Travels and Tales!

A green field after a long hike. My face is warm, skin slightly salty from sweat, the air cooling down as the sun melts into shades of orange and gold. I’m standing there watching the sunset, feeling that soft wind brush against my cheeks like a quiet reward for the climb. I close my eyes for a second, not because I’m tired, but because my heart is full.

The breeze touches my skin like relief.

And then, softly, without disturbing the moment, there’s a gentle kiss on my cheek while a hand wrapping around my waist. The familier texture and the known warmth.

I don’t open my eyes immediately. I smile first. When I turn, he’s already looking at me. Taller, of course. The one who makes me look up, always. Slightly bending without effort, like it’s the most natural thing in the world to lean down to me. The sunshine reflects in his eyes, oh aren’t those the most beautiful I have ever seen. His beard catches the golden light. He can’t take his eyes off me, and I’m standing there wondering what I did to deserve him.

But it’s not about deserving.

It’s about matching.

I lean into his chest. His t-shirt is a little sweaty, a little damp, cooling now in the evening air. It feels real. Human. Warm underneath. I hold him with one hand, just around his waist. He holds me with both his hands now. One on my head. The other wrapped around my shoulder. Protective without being possessive.

He kisses my head.

We both take a deep breath.

And then we stare back at the sunset.

Silence.

Pure silence. Just the wind and the rise and fall of his breath. I don’t listen for his heartbeat. I feel the rhythm of his breathing. Slow. Steady. Something I can sync to. No rush. No noise. No words needed.

It’s not intense.

It’s calm.

When the sun finally dips below the horizon, we look at each other and smile. The kind of smile that says everything without saying anything. We start walking back, still close, hand in hand. And then, me being me, I slip. Or almost fall.

He catches me instantly, like he already knew. Like he was prepared for it. Like his eyes are telling me he knows exactly how messy I am.

And we burst into laughter.

No embarrassment. No drama. Just two people laughing in the middle of a field like two kids who accidentally found something beautiful. We find a bench nearby and sit down. We open a beer. The simple kind of moment that doesn’t need candles or music.

“Who would have imagined?” he says, with that gentle tone and his signature laugh.

A few seconds of silence. My cheeks turn red.

Glances exchanged.

Laughter again.

And then a hug. A tight hug. Not desperate. Not clinging. A hug that feels like deep rooted appreciation. Like gratitude. Like I’m really glad it’s you.

He squeezes me a little.

Then a forehead kiss.

I look into his eyes.

I lean in.

And then there is THE kiss!

The kiss that feels like home.

The kiss that feels like the first ever kiss.

The known touch, yet the comfort and warmth.

The romance I have always dreamt of.

I open my eyes for a second.

He opens his eyes just then.

And in that moment, there is an I love you. Not said. Just felt. The kind that makes our hearts skip for a second and then return to their own rhythm because it knows when its safe.

Because that moment is home.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Not consuming.

Just steady.

Just warm.

Just ours.

May you find someone who likes what you like; someone who does things for you not because you need them, but because you appreciate them. I hope you find the person who buys you flowers just because they love the way your eyes shine when you smell them. Someone who is comfortable in their own skin, yet believes in growing into a better version of themselves because you deserve it. I hope they admire you for who you are and stay inspired by you while inspiring you in return. May they be gentle, kind, and warm even after everything they have gone through. Someone who understands that it was people who broke them, not love. Someone who is a hopeless romantic, yet still finds a way to romanticize their own solitude. Someone who takes care of themselves because they want to look their best when they are standing next to you. Someone who turns heads, but can’t take their eyes off you.

Someone who is madly in love with love, and finds all of it in you.