It was amazing when we met. Like the grass became green, the sky brighter, and my heart more in love than anything its ever felt before. I guess you could say it was love at first sight.

I walked out of the Starbucks and made my way to my VW 1946 Bug. A car I worked night and day my freshmen and sophomore year to get. A car I loved more than anything, it was like my baby. I attempted to balance my coffee in one hand while the other one searched my bag for my car keys. And just like that I run face forward into a guy resulting in my coffee fall dramatically to the floor. And both of us taking its lead and falling on our butts. Knowing this was just my lucky I just began laughing. While the guy began apologizing, he stood up in a flash to help me up. I swatted the dirt off my butt, it would be the one day I wear white that I fall. I laughed again. I looked up at the man that stood in front of me. He was a dork, but that type of dork that you smile at because he was cute, like he was a writer or an artist. I stopped laughing realizing it was most likely rude and smiled at him.

“I’m so sorry, let me buy you another one,” He began

“Its totally fine, I never pay attention while I walk” I giggled a little

“I insist” he took my hand, not aggressive but sweetly and dragged me back into the coffee shop. He then proceeded in ordering me another coffee and then asked me what type of pastry I wanted, and bought me a muffin. I starred at him as he paid for the coffees and pastries,

“Thank you,” I smiled as he handed me my order. I began for the door when I heard him mumble something. “What was that?”

“I mean if your not busy, I could use some company.” He smiled shyly

“Well I was suppose to go star in the play on Broadway in about ten minutes but you know what they can wait , right ?” we laughed because we both knew I was lying

“Over there fine?” He pointed to two chairs outside, and just like magic they were taken. “oh…” he seemed nervous

“I know a spot, “ I opened the door and made the worldly sign for follow me “Do you have a car?” he looked down at his feet as, I took it as a sign of embarrassment because clearly he didn’t. “We can take my car”

We drove for about fifteen minutes before I pulled over to a park, in Santa Monica that was one of my favorite parks to go to. The grass was always greener here, the tree always taller, and the view of the ocean in the distance set the mood just right. I’d come here when ever I needed to get away, it was my spot, why I shared this with him never made sense to me. I parked my car and we both got out and walked to the closest bench. We sipped our coffees in silence for a few minutes.

“Wow…” I broke the silence, “my mother would be so ashamed of me” I laughed

“What do you mean?”


“She told me when I was five, ‘don’t talk to strangers’” I chuckled a little “And here I am talking to one… “ I smiled at him “My name is Gracie” I extended my hand toward him


“Adonis,” He smiled at me, his smile was breathe taking, I blushed at it


“Adonis? I hope this doesn’t sound rude but what kind of name is that?” I smirked at him

“Well, it’s Greek, my mom loved Greek myths. So the myth goes, a daughter falls in love with her father, and of course this is wrong, but the girl can’t help the way she feels, and she eventually has sex with her own father, and because of this she is then turned into a tree, but since she is pregnant she gives birth to Adonis, and he is thought to be just as beautiful as Aphrodite herself, so naturally Aphrodite wants Adonis for herself but has to fight the mother for her and some things lead to other things and Adonis is turned into the most beautiful flower.”

“So long story short your named after a flower?” I choked back giggles.

“I mean when you put it that way…” he laughed, his laugh was adorable. I finished my coffee and pastry and went to throw it away. I suggested we go walk down to the beach since it was only a few blocks down the street. We walked and talked for the 30 minute walk. It was one of the nicest walks I’ve had. He made me laugh and think so much, he was such a good guy.

I wasn’t use to guys like that, most of my exs had girlfriends already or weren’t any where near as serious about me as I was them. With Adonis it was like talking to a life long friend but flirting with a sexy new lover. He told me about his love to paint and how one day he hoped his work would end up in a museum of some sort. I told him how I loved being a second grade teacher and how the children brought me so much joy. We talked for what seemed like hours, we talked about everything important to us and everything not important, it was like we were on the same exact page reading the same exact sentence.

