Someone once said that when it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there. Isn't that the best feeling in the world...to know that someone will always be there? The bond is impenetrable. It's one soul that inhabits two bodies. It's like a marriage when you think about it. Through thick and thin, through better and worse, in sickness and health....well, you get the point.

We met in the third grade when my dad, a successful financial advisor, was transferred from his job in our hometown in Northern Ontario. I was 9 years old, and the news that we would be moving 1,500 miles away seemed like the end of the world. My mom had died in a car accident when I was 4, and the thought of leaving the house that her and my dad had built together when they were first married made my chest hurt. I didn't want things to be different. Of course, with 9-year-olds, nothing is ever set in stone. It took about six weeks (and plenty of fishing trips) but my dad finally convinced me that this was a good thing. He would be making a better salary, we would be in a city that was always warm — so I could go swimming and fishing and camping any time of the year. He told me that I would make new friends and that just because we were leaving our small Canadian city, we would never leave our memories of mom behind. I knew my heart wasn't really in it, but I loved my dad and trusted his decision. I smiled politely and prepared my semi-broken heart to move to Texas.

He was in my class. I will never forget the way he looked the first moment I saw him. He wore a faded pair of denim shorts, a yellow and red striped t-shirt and scuffed-up Power Ranger sneakers. He was a little chubby, and even when you're 9, girls tend to be judgmental. He wore his sandy blond hair shaggy around his freckled face, almost but not quite hiding his big chocolate brown puppy dog eyes. The only seat left in Miss Felice's class was the desk right beside his at the back of the room. After that first day we pretty much inseparable.

His name was John Callahan, and although a little shy, he opened up to me pretty quickly. He lived on a big farm with his mom and he was an only child — just like me. He told me that his daddy was a soldier and had died while on mission two years earler. Somehow that made me feel closer to him because he had lost one of his parents too. We could talk about our memories of our lost parents often, and it was a good feeling to know that we had this mutual tie to one another. It turned out we only lived a few miles away from one another, so we spent most days after school and weekends together. I usually ended up riding my bike to his farm because my dad would be busy working at home from his office, and it got boring listening to him tinkering away on his computer all the time.

His mama was a sweet lady — she always packed us sandwiches and pudding cups to take down to the swimming hole that lay on the edge of their property. We would spend as much time as possible there swimming, fishing, and exploring. When we got a little older and could stay out past dark, John would sit down by the shore under an old weeping willow tree. He always made a spot for me, and we would look up at the stars together and share our thoughts and dreams and hopes for the future. We always knew that whatever happened, we'd be together, taking on the world side by side.

John's extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents would come down every few months for a long weekend, and it was always a great occasion. John's face would light up like a Christmas tree when he found out his family was coming down for a visit. I always thought that John would want to spend as much time as possible alone with his family, as these visits were few and far between, but I was never left out. He would ride his bike over to my small house with a huge grin on his chubby face and beg me to join his family for dinner — followed by a waffle cone at the local ice cream parlor. At first I felt like an outsider, sitting down in the warm familiar kitchen at John's and saying grace with his family. After I got over the nervousness of being around such a large group of people, it felt pretty darn good to be a part of something so special. They always made me feel welcome and when I asked John why he wanted me there, he gave me an odd look but put it very simply — I was a part of his family, so I should always be there too because it wouldn't be the same. I think that was the moment John stole my young heart.

We had a lot of ups and downs together once we hit high school. He hit a growth spurt in the ninth grade and all of a sudden girls seemed to take notice of a once shy, chubby boy. By our last year of high school John had transformed into the most beautiful boy in school. He stood tall at 6'4" and his baby fat had turned into a whole lot of lean muscle with wide shoulders and strong hands. He was still a simple boy who wore loose fitting t-shirts and jeans, but even that could not disguise the thickness to his arms and powerful back that was toned to perfection underneath. It never really fazed John though. He played football and ran track. He dated a few girls, and during those months I would bite my tongue and swallow the lump in my throat. I knew none of them would love John the way I did, but I was adamant that I would never reveal my feelings and risk ruining what we had. His girlfriends never lasted too long though — they could never understand the bond we had and got jealous of the time he spent with me. I still came first to John and if a girlfriend ever got to the point of making him choose, it was always me he chose — hands down, no questions asked.

