She Knew (v2)

“If I died right now, I would have no regrets,” she whispered. Night-black strands of soft hair followed the wind over her shoulders and glistened vicariously through the last golden rays of the dying day. We had been sitting by the lake for hours, the end to the perfect evening. The old, warped dock groaned as the wood contracted. The air was getting cold. I could’ve stayed with her forever while staring at the fantastic coalescence of gold and crimson. With a brief glance into her eyes, I wondered if she knew.

Like a chrome chameleon, the water absorbed the warm aura of the vanishing sun and exploded with a splendor that even the clouds could not manage. She exhaled in content surrender to the world that lay before her. Sunlight mirrored off of the lake and caught her pendant, filling the crystal with a lovely sheen much like it had done with her hair, which she had now pulled behind her ears. In that moment she caught me staring at her. I gazed at no specific part of her body, finding myself unable to focus. She was the most beautiful being I had seen in all of my time. Her disarmingly azure eyes were set deep into her face, and her bottom lip was curled slightly behind her upper front teeth as the only signal of her quiet satisfaction.

A breeze swept across the valley, disrupting the water's rendition of the setting sun and causing leaves to fall all over the dock. I heard her shiver, and she wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against me. Her back pressed against my chest and she laid her head across my neck and shoulder. I paused for a moment, surprised, but I quickly embraced her and pulled her tightly against me. She was warm, and I slowly felt her shivering cease. Her hair smelled of lavender, and her skin felt like silk. I kissed her cheek as she turned her head back to see if I could possibly be enjoying the moment as much as she was. She smiled and her head descended a bit in understanding. I dropped my head as well, and placed it against the back of hers and closed my eyes. I felt closer to her than ever, and again I wondered if she knew.

Doves flew overhead, turned gracefully and landed in a nearby willow tree. Chirping quietly, they nestled with each other. The harsh wind began to blow, and they pushed their heads into each other’s wings before resting peacefully. I watched them and smiled. They seemed to glow as vividly as her pendant, as if the jewel was whispering its secrets to anyone who took the care to listen. I felt like her pendant too. It seemed like I was trying so desperately to hold onto the light of the setting sun, wishing it would last forever. She turned and gazed at me while the wind tossed her silhouetted hair. Not a word was spoken, and she just looked deep into my eyes for several moments.

Time seemed to stop, and still nothing was being said. She didn’t look away, and I couldn’t move. I held my breath and so did she. Searching her eyes for something I couldn’t describe, it hit me. Everything around me began to fall away as I realized the similarities we shared in this moment. To this day I can’t quite explain how, but in that moment, I was somehow sure she knew.