Moving a forefinger to one of his dimples, she finally found her smile. “No one pleases me like you do, Quin. You're amazing.”
“You amaze me every day, Layla. You're like an eclipse, but somehow, at the same time, you're like the sun. Everything's shadowed by your beautiful face, and the rest of the world fades away when you express your lovely heart, yet somehow, you shed light on everything around you, effortlessly nurturing the people you choose to share your soul with. There's nothing else like you out there. There never has been. You're the brightest star that's ever burned, and I'm beyond blessed you choose to burn me.”
“You say such beautiful things to me, Quin. I'm the blessed one. You never fail to give me what I need.”
“Well that's exactly what I need, so we're in good shape.” He tucked her hair behind her ear then stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I love you, Layla. You’re my life, and I’ll spend whatever time I have left on earth making sure you’re taken care of.”
“I know. Everything you do proves that.”
“Good.”
“You know, right?”
“That you love me?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course, angel. You show me constantly. There’s not a doubt in my mind I have the love of the most perfect woman who’ll ever walk this earth.”
“So if I'm perfect, and you're perfect, maybe we should be immortalized in stone.”
“Makes sense. Where should they put it? In the city of love next to the Eiffel Tower? Or in front of Lady Liberty? Or they could carve us into Mount Rushmore.”
“Hmm... how about on top of Lady Liberty's flame? It can represent our burning desire.”
He laughed as he gave her bottom lip a gentle tug. “Perfect. There's nothing more welcoming or more beautiful than you.”
“Not everyone feels the way you do,” she countered, moving her face closer to his. “But it would be better world if they did, because you have the most amazing heart of anyone I've met.”
“Only because it's beating your name.”
“That’s not true. I’ve seen evidence otherwise; people you left your mark on long before I came around.”
“I'm sure you've touched more lives than you realize, love. Oklahoma lost a star when you left.”
“I'm a different person now, Quin. You don't know what I was like in Oklahoma.”
“I know this heart,” he replied, rubbing the left side of her back, “and it's always been beautiful. Nothing can change that.”
“But it has changed. It's bigger now, and it grows every day. It feels things it never felt before, and it’s so full, it seems more susceptible to pain. I'm like a walking puzzle that hasn't been glued together. If you touch me wrong, I crumble as my heart bleeds the excess weight.”
“You've always had a big heart, Layla. You just have more people to share it with now. And even though I hate to see you hurt, your emotional capacity is one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”
She grinned and cuddled closer. “When did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That you were in love with me?” She loved hearing his stories. They wrapped her insides in a warm and blissful cocoon.
He returned her smile and gave her a kiss. “I loved you the moment I met you.”
“No you didn’t.”
“I did,” he insisted. “I loved your aura, your face, your voice. Then I learned your name and loved you even more. You were the witch I'd never known but always loved. However, it's not quite accurate to say I instantly fell in love with you. That happened gradually. Every minute I spent with you made me want to stay, and with every word you spoke, you managed to work deeper into my heart. You still do by the way. That hasn't changed. But back to my point. Yes, I fell for you constantly and gradually, but I can tell you the moment I realized I was in love with you, the moment my life became crystal clear. I guess you could say I saw the light.”
He paused, running his fingers through her hair while studying her face. He already had her features memorized; his brain could summon a perfect replica of her. But it was a mere reproduction, one that could never equal the work of art it attempted to emulate. The moments he spent looking at the original were the most amazing moments of his life.
“I told you as soon as I knew, Layla. I didn't hide it. You were so happy, jumping in the wave you'd summoned up the cliff, and as I watched you, I felt you, not just in my heart, everywhere. You’d taken over and become as vital to my happiness as air is to my life. In that moment, I found everything I’ve ever wanted and more. Your resilience, your spirit, and a heart like no other, all wrapped up in the most beautiful package imaginable. Then you smiled up at me and... well, of course I fell in love. Anybody would have.”