We still hung out almost everyday, but our evenings in high school consisted of more study dates and all-nighters to finish assignments, and not so many lazy days at the watering hole. Boys had started to take notice of me as well. I was 5'8" and my curly light brown hair had grown long and took on a healthy golden shine from the hours I spent out in the sun working with John on the farm. I had a small waist that tapered to nicely rounded hips and a generous bottom. My top half was quite large — and it made me a bit self-conscious to have to buy 36DD bras. Boys tried to impress me all the time — unbeknowst to them that I only had eyes for one boy.

Towards the end of senior year John had decided that he would join the military. My heart clenched when he told me the news while images of him out there in the middle of nowhere fighting made my stomach drop. He told me that everything would be fine but it did nothing to calm my nerves. I was accepted to a local University with a partial scholarship and my dad was thrilled. We celebrated the occasion with John and his mom the evening before John was to leave. This would be the first time I would go for longer than a week without seeing my John. It was a dangerous time to be in the Service There was much turmoil going on overseas and the thought that John may never come home destroyed me. After a long night of "celebrating", I gladly welcomed going home so I could cut that fake smile off of my face and give in to the tears that I had long neglected.

I sat on the porch swing in front of my house and slowly rocked myself. Daddy was tired and had decided to turn in early, leaving me alone with my thoughts. It wasn't a very cool night but the quilted blanket spread over my lap made me feel a bit more at ease. I looked up at the stars and silently prayed that I would wake up and this would all be a dream. I wanted to wake up and have John beside me, safe and sound, with no more talk of this nonsense. The tears made their way down my face for I could not control them any longer. I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my life. The tears quickly turned into sobbing as I laid my head in my hands. I was crying so hard that I didn't even hear John's pick-up truck pull into my gravel driveway. Before I knew it he was beside me, the smell of his soap and something else that was uniquely John invaded my senses. It was heavenly and I would never forget the smell of him that night. His warm heat pressed into my side as his strong arms pulled me into his lap to hold me like a child. I sobbed openly into his neck as he stoked my hair and told me that everything would be alright. He lifted my chin to look in my eyes and for the first time in the nine years I had known him, I saw his eyes fill with tears as he took in my sorry state. My eyes were red and puffy, my cheeks were tear-stained and hurt from all of my crying. My hair must have been a tangled mess, but John looked at me like I was the most beautiful star in the sky. It was at that moment I realized he wasn't looking in my eyes, but at my mouth. A tingle of lust shot straight to my lower belly, knowing that he was looking at me like a man looks at a woman, and not his best friend. I felt so conflicted at that moment — my head was telling me to stop thinking stupidly while my heart wanted to grab him and hold him close to me forever and beg him not to leave. John was undoubtedly the other half of my heart, and I knew that when he left he would be taking a large part of it with him.

He ran the back of hand down my cold wet cheek and lowered his perfect soft lips to mine. The sounds of the crickets and the squeaky porch swing must have been hard to hear over the pounding of my heart inside my chest. His mouth explored mine tentatively, almost as if he was worried I would pull away from him. I wrapped my arms around the strong line of his neck, pulling him to me and silently assuring him that there was nowhere else in this world I would rather be. We lay there together kissing and embracing and listening to our hearts as they beat rapidly in tune with one another like a perfect melody. I ached to explore him further but was so stunned by the recent turn of events that I seemed to be paralyzed in my spot. It was simply nice to be this close to John, knowing that on this last night here in Texas, it was here with me that he chose to be. I loved this quiet, perfect boy with all of my soul. He was all I needed.

He held me there until dawn crept over the horizon, casting the sky in brilliant shades of pink and orange. With that dawn my soul had weakened. I knew he had to leave, and I was beside myself with that realization. He stroked my hair like I was a tiny china doll and could break at any moment. I looked up into the face I had memorized and adored and saw the love and hesitation that filled his eyes. He felt something too, but it was time for him to go. I slowly rose from his warm lap and he reached his hand out to mine — holding it to his chest like a silent promise. His eyes filled with tears once again as he kissed my fingers one by one. I would memorize this moment. I would capture it and keep in with me until the day God brought us back to each other. Maybe he would still want me when he came back. Maybe the thought of me would give him the motivation he needed to stay safe and return home. As if he read my thoughts, he finally spoke.

