"Tea, love?" I asked.

You nod, smiling, accepting the steaming cup of our favourite tea.

I study you. Your slightly wrinkled face, grey strands of hair framing your ever so delicate features. The quirk of your eyebrows, that cute button nose of yours. Still looking as beautiful as the day we met. You aged well, my love.

I tuck the falling strands of hair behind your ear and peck your lips softly. You look at me, brown eyes so full of love and admiration. Here I am again, drowning into those warm, expressive eyes. Just like every passing day.

Life has treated us well.

I did run from you in the beginning. For a long time. Even then, I think, you saw the love I had for you in my blue eyes that never fail to show my true feelings.

I was scared.

Scared of the way I felt about you, that you were the only person that could hurt me, ruin my life. I was terrified of pain.

So yes, I ran. I hurt you and by doing that I even ended up hurting myself. Your pain is my pain. You also caught me, eventually. You asked me to be brave. You never gave up on me. Thank God.

Just like every couple, we've had our downhills. Those downhills never dampened our love. You know what a stubborn moody cow I can be when I don't get my daily doze of Garibaldis and caffeine..

I run my thumb over your knuckles, over the round white stones of your wedding band. Similar to mine, sitting snugly in my ring finger.

I never believed in marriage, seeing my parents' fail spectacularly. In my opinion marriage was just a bunch of fancy words on a piece of paper.

I have never regretted proposing you, though. I knew about that little notebook you had kept from your childhood, the one with your wedding all planned out. Seeing your dreams splayed on the pages of that notebook made me think that marrying someone, you, might not be so bad at all. I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my days with you. So I did it.

Because I'd do anything for you.

I still clearly remember the last rays of Goan sunset reflecting from your cherry red hair when I got down on bended knee on a secluded beach and pulled out the ring. Your eyes shone from happiness, mirroring mine. I also remember those many nights of passion on that very same beach..

I remember the warm day in May, you walking down the isle in your beautiful, white strapless dress showing your pale, petite shoulders, your vibrant red hair in an elegant low bun. Your fringe tucked behind your ear. I couldn't hold back the tears of joy. I was going to marry the girl of my dreams.

I remember our vows.

"In your arms I feel safe"

"I treasure every day I spend with you"

We promised to love and be there for each other in sickness and in health. And that we did. We were thrown head first to the world of cancer. Everything we thought we knew had been turned upside down. With every challenge our love grew stronger. We beat cancer together. You gave me strenght I didn't know I had in me.

I remember the surprise in your eyes when I brought up the thought of having a family.

I remember you during pregnancies. Pickles and onions with a spoon. Cake. Lots of it. The amount of foot rubs I gave you. And your libido.. Let's just say I didn't complain. You did look 'whizzer' sexy with your baby bump!

I remember the births of our children. Those beautiful baby blue eyes that pierced my soul from the very beginning. The completions to our circle.

"I promise to always love you in whoever you decide to be."

I remember those sleepless nights with our newborns, singing softly sweet lullabies. You falling asleep in my arms. I remember us snapping to each other. Tired fights and nights that we didn't share even a word.. Still, we held on to our love. I wouldn't change a thing.

You amaze me. Every little habit of yours that anyone else might find irritating, I grew to find endearing.

I remember everything about you. With you. And I love every bit.

I will say it again. Life has treated us well.

You gave me all I ever wanted from life. I never needed to be afraid.

Now, sitting in our garden, the afternoon sun shining through the canopy of the oaktree I relax into the lounger next to you. Our children and grandchildren run around the yard surrounded by the copious lush, blooming white lilies. Seeing you watching the view ahead of us with a small content smile that still reached your eyes, the warm, fuzzy feeling of happiness consumes me.

"Thank you. It's perfect." You say, sipping your tea.

"I know."

Knowing that it's not only the tea I'm talking about you smile at me, that beautiful heart-melting smile of yours.

Those lips, with their touch, whether it's firm and demanding or light and tentative brush, have never failed to make me shiver.

You gently kiss my temple, run your fingertips through my whitening fringe. Our gazes lock and in your eyes I can see the past and love. Our love.

I have loved you from the first time I saw you. I think I was twelve. Somehow, even after all these years I still manage to fall in love with you every day over and over again.

I had trouble sleeping last night, only managed to calm down after writing something.. Just a try, I usually write just for myself but decided to give it a go :-) Sorry for all the possible typos and stuff, I'm not a native English speaker lol :-)

Say something? Criticism? Please and thank you :-)

Jay