Love & Chocolate

A light breeze flutters against my warm cheeks, softly nudging me towards consciousness. I pull the thick comforter higher on my shoulders and burrow deeper into my plush pillows. A fresh scent of detergent reaches my nose as I inhale deeply. I can see a haze of light forming from beyond my eyelids growing ever brighter with each passing second. The twittering of a group of birds floats through the air. I groan; how could it possibly be morning already?

I feel a stirring to my left in response to my audial protestation of the dawning day. The movement ceases within seconds, but it is enough to prevent me from being lulled back into Dreamland. Sheepishly, I grimace, but I refuse to open my eyes. Five more minutes, cruel world! That’s all I ask of you this morning.

It is amazing how in that brief span of time all of the aches and cramps from being in the same position for too long come screaming to life. And in that moment, I suddenly come to the grim conclusion that any more sleep is a lost cause. Groaning once more, I slowly turn onto my side and slip my hand between my face and my pillow. It’s now or never.

Reluctantly, my eyelids open. Blinding light seeps through the crack, and I squint against it. Though I knew it was coming, it always manages to catch me off guard. Maybe today will be the day I finally buckle down and buy those blackout blinds my friend is always raving about. Maybe, but somehow I doubt it seeing as this has become my morning mantra.

I settle deeper into my pillow as I allow my eyes to adjust to the unnecessarily bright light. Outlines of familiar shapes begin to appear and color is quick to follow. The same four walls, painted sandstone with white textured trimming, greet me as they do every morning. A rectangular window, the culprit behind my earlier blindness, is centered on the wall furthest from me. Sheer white curtains hang loosely in front of it, like a veil concealing the face of a bride-to-be. It hints at a scenic morning but fails to reveal its full beauty.

My eyes settle on the man sleeping beside me. His face is relaxed, serene. His olive skin glows in the sunlight, a sharp contrast to the white comforter resting against his chin. His lips are resting slightly apart; I listen to his even breathing. This is Donovan, the love of my life.

His eyes abruptly open as if I had said his name out loud. I may have, for all I know. I suck in a deep breath as his eyes snare mine and hold. Deep brown eyes with golden flecks of rich color twinkle at me, and I am instantly reminded of the day we’d first met. I’ll never forget it, as cliche as it sounds.

I’d had just turned twenty and was out celebrating with a few close friends at a local amusement park. It had been getting close to sundown, so we’d decided to scour the fried food area for something to munch on. You don’t go to these kinds of places and expect to eat healthy. It’s part of the experience.

While sorting through all of the choices, I happened to get separated from my small group. I had spotted them turning a corner, so I’d rushed to catch up. As I took the corner I’d seen my friends turn at, I hadn’t been watching where I was going. The next thing I knew, I had plowed into something hard and soft at the same time. Also, I realized it was strangely wet. Startled, I’d stumbled backwards and glanced up at what I’d hit.

That’s when I saw Donovan for the first time. He’d been carrying a drink carrier full of sodas, the carbonated beverages now splattered all over us and the ground below. He still held the drink carrier, but his face was down turned and frozen into a mask of surprise. The hilarity of the moment hit me instantly, and I had let out a full-hearted laugh. That got his attention, and his eyes snapped up to mine. The rich chocolate color captivated me. The laughter instantly died in my throat, and my face reflected the surprise etched on his. I drowned in his eyes at that moment, and I’ve been drowning in them ever since.

A hand on my cheek startles me out of my reverie. I refocus on Donovan only to find that a gentle smile that mirrors my own resides on his lips. Warmth radiates from my chest as the full impact of his gaze hits me. I never thought that I would find the kind of love only fairytales talk about let alone that I would ever be happy in love. Here we are, though, ten years holding strong. I couldn’t love this man any less even if he had committed the worst kind of betrayal. We have been through so much together, good times and bad, and yet we have stuck together through it all. He is my Prince Charming.

“Sienna…” he whispers, his voice barely audible. It sends delicious shivers down my spine. To this day, it still amazes me what he can do to me with a simple word. And when that word is my name, it’s all the more exciting.

“Happy anniversary,” I respond, my voice low. I don’t want to break whatever spell has been cast upon us in this moment because it is simply too beautiful to be real. I feel safe, cherished, and loved. My hand comes up to rest against his.

“Happy anniversary.” He rolls his hand over and envelops it around mine. Gently, he tugs it towards him and settles it against his lips. His eyes still stare into mine, my heart beating against my ribcage. With a smile, he says, “I have something for you.” He places my hand back against the pillow and rolls out from beneath the comforter. I sit up and make to follow him, but he stops, his eyes pinning me to the bed. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

I roll my eyes at his back as he briskly exits the room and pull my knees up against my chest. The thick comforter falls away, but a thin sheet still prevents the worst of the morning’s chill from seeping into my limbs. I wrap my arms around my knees and rest my chin against them. Dark auburn hair falls in front of my eyes, and I swiftly push it back. I can only imagine what I look like; “bed head” is probably putting it nicely. My riotous curls never seem to be contained, and that is never more true than in the morning.

He walks quickly back into the room and walks straight towards me. He has one hand hidden behind his back, a tradition he always seems to upkeep every anniversary for some reason. I ignore it and focus on what he’s holding in his exposed hand. A bouquet of what looks to be white roses, at least a dozen of them, glow against his tan skin. Or at least they had been white roses before. Somehow the florist has managed to dye just the tips a chocolaty brown color that looked good enough to eat. Luckily I spy what he has tied to the stems before I give into that other temptation.