"I will come home to you Natalie. I will fight my hardest until the day I can come home and make you mine. Until I can give you everything you deserve." His words were soft and filled with emotion, and they made my heart swell and my tummy flutter.

"I will write you every day and pray every night until you come home to me John. I love you more than you'll ever know." With that I pressed my lips to his in a silent promise that I would wait for him. I would wait forever. 

We wrote to each other every day. He would tell me all about his training and missions (sparing me the gory details and specifics) while I told him about life in University and all the new and interesting people I was meeting. We tried to refrain from speaking about our feelings too often, knowing that the pain of not being together would only hurt us more if we focused on it all the time. I got all the assurance I ever needed from the last line of every letter he wrote me.

My heart is always with you. 

Love, John

Sometimes weeks would go by while I waited for a letter. I tried not to let this scare me, because I knew the mail service wasn't entirely reliable on his end, especially depending on where he was. It was those letters that got me through my darkest days. I dreamt of John all the time. I dreamt that he would come home from the war. He would sneak into my small apartment late at night and rid himself of his dusty fatigues and climb into my warm bed. He would pull me close to his strong body and explore me with his hands and mouth. On many occasions I would wake up out of a dead sleep, covered in sweat and goosebumps and completely aroused. The way my body reacted from a simple dream about him never failed to stun me. I became quite accustomed to pleasing myself — the thought of giving myself to another man was never an option. I would always wait for John. If he still wanted me when he got home, then he would be my first and only.

After four years of university I had obtained my degree in History and was patiently awaiting graduation. I was planning on enrolling in teacher's college for the following year and was excited to start this new chapter of my life. My thoughts strayed to John for the umpteenth time that day. I had not received a letter from him in almost four weeks. This was the longest I had gone without a letter and I found myself waiting on the front stoop of my small walk-up apartment every morning waiting patiently for the post man to come round, but every day that passed without a letter brought new fears. I worked as many shifts as possible at work. I volunteered extra days and busied myself preparing for the transition to teacher's college I would be making soon — anything to occupy my mind, really. I had been running on autopilot for months now, waiting to hear from him. I felt sick to my stomach every time I turned on the television to watch the news, but at the same time could not turn a blind eye. Where was he? Was he safe? Did he think of me as often as I thought of him? 

I lay in bed one lazy Thursday morning. Graduation was tomorrow, then I would head home to enjoy three whole months off until the fall semester started and I could get back into the routine of school once again. I was in the middle of a very pleasant and steamy dream about John — as usual, when I thought I heard what sounded like a light knocking on my front door. I paused and listened intently until I heard the knocking again. I figured it must have been my roommate Karen. She often stayed at her fiance's apartment when she didn't have morning classes the next day and she was guilty of forgetting her keys on more than one occasion. I smiled, shook my head and pulled myself out of my cozy bed, not bothering with my robe as I made my way down the hallway towards the door and the now persistent knocking.

"Man, Karen, hold your horses, I'm coming," I shouted as I made my way to the door. I pulled at the hem of my short silk nighty, making sure it was covering my butt. I wasn't wearing a bra or panties and it was quite short. Oh well — if Dean was with Karen then I would just quickly duck into the bathroom after I opened the door.

"You know, you really need to work on remembering to take your keys with you when you go to Dean's place," I admonished as I flung open the door without a second thought.

"Well, easy for you to say, but I don't have a key sweetheart." My jaw must have dropped to the floor and I was at a complete loss for words as I took in the sight before me. Standing there leaning against my doorway was John. He still wore his uniform and had a large duffel bag tossed over one shoulder. He had changed. He was bigger than that last night we had spent together wrapped in each other's arms on my front porch when we were 18. He looked a few inches taller and it looked like he had gained about 30 pounds of solid muscle. His hair was a bit lighter and cut much shorter then I remembered. I drank in the sight of him standing there looking me up and down for a few seconds until I finally let the air out of lungs. It felt like the first real breath I had taken in four years.

I finally snapped out of it and he dropped his duffel bag the moment before I leapt into his arms, clinging to him as I wrapped my bare legs around his strong hips. I pushed my face into that perfect warm spot between his neck and collar bone and breathed him in.

He cupped my face with his strong calloused hands and brought his forehead to rest against mine, wiping away the tears that I didn't even know were falling.

