day I couldn't shake the feeling that I had missed out of something when I let her walk away.

I continuously scolded myself, knowing I should have gone after her or asked her for her name or her number.

She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. No super model could have ever compared to her.

After a while I fell back into my slump once more. When I made it home I looked through my mother's old photos for a while before I found one that I wasn't sure I had ever seen before.

My mother was standing in front of a bakery, holding a chocolate croissant in her hand with a dazzling smile.

Tom et Sabine's Patisserie.

I remember feeling somehow drawn to the bakery, and when I made my way inside I remember becoming engulfed in the scent of freshly baked bread, cinnamon, and sugar.

And then I saw her.

She stood there laughing with a few customers.

She had her hair tied back in a tightly braided bun and an apron wrapped around her waist, but there was no mistaking her.

I got so flustered and nervous I nearly walked right out of the storefront and went home.

I would have too if she hadn't have flagged me down as I made my way back to the door.

"Hey! I know you!" she called out with a voice as clear as a bell.

I expected her to say, 'You're Adrien Agreste aren't you? I remember! You're that famous model!'

But she didn't say that at all.

"You're that guy from the park! That was very nice of you to help that man."

I remember having that same sense of stolen breath, like I'd just run a marathon.

She was that kind of person, you know?

She commanded attention with every purposeful step, every meaningful word, and every mere glance headed your way.

She was stunning.

I didn't quite know it yet but she was the one.

It was love at first sight.

After a moment I found my words, which were shaky at best.

We talked for a while and gifted me hot cocoa and a few pastries.

Her name was Marinette.

From then on I visited the bakery multiple times a week just to see her again.

No matter how many times anyone asked me I always said I wasn't in love.

I was a fool.

I refused any other girl, just waiting for the right time to ask Marinette out on a date.

Years past and she became my best friend.

But it wasn't until she left Paris to take care of her aunt in china, that I realized I couldn't survive another moment without her.

After a month of her absence she finally came home. I bought her a rose and finally asked her out.

She said not yet.

So each month for a year I would try once more before finally she said yes.

I think she wanted to know if I truly loved her the way I said I did.

After five years of knowing her and two years of dating I married her.

Time passed and childeren came and went.

We grew old and shared the most precious memories together.

From the very first day I met her we were inseprable until the day our days were finally over.