A Graduation Gift

Moisture was gathering in her eyes, blurring out the image of Rufus's face.

Rufus let go of a breath he did not know he was holding, got down from her. Then, he gathered her into his arms.

"Cassandra, I love you. You will never know how much I love you," he whispered into her ears.

He had no logical way of explaining it, but it turned out that she had been connected with him all this time, as if this woman was always meant to be his.

She had held him in her heart for a long time. Chance could be both a terrible and wonderful thing, and at this moment, Rufus thought there was nothing greater that could happen to him.

"I love you too, Rufus. I've loved you for a long, long time, and no matter what happens, you will always be the most beautiful thing that happened to me,"

Cassandra told him, holding his gaze with her steady eyes. Tears were falling from the corners of her eyelids and Rufus felt the warm moisture seep into the fabric of his shirt.

It had been a long and tough road to be where she was, in the arms of the man she loved.

Cassandra had always felt that she was the luckiest woman in the world because life had brought Rufus to her again. And her joy only doubled when they decided to spend their lives with each other.

They held each other, content with the warmth of silence. It was almost as if their feelings were reaching across their chest, intertwining, like vines forming infinite loops around a tree trunk.

"I want to pay a visit to your family, Cassandra," Rufus said suddenly.

He felt her stiffen in his arms at his words.

"What made you want to visit them suddenly?" Cassandra asked. She was confused.

This was the first time Rufus offered to see her family. It could only mean one thing. Could it really be what she was thinking?

tried to rein in her heartbeat as she waited with bated breath for his next

family. It's only fair that

tilted his head to kiss her forehead. He felt the quick pace of her heart and the way she took breaths in

"Your family?"

understand him at first. She thought he

"My aunt, Michelle,"

said, seeing her confusion. He himself had never regarded

history. Michelle had asked her to leave Rufus before and had an accident because of her. She imagined she would not

would take it," she said, suddenly feeling worried at

something that had been bothering her for a long time. Cassandra hoped that they could be blessed by both his and her family.

never

would agree. It was his decision to marry Cassandra,

doesn't have the best impression of me, you know,"

had no idea how Michelle would react when she found out. What if she

eyes looked into her with tenderness

later. I'm

was still unable to

her blessings when she sees how happy we are now.

relieved to feel Cassandra relaxing once again in his

just want to be accepted by your family, Rufus,"

with her and Michelle, but she was willing to do everything she could if it meant she would give them

word. "You're the one I'm going to marry. If there are people having a problem with it, that's their problem. We can't make everyone happy, but we can choose to be happy for

Rufus said meaningfully, still holding her face in his hands and looking straight into