Chuckling, I remark, “I know you’re jealous of my love affair with chocolate, but this is too much!” I reach for the roses as he approaches, my hands immediately grabbing the small box of milk chocolate truffles dangling from them.

“I thought you’d like these,” he says from above me, but my eyes stay on the chocolate. I can be one-track-minded in moments like these. When it comes to love and chocolate, chocolate tends to be the victor in my world. Or maybe it's love considering my deep love affair with the sugary sweet? I push the thought away; too much thinking and not enough chocolate.

“That’s a no-brainer,” I say absently as I tear through the wrapping. Opening the box, I select a delicate truffle and pop one into my mouth. Instantly, the soft chocolate bursts in my mouth, enveloping my taste buds in a world full of awesome. I close my eyes and lift my face heavenward, praising whatever being had brought me these amazing delicacies. “How the hell did you manage to hide these from me?”

He chuckles, and I feel him sit on the bed by my feet. “I hid them in Tawny’s room last night.” Tawny was our five-year-old daughter who has an obsession with chocolate that could rival mine. How he kept them secret from her was beyond my comprehension.

One of my eyes pops open as I eye him. Suddenly, so many things make sense. “So, that’s why you were so insistent on putting her to bed.” I find myself often stuck with that job. I suppose Donovan can only take hearing that I tell far more superior stories than he does so many times.

“I thought I’d ruined everything by being so suspicious,” he says sheepishly, a small smile lighting up his face.

I let out a soft laugh. “Lucky for you I was too tired to pay too much attention last night, but I did notice.”

He rests a hand on top of one of my knees, his thumb rubbing gently through the thin white sheet. “Passed out before ten. I believe someone is starting to show their age?” He gives my knee a light pat, laughter glittering in his eyes.

“Whatever,” I say as I brush his hand off of my knee. I reach for more chocolate and savor the explosive taste. He watches my reaction, his one hand resting in his lap. The other one is still concealed behind his back. With my craving for chocolate quenched for now, curiosity is starting to get the best of me. I sigh. “Stop hiding whatever it is behind your back and show me already. You know I’m not very patient.”

A deep laugh echoes from his chest. “You were too concerned about getting your chocolate fix a few seconds ago to care.” Slowly, he moves his hand from behind his back and holds it out towards me. A long, brown velvet box with the name of a prominent jewelry company engraved in silver along the top arrests my attention. I stop chewing my chocolate.

To most people, jewelry may be a typical gift on an anniversary or birthday. Donovan has rarely given me anything of the like. He has always been a practical gifter, and for that I am grateful. Not that I mind receiving an extravagant gift, such as jewelry, every now and then. I would much rather receive something I need and will use. The jewelry he has given me, however, has always been exquisite.

I reach a hand out slowly towards the box, my fingers numbly wrapping around it. I set the box of chocolate aside, completely forgetting them the minute they leave my fingers. Now gripping the box with both hands, I open the lid, my heart racing.

A long, thin gold chain dominates the box. My eyes follow it down towards the main event. Diamonds fit into a heart-shaped molding sparkle in the morning light. Half of the heart is made up of white diamonds while the rest is pure chocolate diamonds, which happens to be my favorite gemstone. There is something deep about them that captivates me. Their rarity in jewelry has nothing to do with it, although it does make for a frustrating hunt.

I look up and make eye contact with Donovan. Every year I tell myself that nothing could be better than what I have with him, but he never ceases to surprise me. I feel my heart jump to my throat as I try to swallow the tears of joy that have suddenly sprung to my eyes. “It’s beautiful, Don.”

“Just like you,” he whispers as he stands over me. He leans into me forcing my head against the wooden headboard. Bracing his hands on the mattress on either side of me, his lips capture mine in a deep, all-loving kiss. My eyes close involuntarily as I give myself over to him completely. My hands reach up and caress his face. Whatever I did to deserve this beautiful man, I’m going to figure it out and make sure I repeat it in every life I live hereafter!

“Ti amo,” he whispers against my lips, his forehead resting against mine. I open my eyes slowly and stare into his soulful brown eyes. Tears still gather in my eyes, and I feel one slip down my cheek.

“I love you, too,” I tell him as I run my hand through his soft hair. I notice he has a smudge of chocolate on the corner of his mouth. I want nothing more than to lick it. Chocolate is fantastic, but Donovan and chocolate? That’s moving into a territory that I’m not sure I want to explore with a five-year-old due to burst in here at any moment.

His eyes suddenly turn serious as he pulls slightly away from me. “Now, where’s my gift?”

I chuckle. “It’s coming.” I lick my thumb and quickly wipe the chocolate from his mouth before he can realize what I’m trying to do. He grins and plants a quick kiss on my mouth before pulling away completely. I watch him walk across the room, sunlight sliding across his skin, and disappear into the adjoining bathroom.

Absently, I lick the chocolate from my thumb as I continue to stare at the bathroom doorway. I hear the sink faucet turn on, and I know I should follow suit. It may be early, but we have a long day waiting for us. I sigh, wishing I could disappear for one complete day with Donovan just so I could bask in my love. I still cannot believe how lucky I am--

“Momma!” I hear a little girl shout. The pattering of little feet on wood flooring quickly follows the outburst. The morning lovefest is over, I decide with a sigh. It’s now time to face the real world once more.