"Are you really here? Am I dreaming? Because If I'm dreaming then I never want to wake up." I wasn't even sure what I was saying, my heart was overflowing with emotion in that moment and I sunk my fingers into the thickness of his hair and ran my hands down the back column of his neck. The moment he brought his lips to mine hungrily, I knew that this was indeed really happening. That one urgent kiss brought the reality of the moment crashing down. He was here, in my apartment. We were alone and here I was wrapped around his body practically naked. I think the reality of it finally sunk into John as well as his eyes locked with mine. I felt his hardness pressing into me, the fact that I wore nothing on my lower half only increasing the feeling. I was instantly wet, and I knew he knew that as well. I was probably at that moment leaving a wet spot on the front of his pants from being pressed up against him so tight. I subtly pressed my hips closer to his ever increasing thickness and heard him let out a low groan in the back of his throat.

His hands caressed my back, slowly rubbing up and down against the cool silk making it inch even higher over my bare bottom. He broke eye contact and it took me a moment to realize what he was staring at behind me. The hallway mirror gave him a perfect view of my backside — my legs wrapped around him as my ass peeked out of the bottom of the short nightgown. He became even harder under me, his huge cock now poking adamantly against my tummy. He kept watching the mirror and lowered his hands further, stroking my ass with both of his hands until the nighty had worked its way up and was resting at my hips, my ass fully exposed for his viewing pleasure. He rubbed slow circles into my lower back and worked his way down to the globes of my ass, massaging tenderly up and down. I couldn't take it anymore, groaning loudly as he massaged me with expert fingers. He kissed me long and hard, his tongue parting my lips as if asking for entrance. I greedily sucked him in and explored the inside of his mouth and soft tongue, four years of pent-up sexual energy for this man spilling out of me. Of course I had noticed other men on campus — I'm only human — but none of them could even come close to making me feel what John did. I could feel my wetness dripping slowly down my thighs. The way he worked himself inside my mouth took my breath away. He was demanding, yet gentle as his tongue stroked mine.

I slowly unwrapped myself from around his hard body and placed my feet on the cool hardwood floor, giving myself a moment to ensure I could steady my trembling legs. He smiled at me sweetly and there were absolutely no words needed as I locked the front door and grabbed his hand to lead him to my room. I closed my bedroom door and sat on the edge of my bed, watching him as he took in his surroundings. He smiled to himself as he picked up one of the many framed photos of us. It was one of us together when we were 16. We were both giving the thumbs up with stupid grins on our faces as John held up his newly acquired driver's license to the camera.

"You know, when this was taken, it felt like it was one of the best days of my life." He sighed, setting the picture back down in its spot.

"In fact," he continued, "when I think about it, all of my best days happened when you were with me. Honestly though, I don't think many of them would have mattered much if you weren't there with me, Natalie."

Tears filled my eyes as he reached down to pull me to him, hugging me like he would never let me go. That was fine by me, because I never wanted to leave. He grasped my face between my hands, bringing my face close to his. I could feel his soft breath on my cheek and it smelled faintly of mint. As I stared into the depths of those big chocolate brown eyes, he whispered to me the words I had been aching to hear for years.

"I love you Natalie. You will always have my heart."

"I love you too, John. More than you'll ever know. I promise I'll keep your heart safe, just so long as you promise to do the same with mine, because it's yours."

I bit my bottom lip to keep from blubbering like a complete idiot as he smiled at me and swept me up into his arms and laid me down on my bed. I sat up in anticipation as he began to remove his shirt. He was big and strong and magnificent and I couldn't stop staring at him. He blushed a little as my hungry eyes took him in — the sight of him standing there bare chested with his dog tags on made me almost painfully aware that I had waited four long years for this moment. He slowly started to remove his belt and I scooted to the side of the bed, placing my hands over his much larger ones. I looked up at him, silently asking permission to do this myself. The moment I released the clasp of his belt and lowered his pants my mouth began to water. His cock stood out large and prominent, straining to be released against the material of his briefs. I carefully reached into the thin material and gasped quietly as my hand wrapped around the base of his thick steel shaft, releasing it from the ever tightening confines of his underwear. I'm no prude — although I was still a virgin I had seen pictures and watched porn on occasion. Looking at his beautiful tool in front of my face, I had the most delicious wave of lust wash over me. Shivers ran down my back and my clit throbbed as I thought about all the dirty things I wanted to do to this man that I loved — my best friend.

