Under The Tree
When my daughter asked to know how we fell in love. I remembered the tree. The tree was where we had our firsts. First kiss. First sex.
I had walked to the tree for some quiet time. My best friends always wanted to be around, and they were incredibly loud. It was soon after I had sat down, with my back leaning against the rough bark, that he appeared like a ghost, out of thin air, and stood leaning against the tree. We were quiet, just looking out over the lake.
He sat down next to me. Close. Very close. I felt sudden butterflies in my stomach. It felt like a thousand tiny wings were attacking the lining of my stomach. It was weird, since we had started school together, we had always hated each other, or at least it appeared that way. Apparently we had hid our true feelings.
He asked me why I was there. I told him the truth. Never before had I felt comfortable in his presence. In return, I asked him the same question. He told me that he always came out to this tree at this time every night, and that tonight he was very glad he had come. I asked him why.
He leant in really close. Close enough that I could feel his breath on my face. Close enough I had to go almost cross-eyed to actually see him. I was surprised I hadn't noticed tat we had moved. We were now facing each other. He whispered the answer like a secret. You. Before he touched our lips together.
Unlike in the books, there were no fireworks going off inside my head. No music in the background. Nothing, but the feel of his lips. They felt as soft as a rose petal. He had one hand on my left cheek, and the other was holding him up. His hand was rough against my skin, as if he had been working with his hands all his life. I knew better. His thumb was caressing my cheek. I enjoyed the roughness of his skin against the smooth texture of mine. I knew then that I would always remember that kiss and everything about it.
"Mommy?" my daughter asked standing at my feet, looking at me worried. I just pulled her to me and hugged her, burying my head in her hair, breathing in her unique smell, trying to not let the tear roll down my cheek. She was my memory of our last night under the tree. She was the result of what had happened under the tree.
I just wish I had found the strength under that tree to tell him...