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“I would never,” I assured him genuinely.
Reaching into his jacket pocket, he retrieved a small leather notebook and flipped through the pages. I caught glimpses of his elegant script as he searched for a particular page.
Finally, he cleared his throat and began reading aloud a short haiku:
“Chestnut curls frame her face. Whispers of jasmine surround. My heart quickens its pace.”
My mouth fell open slightly. The haiku perfectly captured my hair and scent in concise yet vivid detail. I could imagine him noticing these minor details about me when we would pass each other in the office. It was incredibly touching.
“That day you wore your hair down instead of pulled back,” he smiled fondly. “The jasmine was your perfume.”
I blinked back sudden tears, incredibly moved. “Alexander...that’s beautiful. I can’t believe you noticed and remembered all those little things about me.”
He reached out and gently grasped my hand. “Of course I did. From the moment we met again, you captured my professional and personal attention. I found myself inspired to write for the first time in ages.”
I gave his hand a grateful squeeze, my heart swelling with emotion. “You have such a gift with words. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
The haiku revealed not just Alexander’s talent, but his thoughtfulness and depth of feeling for me, even back then.
After a pause, I met his gaze, my eyes twinkling with humor. “Well, don’t stop now! What other poetic gems have you been hiding from me all this time?”
I waited with bated breath as Alexander flipped through his notebook, preparing to share more of his secret poetry with me. He stopped on a page and took a steadying breath before reading the next haiku aloud:
“Waves crash, wind blows fierce - Yet your laughter makes all still - Joy lights up the cove.”
I immediately pictured the memory he captured - one of our many walks along the shore, a blustery day with the sea churning, but us finding happiness just being together. Alexander had immortalized a simple yet profoundly joyful moment between us.
“That was the first time I heard your unrestrained laugh,” he explained. “It filled me with wonder.”
I reached for his hand again, emotion rendering me speechless. He gave me a small smile before continuing.
The third haiku emerged, hushed like a secret:
“Fingers entwined like vines - Heartbeats like drums in the night - My soul bound to yours.”
I gasped softly at the intimacy of his words - the vivid imagery that conjured our hands clasped together, our hearts thrumming in sync. He had perfectly distilled our emotional connection into a few poetic lines.
By the final haiku, tears shimmered in my eyes.
“Your eyes, my lighthouse. Their glow guides me back to shore - to peace, hope, and home.”
Alexander’s voice was thick with feeling as he finished. “You give me a sense of home I haven’t felt in so long, Etta,” he said, brushing a tear from my cheek.
“These poems...they’re the most meaningful gift,” I whispered. “A window to your beautiful heart that I’ll forever treasure.”
We came together then, hands clasped, foreheads touching. “I love you,” Alexander murmured fervently. “I think a part of me always has.”
“I love you too,” I echoed through joyful tears. “My heart is, and always will be, yours.”
Under the twinkling stars, we exchanged soft kisses; the haikus swirling around us - exquisite expressions of our profound bond.
I couldn’t stop smiling as Alexander and I walked hand in hand back towards the lighthouse, the gala having almost wound down. The evening had been absolutely magical.
As we made our way across the lawn, I saw Henry approaching, a slight instability to his step and a champagne flute in his hand. He gave Alexander a vigorous pat on the back and slurred out his congratulations, his words warm despite their slight incoherence.
Before I knew it, Lucia had enveloped me in a tight embrace, whispering in my ear, “I’m so happy for you both!” I hugged her back, incredibly touched by her heartfelt words.
Alexander gently squeezed my hand as he led me towards the waiting Bentley. I sighed contentedly, still floating on air from the enchanting turn the night had taken.