But all good things must come to an end. We had walked back to the same bench and sat and watched the night sky roll in, watched as families retreated back home and as the street lamps flickered on. We were laughing about some joke he heard while at work the other day. When his phone rang,

“Hey…Wait calm down… What?... Are you sure… Of course I’m leaving now.” He clicked off the phone

“Is everything alright?” He seemed really worried

“She…Oh god” I could see the fight he was having, forcing himself not to cry “They don’t know what happen.” I grabbed my keys from my bag and without even speaking we both got up and got in my car “Cedars-Sinai Medical”

And like it was my own house I knew exactly where it was, I speed onto the 10 freeway and when I stopped the car at the entrance. He looked back at me and without any warning, he kissed me, like I was his everything, like without me he wouldn’t know which way was up and which was down, like I was the air that he breathed, as if he would never let me go, not now not ever.

“Meet me back at that park on Friday at 4pm, please” he whispered into my ear and then was gone like that. I sat in my car before starting the engine up again. I thought about who he was and what he could mean to me. Then it struck me, I was leaving town on Wednesday for my sisters wedding, I couldn’t meet him on Friday. I freaked out, I quickly parked my car in hope of catching him before he was gone. I ran into the emergency room and to the nurses station and asked them where Adonis was.

“I can’t just tell you where a patient is Miss”

“Please it an emergency” I almost chuckled at the irony of that statement “He’s not a patient either, he’s here to see a patient”

“You want me to find an Adonis who’s here to see who again?” I just needed to get a message to him and this was so frustrating.

“Yes an Adonis seeing….” Crap I didn’t even know who,” a girl”

“A girl” She checked her files, “ we have over 300 hundred girls here tonight, shall I check ever single one?” At that moment I realized I’d never see him again,

“Thank you so much” I walked back to my car.
***********************************************************************************
The days following were like a weird dream, I didn’t feel right, almost sick. I checked the phone books and even Facebook. If I only I had his last name. Wednesday came and I boarded the plane knowing this was sealing the deal that Adonis would wait for me to show up and I would never come.

The weeks following were even worse, I kept hoping I would see him at the Starbucks or the park, but I didn’t see him. Once I even went to a museum thinking just maybe he would be there. After the second month I had given up hope. I analyzed the day, when I remembered something, he was chasing off to the emergency room for a woman, what if that woman was his wife or girlfriend… So I forced myself to forgot about him almost, because that was easier than thinking I meant nothing to him. I returned to my life. My girls and I went out on Fridays and Saturdays and on Sundays I would grade papers for my class.

One sunny afternoon after school was out, I was passing a flower shop I saw a sign that read “Annual Adonis flowers” My heart skipped a beat I walked in, for some reason wishing he would be there too. He wasn’t but I bought a bundle of the flower and placed them in my house. I watched them as they died knowing they wouldn’t be back for a year. I cried the day they died. I needed to get off of his spell, so I started dating again. Small relationship sprouted but none lasted.

A year had passed, it was the beginning of a school year, one of my favorite times, because of all the smiling faces and excited kids it brought. Every new school year I have the children do a family tree and then present them. It was the children’s favorite project because it was the easiest. It was the last week of presentation when one of my best students went up to start hers.

“This is my mommy, her name was Rebecca, she’s an angel now, She has three brother, Uncle Tom, Ryan, and Greg, they are goofing and silly. This is my daddy, his name is Adonis,” I looked up “He’s the best daddy ever, he paints the prettiest pictures ever.” My heart skipped a beat “ He has one sister, Aunt Athena, She’s a busy-woman” The class laughed

“Class” I spoke up “You mean business woman, right Daisy?” I smiled for her to continue

“Yes, Ms Rivers” She smiled “And this is my little sister, He name is, Kristy, last year she fell from her bike and broke her arm” She smiled to say she was finished. The class clapped for her and she sat down. This couldn’t be right… When the lunch bell rang, the kids ran out to go eat. I grabbed Daisy’s family tree and looked at the picture. I fell to the floor, it was him, he was Adonis, I took a huge breath. When school was over I stood next to Daisy as we waited for her dad to pick her up. My heart began to race, what if he didn’t want to see me because I didn’t show up? What if he hates me? I laughed because I sounded like a little middle school student. When I heard Daisy scream “Daddy” and ran over to him. He picked her up and hugged her tight. His smile ever so adorable, that’s when he looked up at me. He froze. I smiled and made my way over to him.

