“Their love was written in the stars long before they met”
MYLOVEFORYOU ISENDLESS
Michiofangvie
Introduction
Thisisastoryabouttwosoulswhofoundeachotherasif theywerealwaysmeantto.Itisastoryaboutthebeautyof loveatfirstsight thatrareandbreathtakingmoment whenapersonwalksintoyourlifeandsomethingdeep insideyouwhispers Iknowyou.Ihavealwaysknown you.
Butitisalsomorethanthat.
Itisastoryaboutwhathappensafterthebeautiful beginning.Aboutthestormsthatcomewhentwoimperfect humanbeingstrytobuildalifetogether.Aboutthepainof lovingsomeonewhohaslosttheirway.Aboutthesilent, daily,extraordinarycourageofawomanwhochosetostay notbecauseshehadnochoice butbecauseherheart waslargeenoughtoholdbothloveandforgivenessatthe sametime..
Itisastoryaboutforgiveness—thatrarestandmost valuableofallhumangifts.Thekindthatisnotgivenonce inagrandmomentbutofferedquietly,repeatedly,atgreat personalcost,everysingleday.Thekindthatdoesnot excusepainbutchoosestoriseaboveitThekindthathas thepowertoreachintothedarkestcornersofapersonand bringthembacktothelight.
Itisastoryaboutamanwhoforgotwhohewas anda womanwhoseloveandforgivenessremindedhim.
“Wheretrueloveexists,forgivenessisneverfarbehind.And wherebothexisttogether nothinginthisworldorthenext cantrulyseparatetwosouls.”
Nowturnthepage andletthestorybegin.
ThecoffeeshopwasloudthatTuesdaymorning,butMelodyheard nothingexceptthequietmomentwhentheireyesmet.
Hewasstandingbythewindow,holdinghiscupwithbothhandstheway peopledowhentheyneedwarmthShedidn’tknowhisnameShedidn’t knowanythingabouthimButsomethingdeepinsideherchest whispered Iknowyou
Hefeltittoo
Hewalkedoverwithoutthinking,asifhisfeetalreadyknewthewayto hertableHesatdownacrossfromherandsaidthestrangestthing
“IfeellikeI’vebeenlookingforyouforalongtime” Shesmiledandsaid,“IfeellikeIneverreallyleft” HisnamewasDonaldHernamewasMelodyAndjustlikethat two soulsthathadperhapslovedeachotherbeforeinsomeforgotten lifetime foundeachotheragaininanordinarycoffeeshoponan ordinaryTuesdaymorning
TheylaughedlikeoldfriendsTheytalkeduntilthewentdownTheyfell inlovethewaypeoplefallasleep slowly,andthenallatonce.
There was something between them that neither of them could explain a familiarity that had no history, a comfort that had no reason to exist so soon When he laughed she felt she had heard that laugh before somewhere beautiful When she spoke he felt like he was remembering something he had always known. “Is it strange,” he asked her that first evening, “to feel like you’ve come home to a place you’ve never been?”
“No,” she said softly, looking at him with calm and certain eyes. “I think some people just belong to each other. Across every distance. Across every lifetime.” He looked at her for a long moment.
And somewhere deep inside him, something that had been restless for years finally went still.
Twoyearslater,Melodyworewhiteflowersinherhairand Donaldcriedwhenhesawherwalkingtowardhim.
Hehadnotexpectedtocry.Hewasnotamanwhoshowed emotioneasily.Butwhenhesawher calmandradiant, movingtowardhimasifshehadalwaysbeenmoving towardhim,asifeveryroadinherlifehadquietlyledtothis moment somethinginhischestbrokeopeninthemost beautifulway.
Hepromisedherthewholeworld.
Shepromisedhimherwholeheart—which,aseveryone whoknewMelodyunderstood,wasthegreatergift. BecauseMelody’sheartwasenormous.Warmandpatient andsteady,likealighthousethatneverstopsshiningno matterhowdarktheseabecomes.
Theirfriendssaidtheyweremadeforeachother.Their familiessaiditwasfate.Theelderlywomanattheendof thethirdrow—astrangerwhohadwanderedinfromthe rain—wipedhereyesandwhisperedtonoonein particular,“Thosetwohavelovedeachotherbefore.You canseeit.”
Andforawhile ittrulywasbeautiful
Theirhomewasfulloflaughterandquieteveningsandthe comfortablewarmthoftwopeoplewhohavechoseneach otherfreelyandjoyfully.Theycookedtogetherbadlyand laughedaboutit.Theystayeduptoolatetalkingabout everythingandnothing.Theybuiltasmallandtenderworld together,justthetwoofthem.
Itfelt,inthoseearlyyears,likethebeginningofsomething endless..
