Some people believe in love at first sight. It's a tricky feat, falling in love; especially if you fall in love just by seeing someone for the first time. It's hard to believe in something like that, what with the pain and fear that inevitably follows. But, people will never know what's possible if they don't face that pain and fear head on, will they?
I never thought I'd be completely and utterly in love, committed, and /whipped/ as fuck at such a young age. But, here I am, so proud and in love. She's my light. She's my strong shoulder. She's my baby girl. Every day that I get to see her smile is another day I find myself falling harder. Yeah, I'm a romantic.
Things aren't that simple, though. But, nothing is ever simple. Not life. Not empathy. Not passion. Definitely not love. She brings those out in me, though. I'd be crazy not to fight for her. I don't need things to be simple. I just need her. Her smile. Her laugh. Her scent. Her scratchy morning voice. Her hand holds. Her kisses. Yeah, I don't need simple.
She's feisty and intelligent, and it's hard for her to let people do things for her. But, in those miniscule moments that she lets her vulnerability show, she's beautiful. Not that she isn't beautiful all the time. God is she gorgeous. I just enjoy the rare moments in which she gets shy and quiet, and asks for me. It feels good to be needed by the person you love more than anything. I don't mind when she's needy because that means she gets cuddly. And I get to hold her. Yeah, my girl's a cuddle-bug.
She's my savior. I didn't realize in the moment that I saved her that she'd save me in more ways than I can imagine. That day was like any other day. I woke up, ate breakfast, and packed my bag for school. I didn't expect that day to change my life forever. I remember the sounds of lockers and shuffling feet. I remember seeing kids running to beat the tardy bell.
I wish I could say bullying is something I saw rarely. But, it was an everyday occurrence, and it was no different on the day that changed my life forever. I don't know what I'd do if, by some twist of fate, I hadn't stopped to break up the group of bullies. I don't like thinking about what my life would be like now if I hadn't jumped in to save her. She was terrified; I'd never seen anyone shake the way she shook as they surrounded her. It was one of the handfuls of times I was glad I held a high place on the social ladder. I was able to disperse the attack. The bullies lost interest, and I was left alone with the girl shielding her face with her arms.
I felt the strangest urge to comfort her. I had never been one to wear my heart on my sleeve, but she had me bleeding. I didn't even know her, yet. I spoke to her gently, trying my damned hardest to show her I wouldn't hurt her. I kneeled down in front of her, and I guess she sensed my hesitance, because the next thing I knew she was curled up against my chest chanting 'thank you'. I just held her, one hand pressed between her shoulder blades, the other pressed against the small of her back. I felt at peace holding her, not realizing it was because I had found my soul mate in that moment.
My heart stopped when I caught sight of her backpack ripped open and dumped. I changed in that moment, because I wouldn't want to feel the violation she must have felt. I vowed never to inflict such violation on any person again. I felt my heart strings pull tighter when I saw that her books had been ripped, their spines broken. I hadn't recognized, at first, why I could only see empty pages. But, her name was written in black ink, the books labeled by class. Braille. Her books were written in braille. They had dismantled her walking cane and threw it out of her reach. I leaned down to kiss the crown of her head. I'm not sure why I did that, but it makes much more sense, now. Love at first sight does exist.