Why do I waste my time?
I understand the limitations.
She's the beautiful princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.
I am but a lowly plumber.
Humble, some may call me.
I've saved her from countless perils.
But I'm not good enough to be her date or anything. Just a body guard. Her protector.
She dresses in pink and soft material. Long flowing dresses. Cascading blonde luxurious hair. Sapphire eyes that melt your soul.
I wear dirty faded overalls. Comfortable, but not stylish. Perfect for trudging in filthy sewage systems. I have an unkempt mustache and I'm not exactly in the best shape of my life.
She glows with youth. The gleam in her eye and the small curve of her lip tells me she's ready. Ready to take on the world. Ready for Life to begin. I look like I'm in the middle of the journey. Dangerous situations can do that to a guy.
But if she isn't lovely... the voice of an angel... So strong-willed yet gentle. Stubborn yet kind.
Imperfection and perfection all at once.
How can I possibly compare?
I wish I was the prince to sweep her off her feet like in the movies. A crown on my head and pockets full of jewels and money, symbols of a cushy life and high social status. All because of genetics. I wish I was someone on her level, someone she would want. Because every princess must dream of their prince, right? The Happily Ever After. The kiss, the horse, the lavish castle. It's all the same.
I dream of our happy ending. There is no castle. I don't just see her as a princess because that's only a barrier. In our happy ending, we are ordinary people with an extraordinary love. We don't become king and queen, but we quietly dissolve into the normality of the world, hand in hand, eyes twinkling, faces bright and happy. And there's no one to tell us what we can and can't do. We'll write that story ourselves.