�� Chapter 3 — The Storm
NooneknowsexactlywhenDonaldchanged. Itcreptinslowly,likecoldairunderadoor.Firsthebecame distant.Thenirritable.Thenunkind.Somethinginsidehim— oldwounds,oldfears,oldshadowshehadneverfaced— rosetothesurfaceandturnedhimintosomeoneMelody barelyrecognized
Perhapsitwasthepressureofyears.Perhapsitwastheold painhehadcarriedsincechildhoodthathehadnever allowedanyonetoheal.Perhapsitwasfear thedeep, irrationalfearthatcomestosomepeoplewhentheyrealize howmuchtheylovesomething,howmuchtheyhaveto lose—andratherthanfacethatfearwithhonesty,they pushthebelovedthingawaybeforeitcanleaveonitsown.
Whateverthereason DonaldchangedAndMelodybore theweightofthatchangealone.
Hecamehomewithoutwarmth.Hespokewithoutsoftness. Smallthingsmadehimsharpandunreasonable.He stoppedaskinghowherdayhadbeen.Hestopped reachingforherhand.Thetendernessthathadoncecome sonaturallyfromhimdrieduplikeariverbedinalong drought,andinitsplacegrewacoldnessthatfilledtheir homelikefog
Hetookherkindnessforgrantedthewaypeopletakeair forgranted nevernoticingit,neverthankingit,simply breathingitinandgivingnothingback.
Therewereeveningswhenshewouldpreparedinnerand hewouldsitacrossthetablefromherincompletesilence, asifshewereinvisible.Therewerenightswhenshewould reachforhiminthedarkandhewouldturnawaywithouta word.Thereweremorningswhenshewouldofferhima smile herhonest,open,faithfulsmile andhewould lookthroughherasifsheweremadeofglass Andthenthewordsbegan.
“You’retoomuch,”hesaidoneevening.“Everythingabout thisistoomuch.”
“Idon’tneedthis,”hesaidanothernight,wavinghishandat everything thehomeshekeptwarm,thedinnershehad made,theloveshecontinuedtoofferhimevenwhenhe gavenothingback“MaybeyoushouldjustgoMaybewe wereamistake.”
Thewordslandedlikestones. Melodydidn’tsayaword. Shedidn’tthrowthingsorslam doors.Shedidn’tcrumble,thoughthepainmovedthrough herlikeawave.
Shesatverystillandsaidquietly “I’mnotgoing anywhere,DonaldNotbecauseIhavenowheretogoBut becauseIstillbelieveinwhoyouare.”
Heturnedawayfromher. Butherwordsfollowedhimintothedark.
�� Chapter4—TheGiftSheKeptGiving
Whatmostpeopleneversaw whatDonaldhimselffailed toseeforfartoolong waswhatMelody’sstayingcost her.
Shewasnotmadeofstone.Shewasnotimmunetopain. Everyunkindwordfounditsmark.Everycoldsilence presseddownonherchestlikeaweight.
Everynightheturnedawayfromhershelayinthedarkand feltthelonelinessoflovingsomeonewhohadtemporarily forgottenhowtoloveyouback.
Shecried.Privately,quietly,inthewaystrongpeoplecry makingsurenoonewouldsee,makingsureitwouldnot burdenanyone,foldingthepainneatlyandplacingit somewhereitwouldnotspillout.
Shehadfriendswhotoldhertoleave“Youdeservebetter,” theysaid.“Youdon’thavetostayforsomeonewhotreats youthisway.”Andtheywerenotwrong.Shediddeserve better.Sheknewthat.
ButMelodyunderstoodsomethingthatisverydifficultto explaintosomeonewhohasnotfeltit—shewasnot stayingoutofdesperationorfearorinabilitytoimaginelife withouthimShewasstayingbecauseshehadlookedat thisman trulylookedathim andshecouldsee underneathallthecoldnessandthecrueltysomethingthat wasnotcrueltyatall.
Shecouldseesomeonewhowaslost. Someonewhowasfrightened.Someonewhohadbeen hurtlongbeforesheeverknewhimandhadneverbeen taughthowtohealproperly.Someonewhosesharpedges werenothistruestselfbutthearmorofapersonwhohad decided,longago,thatbeingvulnerablewasthesameas beingdestroyed
Shesawallofthis.Andshemadeachoice.
Nottoexcusewhathedid sheneverpretendeditdidn’t hurt.Buttoforgiveit.Quietly.Daily.Withoutcondition.To placeherforgivenessinhispathlikeacandleinadark corridorandtrustthatsomedayhewouldfindhiswaytoit.
Everymorningshewokeandchosenottocarryyesterday’s woundsintotodayEveryeveningsheleftthelighton Everytimehewascold,sheansweredwithwarmthEvery timehewasunkind,sherespondedwithapatiencethat wasnotpassiveordefeatedbutdeeply,deliberately chosen.
Thiswasnotweakness.
Thiswasthemostpowerfulthingshepossessed. Thiswashergift theextraordinarygiftofextra forgiveness andshegaveittohimfreely,everysingle day,fromthedeepestandmostgenerousplaceinsideher heart.
Shedidnotknowifitwouldeverreachhim. Shegaveitanyway
