And the it hit her,the realisation,the truth of it all.Love didn’t mean getting gifts and flowers and chocolates or fancy cars.It meant getting each other,understanding each other and most important of all,being there for each other.He needs me,she realised,and I’m not there.

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her,tripping on the sand.The beach was empty,people hardly partied at 6 in the morning.She just ran,not pausing to catch her breath.Loving a person was not easy and it required trust,faith and belief.Love wasn’t a matter where you should have to think about pride,love was irrational.It was nothing except for pouring your heart out to someone else,making yourself vulnerable in front of someone else.It meant to be in your own skin around someone ,and not having to pretend.

The small house drew closer and closer.She had o idea what she would do,but that was okay.You didn’t need to think before acting,you just had to go along.Her stomach hurt and she doubled over,panting.She knocked on the door.Confusion was written all over his face when he opened the door.”Alex?What—?” he started but she threw her hands around his neck and stood on her toes and kissed him.He didn’t hesitate,and just kissed her.they needed no words,just this moment.After a long time,she reluctantly pulled away and took his hand.for a few minutes,neither of them said a word.They were just happy to be with each other,and as they walked on the beach,the sun rose above the horizon.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she said,gazing at the sun as if looking at it for the very first time, wonder struck,amazed.And yes,indeed,she was seeing it for the very first time from someone else’s eyes.She was no longer the person people expected her to be.She was who she wanted to be,and with whom she wanted to be.

He squeezed her hand and said,”yes.”They walked silently on the beach,staring at the rising sun in the distance.

And it finally dawned upon her,the truth about forever.

Forever wasn’t set in stone,it could change.it did change.

And you didn’t have to think before doing something for someone you really care about.Sometimes things happen without meaning to,and you feel glad that they happened because you wouldn’t have been brave enough to do it when in your senses.Everyone had different views about forever and you can’t force them to think your way.But that was okay,really.

It was all about focusing on the ‘how’ part rather than the ‘why’ part.

Forever was a lot of things,planned and unplanned,decided and undecided.But also,crazy and impulsive,reckless and daring.

You can’t keep up a perfect facade for long because then you’re missing out,missing out on so many things,missing out on the adventure,on the world,on all the fun.

Just thinking wistfully about what you can do is enough to make you follow your heart,make your loved ones gently realise that you cannot live up to thier expectations completely and need to stand up for yourself too.

Forever is a big word,too big to burden yourself with,and worry about it all the time.What has to happen,will happen.You can’t change something that is meant to be.

Oh man,she thought to herself,when did I get so wise?

She looked into his face and found the answer.This summer.

The summer she had seen the world,the summer she had found out who she really was,and what she actually wanted.

The summer she had fallen in love.