Falling Slowly

© 2013 by dqmwartist

Colleen watched as Andrew removed food from the picnic basket, Grace's meatloaf sandwich, fresh squeezed lemonade and her favorite dessert, oatmeal cookies. She couldn't believe he'd done this, let alone remembered so much of what she liked to eat and drink.

Once the basket was unloaded, Andrew picked up a book of Sonnets by Shakespeare, moved closer to her and began to read. He had picked #116 thinking she would like it, even though she could tell that he was nervous.

Colleen sat on the blanket staring off into the distance. She had been a bundle of emotions lately, with Patrick constantly on her and Andrew whom she felt completely at ease with. How was she supposed to decide what to do? The bracelet was so pretty and yet a part of her felt uncomfortable with accepting it. As Andrew read the sonnet aloud, Colleen let the words sink in slowly;

"Love's not times fool, though rosy lips and cheeks, Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved." –Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare

Colleen felt something change inside her when Andrew reached the last line. There was something about and she immediately asked him to read it again. Her eyes never leaving him as he recited the line again, explaining its meaning at the end. She agreed with what he said and then felt the force of what she felt in her heart the moment her lips met Andrews.

Andrew was extremely nervous about reading the sonnet aloud, knowing his own feelings for Colleen deep down inside. He had begun to love her and seeing this other man try and vie for her attention made him want to win Colleen over all the more. He hated Patrick and wanted so badly to beat the man to a pulp, but he wasn't about to lose his manners.

How he managed to make it through the sonnet was a mystery, but the look on Colleen's face when he finished reading the last line again made his heart soar. Her smile melted his heart, washing away any anger, leaving no resistance as he leaned in to kiss her softly.

Colleen let the sensation of the kiss wash over her, feeling her body grow warm and her cheeks flush pink. She felt a little like Juliet getting kissed by Romeo for the first time.

Colleen remembered back to the time the town had put on Romeo and Juliet for Valentine's Day. She had dreamed of being Juliet in love with her Romeo. How she longed for the part, only to have it passed down to her best friend. Being Becky's understudy had been a joy, as had learning the lines with Dr. Mike. There was such passion in Shakespeare's words.

"Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That by which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." –Act II, Scene II- Romeo & Juliet

"Something the matter?" Andrew asked as he looked over at Colleen. She seemed to be in a trance or lost in thought. He hoped their kiss hadn't been too much. There was so much love in his heart that he wished to share with her always.

"I was just thinkin' about the play the town put on a few years ago for Valentine's Day. Miss Dorothy organized it and there was a lot of fuss to start and then people kept losin' their voices. It's a wonder it got off the ground."

"That so?" Andrew was curious now as to what had happened. He could certainly imagine the clash of opinions. Everyone in Colorado Springs had their fair share of them, some more so than others.

Colleen nodded, "I wanted the lead so badly too, but I had to settle for playing a boys part."

Andrew chuckled," I can't quite imagine you as a boy but that would have been something to see." His jest elicited a playful smile from Colleen.

"Becky did a wonderful job in the lead and in the end I was so proud of her," Colleen added just before she took a bite of the sandwich.

"I'm sure she did," Andrew replied after finishing a bite of his sandwich. He could see Becky in the lead with her natural innocence, even though in his mind Colleen was the more beautiful of the two. Even though she didn't get to be Juliet in the town play, a part of him felt like she was his Juliet.

"It was a wonderful time, but I am enjoying college so much more and can't wait to become a doctor." Colleen took another bite and then turned to stare out at the beautiful scenery where Andrew brought her for lunch.

"You'll be a wonderful doctor someday, Colleen, and I'm glad you are enjoying college so much." Andrew smiled at her, meeting her gaze for a moment before it was broken by the natural beauty around them.

When they had both finished; Andrew packed up the basket, grabbed the book of Sonnets and walked towards a nearby lake. Colleen followed as she took in the sights and sounds around her. "This is beautiful, Andrew."

"It is," Andrew agreed has he lead her towards a small cropping of rocks that looked as if they would make a nice place to sit down. He fought the urge to tell her that she was more beautiful than the scenery around them. Last thing he wanted to do was lay it on too thick and scare her off.

Colleen settled herself next to Andrew; the nearness of him making her heart beat faster and the heat in her body rise. She wasn't used to such strong emotions around a boy and never felt this way around Patrick. Where he was flattering and forceful, Andrew was gentle and sweet and she liked the latter very much.

Andrew carefully opened the book again to another Sonnet and began to read loud, as Colleen sat there letting the words wash over her soul one by one. She also loved hearing Andrew read them to her, almost as if he was courting her with poetry.

For a moment she imagined herself as Juliet on a balcony wearing a gorgeous dress, with Andrew handsomely clad below reading that same sonnet before climbing up, talking her in his arms and kissing her passionately.

Colleen turned to Andrew as he finished reading, a flush on her face and lips longing to be kissed. "That was beautiful," she whispered as he leaned in and granted her wish with all the love in his heart.