I remember the first time I knew I had found something utterly irreplaceable. We had only been dating for 4 months. I was in the ICU with a life-threatening condition and he came by everyday after work to sit with me and run his fingers through my hair. He told me I was beautiful, with all the horrible tubes in my arms and the dark circles under my eyes. He stayed until I fell asleep. Everyday.
I used to see him looking at me when I was doing ordinary things. Looking at me with nothing but love in his eyes. Like I was the only person on earth. He would kiss me in the middle of a crowded bar and hug me to his chest. He would drive to the store to get me ice cream when I was sick and watch me fall asleep.
A complete stranger came up to me once to remind me of how lucky I was. Her boyfriend knew him, and she sought me out at a party to tell me that her boyfriend said he talked about me all the time. She said they were moved by how much he seemed to cherish me. How much love was in his heart for me. A complete stranger wanted to tell me this.
