They met at a dance in the spring, when the air was sweet with the aroma of new flowers. The dashing and dapper young man spotted her across the dance floor, a light breeze tousling her auburn hair ever so gently and ruffling her dress ever so slightly. Their eyes met, and the world around them slipped away. They danced together for hours, looking into each other’s eyes ever so deeply. The dance was over all too soon, and the time came for her to go home.
“Why do you have to leave?” he asked.
Smiling sweetly, she pointed to his heart and said, “I will always be with you.”
From that day onward they were inseparable. No one could speak of one without mentioning the other. Six months passed, and everyone knew they were destined to be together. One crisp autumn evening he asked for her hand, and she accepted. They were married the following spring, a year to the day after they first met. As they stepped out for the first dance at the reception, their eyes met, and again the world around them slipped away. At the end of the dance, the time came for them to leave.
“Why did you marry me?” he asked.
Kissing him ever so softly, she pointed to his heart and said, “I will always be with you.”
They lived in a large house filled with the finest of furniture and linens. In their bedroom was a large vanity filled with sweet perfumes where she sat every evening, brushing her hair before bed. One evening he walked in and caught her reflection in the looking glass. She looked up, their eyes met, and again the world around them slipped away. She told him they were going to have a child. He picked her up in his arms and joyously danced around the room, looking into each other’s eyes ever so deeply. When the dance was over, the time came for them to go to sleep.
“Why do you love me so much?” he asked.
Laying her head on his chest, she pointed to his heart and said, “I will always be with you.”
The day arrived for the birth of their child. Many hours passed, draining her strength. At long last the baby arrived, a perfect little girl. But there was a problem – the new mother’s heart was too weak to go on. He stayed at her bedside, holding her hand. Unable to speak, she looked up one last time, their eyes met, and her life silently slipped away.
Walking into the house after the funeral, he began to feel the emptiness. Entering their bedroom, he went to her vanity, gently running his fingers over her brushes and perfume bottles. The tears streamed down his face.
“Why did you have to die?” he asked.
Then he looked up, and saw a wispy reflection in the looking glass. She was sitting there, just as she always had, smiling as she appeared to be writing a note. She lifted her head to look at him, their eyes met, and the reflection vanished.
He looked down and found a slip of paper. On it was her message: “I will always be with you.”
