The way she looked at him

Glances in the hallway with red faces and little giggles from her friends

Taping sticky notes to desks and lockers

To holding hands

Carrying each other’s bags

Having all their friends going “oooooo” as they walk by

Giggling and running down the narrow halls chasing each other

To drives to the beach

The park

The store

Cuddling under the sheets during storms

Holding each other tight

To going out on vacations

Drinking together

Drunk dancing under the stars

Waking up hungover the next morning nestled up against one another

To getting on one knee

Her in tears and saying yes and they twirl around under the sunset

Holding onto each other tight and not letting go

To seeing her walk down the isle

Saying “i do”

Having their first kiss as husband and wife

Going back to the hotel room to have a good time with her for the first night married

To buying their first home

Putting in flooring

Getting covered head toe in dust

Opening that door for the first time to see their fully furnished forever home

To their first baby

To their second and third

Being tired and exhausted

Running around to every sport imaginable

To buying mid life crisis cars

Having grown children starting their own families

Traveling the world together

To doctors appointment after doctors appointment for her

Heart attack after heart attack

To crying by her bed watching the light fade from her eyes

To telling his grandkids about how amazing grandma was

Seeing his grandkids find people

Seeing how happy his son and daughters and their kids

To crying night after night longing what he once had

Envious of those around him still with their wives and girlfriends

A once happy man turned cold

To realizing

He thought he had lost everything

When he lost her

But he realized he just needed something new to find in others

And that is why he still believed in love