He sank his fingers into my hair as I ran my fingers up and down his shaft, giving myself time to become acquainted with this new part of John. I had never wanted anything as badly as I wanted to feel this part of him inside of me. I looked up into his heavy-lidded gaze, and his eyes never left mine as I finally stuck my tongue out to lick the underside of him in one fluid motion. He groaned deeply in the back of his throat as I continued to the thick head of him and sucked him eagerly into my mouth. I licked under the head like he was a melting ice cream cone. I was thorough in my work, making sure to get every drop that leaked off of my yummy "ice cream cone." I discovered that I didn't have much of a gag reflex as I worked every bit of his thick 8" into my mouth, working faster and faster until his balls slapped eagerly against my chin. He made the most wonderful sounds as I worked him expertly in and out of my mouth.

The next thing I knew he pulled me up to his mouth for a hungry open-mouthed kiss. He devoured my mouth as his hands roamed over my body, exploring all of my slopes and valleys. I couldn't take much more as he eased a thigh between my legs and brushed it up against my swollen and wet folds. I arched my back and ground my hips into him — I felt like I could spontaneously combust at any moment. He finally reached down and grabbed the hem of my silk nightgown, pulling it over my head and tossing it on the floor. He pulled away stared at me naked for the first time. My breaths were coming out so heavy I was practically panting. My hair was tousled and tangled from his fingers and my lips were swollen from the way his mouth had been assaulting mine. Maybe it was the insane lust taking over, but I boldly moved backwards, ever so slowly until I felt the bed hit the back of my knees. I sank down onto and moved to the middle of the bed, easing myself back onto my elbows. I never broke eye contact with him as I brought my knees up and placed my feet on the bed. I eased my legs open slightly, giving him a nice view of my glistening pussy lips. My breathing was still ragged and I was throbbing with need. I wanted him so badly I could smell my own arousal. After taking in the sight of my naked body for a few moments he quickly made his way onto the bed , settling himself on his knees between my opened thighs. He leaned over me and placed hot kisses on my neck and down my collarbone. I shivered with anticipation and moaned in delight as he held me close to him and feasted on my large breasts, paying special attention to suck and nibble on my hardened nipples. The sensation of his hot wet mouth sucking on my tits was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I ran my hands through his hair and held him to my breast, encouraging him to continue. After a few minutes he slowly made his way lower, kissing and licking his way down my stomach, tasting every inch of my creamy flesh. I think I almost came the moment I felt his thumbs part the soaked folds of my pussy. I sat up on my elbows and couldn't take my eyes off of him as he lowered his mouth and blew lightly over me. The sensation of his hot breath over my exposed wetness made me groan and thrust my hips up, wanting more. He laughed quietly but quickly got serious as he dove his face into my throbbing cunt. He licked me from bottom to top in long expert strokes. Every time he grazed my clit I rocked my pelvis up into his face, silently begging him to continue. He continued to work his tongue faster and faster until I was squirming uncontrollably and begging him to make my cum.

"Oh John, please. Please make me cum." Even I was taken aback by my boldness in telling him what I wanted. With that he sunk two thick fingers into my dripping core and I screamed his name as release washed over me. I felt the juices gushing out of me and John eagerly lapped up every drop, moaning inside of me as he tasted my sweetness washing over his tongue. I loosened the hold my thighs had around his neck and reached down to him, grasping the coldness of his dog tags and pulling him up to me. I kissed him long and hard, the feel of his throbbing member against me was a steady reminder that he had yet to find his release.

"I'm ready John. I need to feel you inside of me." My voice was hoarse and trembled slightly. He looked lovingly into my eyes and brushed the hair from my face. I knew that things would never be the same between us, but the uncertainty of the future did not scare me.

His lips gently brushed across mine as I felt the tip of him enter me for the first time. I moaned and gasped at the sensations as he slowly filled me inch by inch, stretching my opening and allowing my body to accommodate his wonderful thickness. He paused momentarily as he finally felt the resistance of my virginity. He looked deep into my eyes, a bit surprised at first, as I raised my hips slightly, encouraging him to continue.

"Are...are you sure, Natalie? You know I'll understand if you're scared or not ready." He brought tears to my eyes as he looked down at my face, concern for my well-being etched into his handsome face.

"John, I've been waiting for you. I only ever wanted you. I've never been more ready. I want you to be the first and only one I share this with."