“Hi”

“Hi”

“Can I explain?” My heart was racing

“Daisy darling, can you go play on the play structure while me and Ms…”

“Ms. Rivers, I told you daddy, she’s the bestest teacher”

“Yes, Ms Rivers and I need to talk about what a wonderful student you are.”

Daisy ran to the play ground and began playing with the day care kids, I lead him to my classroom, and when we made it in there, I turned so I could tell him what happened, and as I turned he grabbed me and kissed me like he kissed me that night. Full of passion, lust, and what I would hope, love. He pulled away from me and looked down at the floor.

“You understand how bad I’ve wanted to do that for?” he smiled at me

“You and me both” I said, and giggled

“I missed that laugh so much” He grabbed me again, and kissed me. Then he released me again. “What happened Gracie? Why didn’t you show up?”

“My sister was getting married that Saturday I had to leave to Washington on that Wednesday. I ran into the emergency room as soon as I figured it out but the nurse wouldn’t look for you”

“I waited for hours on that bench”

“I went back for days”

“I checked every second grade teach in the LA district, do you know how many Gracie teachers there are?” He laughed

“I’ve thought about you daily” He kissed me

Months had passed, and we were happier than I would ever have guessed. He called me he’s queen. I was in love. His daughters fell in love with me. I was overjoyed to have him in my life. We would bring the girls to the beach on weekends, and go on random dates. Everything was prefect, he was prefect. After a year of dating he asked me to move in with him. Naturally I said yes, and things only got better. He introduced me to his parents and to the children’s uncles after two years. And I brought him and the girls home one weekend to meet my family in Washington after three years and my parents loved him. It was the most amazing feeling, to feel in love. They way he looked at me, the way he made me smile, the way he protected me, and challenged me. It was my very own fairytale.

One afternoon the girls came crashing through the door and jumping up and down. They began begging us to go to the park. Kristy almost started cry. So of course we told them to get ready. Adonis told me to go on head without him, that he would meet us there. So I drove the girls to the park in my little bug and parked on the side street. They giggled as they told secrets in the backseat. I held their hands as we crossed the street and began playing games. I saw Adonis park behind my car. He was just in time for the sunset. I got the girls to settle down and sit on the blanket. When I turned around I saw that he had stopped at Starbucks, I smiled at him.


“Babe, how did you know I needed coffee?” I reached for the cup.


“Because I know you that well,” leaned in to a kissed me, “I love you”


“I love you too,” I smiled


“There’s a muffin for you too, if you’re nice” He laughed


“Oh hush, I’m the nicest person you know” I grabbed for the bag, he laughed at me. The girls began giggling again. I sat down next to them and smiled at them “You two are exact giggly this afternoon, I pulled my muffin out of the bag to see a shining diamond ring placed on the top of the muffin. When I looked at Adonis, he was on one knee and smiling at me.

“Grace Sarah Rivers, this day four years ago I met you. Before that day, I had given up on love, losing my Rebecca, was a horrible loss and I didn’t think I could love again, so for years I did want to have anyone but my girls in my life. But then I ran into you, literally.” I laughed “you took me here and we watched as the sunset came in before us, and I knew at that moment you were the one, that I had fallen crazy in love you. You’ve changed me Gracie, you’ve given me a fairytale, you given me inspiration, without you I couldn’t paint, without you I couldn’t be.” I began to tear up, “So Gracie will you do me the amazing honor in becoming my wife. Because without you I can’t live”

“Are you crazy,” I laughed “of course I will, “ I tackled him to the grass “I love you so much Adonis,” and at that moment we kissed as if it was that first kiss four years ago.