Forever In Love

Lauren is a twenty-five year old, single executive, who works at a financial investment company in Florida. She has been at the company for four years, and is doing quite well for herself.

Two years into her career, she buys a lovely three bedroom house on the lake. She loves the peace and quiet there, how the sun sets toward the horizon with its shades of color settling on the anchored boats.

And when the sun rises, it glistens and reflect in the water, revealing the yellowish orange reflection of itself.

Everything is perfect in her world, everything except for one thing, love.

Lauren has wasted four years of her life searching for true love. She is coming close to giving up due to the experiences in her past relationships.

Ever since her senior year in high school, she's had high hopes of meeting a nice man, getting married and having a family. However, not before finishing college. That was her parents' dream for her, and she had no intentions of letting them down.

Now, the time has come. She has finished college and is four years into her career.

Her past experiences with men has been one-sided. They were either married, divorced with considerable baggage or single but cheats. She began thinking that was all that's left in the world.

She never goes out anymore. Everyday she comes home from work, she walks through the door and is greeted by her collie shephard, Brie. Brie is very loving and faithful to her, and besides her parents, Brie is the only one Lauren can depend on.

Sometimes, every now and again, Lauren will go to the gym to work out. But how is she going to meet anyone if that is the only place she goes, besides church.

There are no eligible bachelors in her church congregation. It is a small congregation of one hundred members, not many children or young adults there, mostly seniors.

As she sits on her lanai drinking tea and playing with Brie, she reminices back to her previous relationships and thinks, "Will I ever find true love? All I want is for someone to love me for me, someone to make me laugh, to feel free to love. Someone who has compassion, who would be my friend as well as my lover and have a zest for life."

Has love completely abandoned her? Just when she thought it had, love finds its way.

Every morning before she goes to work, Lauren stops in the little coffee shop that is located around the corner from her job, and orders a double cappucino with a scone. This gets her day started.

This particular day, she walked in and ordered a mocha latte. She was early for work, so she had time to stay for awhile.

While she waited for her order, she looked for an empty table, to sit down and drink her coffee and eat without rushing, and to plan her day.

When her coffee and scone was ready, she picked them up, and as she walked over to sit down, she noticed something else. There was someone she hadn't seen in years.

Sitting at the next table over was Todd Richards, who she went to college with. They were in the same graduating class. He left Florida after graduation and moved to Seattle, where he became partner with a prestigious law firm. They had been very close friends but lost contact along the way. Now, he is back in town, she never knew until now.

He motioned for her to sit at his table. She walked over, sat her coffee and scone on the table, and they hugged each other. "When did you get in town?" she asked. "I have been here about a year now. I have moved back home. I opened a new practice last year as a lawyer." She was shocked. "I tried locating you, but had no luck with that. But I am really excited that we ran into each other." Todd replied.

"I come here every morning before work, what's the odds that I would see you here. I work just around the corner at the investment company." she said.


They talked and talked so long she was almost late for work. She wasn't about to leave without giving him her telephone number.

Here this man was back in town and at the right time. He was her best friend. He always had feelings for her, but because she considered him her friend, he didn't pursue.

He is still single, and has no children. He also had some bad relationships. Todd was a breath of fresh air, the perfect man for her. Will she pursue him?

Over the next few weeks, Todd and Lauren hung out together, catching up on old times. On weekends, they would either go to the movies, go sailing, or bowling. One friday night, she took him salsa dancing, which neither one had done since college. They were truly enjoying each other.

Sometimes they would go out to dinner, but usually she would prepare her favorite meals. He has touched her in ways he could never imagine.

The hangouts became dates, her life took on new meaning, full of joy and happiness. She was absolutely glowing, as if kissed by the suns' rays.

She looked forward to their times together, and couldn't wait to introduce him to her friends. Todd was very loving and attentive as well, and he made her laugh.

Lauren was falling in love and was afraid. Afraid it might not last, like the others. However, this relationship was not like the others, therefore, she would just have to trust it.

As time went on, Todd became the man of her dreams. Their friendship blossomed into something beautiful, and they couldn't stand being apart from one another.

One saturday morning, Lauren prepared a picnic basket, while Todd was down at the lake preparing the picnic tables. She came down with a basket of finger foods, fried chicken, meat loaf sandwiches, baked beans, cole slaw, rolls, chips, homemade lemonade and oatmeal raisin cookies.

Another couple was invited to share in the occasion. As they ate and talked, they watched the sailboats sail on the rippling waters, and the fishermen fish from their boats. It was really romantic. They stayed on the lake until the sun started setting.

All of a sudden, Todd and Lauren gazed into each other's eyes, he got down on one knee, took her by the hand, telling her how much she meant to him.

Then he said three magic words, "I love you. I have always loved you, Lauren, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving and taking care of you." Her heart overflowed with love and joy. She was tingling all over, grabbing her stomach, she felt butterfly sensations.

She couldn't believe what he was saying. All this time she has been looking for love and it was right next door.

Lauren had felt the same way about Todd. Before she knew it, he presented her with a two carat platinum diamond ring. It took her breath away.

Later that night, after everyone left, Lauren and Todd sat out on the lanai and discussed their wedding plans, setting the date for Valentine's Day.

The night was clear and starry. They sat under the the stars, just the two of them as if they were the only two in the world, making a wish on one particular star to never part. Her head resting on his shoulder. No sorrows, no regrets.

Oh yes, they disagreed from time to time, however, their love and trust in each other sustained them. No one understood the love they shared. He loved her beyond her pain. They were committed only to each other.

A year has passed. Valentine's day soon will be approaching. Lauren and her matron of honor prepared for the blessed event. Soon she will be Mrs. Todd Richards.

The wedding was held in the little church that Todd and Lauren attended. The honeymoon took place in Milan, Italy.

When the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, both decided to live in Lauren's house since she didn't want to give up the lake.

So Todd added three more rooms to the house, making it big enough to entertain guests and for the large family they intended to have.

Todd and Lauren were married a year before finding out they were expecting their first child. On her sonogram, it showed she was having twin girls. Todd almost fainted. He replied, "I will just have to work twice as hard in getting everything done." He laughed. It was a joyous occasion.

By the time the twins were born, the rooms were completed. Lauren didn't realize how handy Todd was in carpentry. The nursery was decorated in pink, with all its frills and laces, and a rocking horse sitting over in the corner.

Lauren's life was complete now. God had blessed her with a wonderful husband, a lovely family and lots of love.

"I longed for love to find me, and I was blessed three-fold. I never knew I could be this happy. I will be forever in love."