A tear slipped down my cheek and he gathered me close, kissing away my tears as he pushed himself into my heat entirely. I gasped at the initial sharp pain and he laid still, giving me time to adjust to the feeling of having him completely inside of me. After a few moments I began to slowly rotate my hips, the painful feeling quickly subsiding and giving way to the most wonderful feelings.

"Make love to me John. Show me. Teach me."

With that he began to ease from my tight canal until only the tip of him remained inside of me. He pushed himself back in slowly, the feeling of him filling me was unbelievable. We fit together perfectly and I began to feel the build up of another impending orgasm as his pace increased until I was crying out his name, begging him to never stop.

"I'm almost there, Nat. You're so tight and wet. I can't hold back much longer."

I felt his body tense as a primal growl ripped from throat. At the feel of his first shot of cum inside me, I clawed down his back, my body shuddering over and over as release flowed from my body once again. He sat up on his knees, wrapping me in his strong arms and bringing me with him as we rode out the waves of our orgasm together. I continued to grind my hips into him as he shot stream after stream of his thick white cum into me. We collapsed on top of my bed together, utterly spent and barely able to breathe from exhaustion. I felt like I had run a marathon. My skin was slick from the thin layer of sweat that covered my body and I could feel the mixture of our juices running out from between my legs and soaking the sheets under me. After a moment I felt him reach for me and rolled me over until lay sprawled across his heaving chest. He stroked my hair and kissed my forehead. I was relaxed and content and could spend the rest of my life here in my bed with my best friend. I opened my eyes to look up at him. He was simply staring at me.

"What?" I asked, giggling playful and turning my head away. As great as I felt at that moment, I had that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that maybe he had regrets for making love to me. It would never be the same between us — we both knew that, but I would never have any regrets about John. He stared at me a few moments longer before he finally spoke.

"Well, I was just wondering how I would tell you..." I braced for impact. My heart sank and I waited for him to tell me it was all one big mistake.

"...it looks like I'll be home indefinitely. I was offered a training position here at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. That's why I came home. I knew they were looking for someone. I was really surprised when I got the call last week asking if I would be interested in the job. I knew my mama would be happy to have me home. I knew you would be too... that's why I came here to see you first. I hoped we could spend the day together and then drive home to the farm tomorrow. I have a few weeks until I start, so...."

He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair, resting his elbows on his knees.

"....look, you're my best friend. And after what just happened there is no way I can....ah shit. Either way, I'm gonna screw this up and not say things properly, so here it goes."

I wasn't really sure what to expect, but my heart felt about ready to explode, and for the first time in the 13 years I had known John, he actually looked nervous and on edge.

"I've loved you for as long as I can remember Nat. I thought I could push all those other feelings aside and just be your friend, but I can't, especially since we just had the most amazing sex ever."

I'm pretty sure I blushed from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

"Does....does that mean you want to be with me? As...like, more than a friend? Like a girlfriend?" I asked tentatively, not wanting to assume anything.

He laughed nervously and gathered my naked body to his chest, cupping my face in his shaking hands and pressing his forehead to mine. He let out a nervous breath and I let him continue.

"No, Nat...I don't want you to be my girlfriend. I spent every single day waiting for your letters. When I dreamt of home and Texas and all of the best things I had left behind, it was you who took center stage. You got me through that hell. You're my best friend and I can't imagine ever being away from you again. So again, no, I don't want you to be my girlfriend. I want you to be my wife."

I could barely believe what I was hearing. I must have looked like an idiot sitting there with my mouth hanging open and my eyes bugging out of my head. I wrapped my arms around him and breathed him in one last time, just to be sure that I really was awake. He kissed away my salty tears and brought his mouth to mine. All of the love and passion and lust was felt in that one kiss. Once I had calmed myself enough, I said yes. Actually, I think I said yes about six or seven times, I can't really remember. He pulled a beautiful diamond ring from his duffel bag and slipped it on the third finger of my left hand, bashfully admitting that my house was the second stop he had made once he landed on U.S. soil.

I guess it was a good thing we decided to get married, since we conceived our son that magical afternoon that he came home. We married two weeks later in a small ceremony with out closest friends and family, right under that old weeping willow tree where we played together as kids.

Sometimes dreams really do come true, if you're lucky enough to find a lover in your best friend.