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?

she waited with bated

It's only fair that I

forehead. He felt the quick pace of her heart and the

"Your family?"

first. She thought he was talking

"My aunt, Michelle,"

himself had never regarded Horace, or

felt uneasy at the mention of Michelle's name. They did not have the most wonderful history. Michelle had asked her to leave Rufus before and had an

she said, suddenly feeling worried

that had been bothering her for a long time. Cassandra hoped that they

aunt will never separate

quite certain that his aunt would agree. It was his decision to marry Cassandra,

best impression of me, you know,"

would react when she found out. What if she was still against it? She was Rufus's only family

of her thoughts stopped when Rufus clasped her face between his hands. His eyes looked into her with tenderness and Cassandra found her worries

worry. I'll talk to her later. I'm sure

before. He was

sees how happy we are now. Put your

to feel Cassandra relaxing

want to be accepted by your family, Rufus," she murmured.

Michelle, but she was willing to do everything she could if it meant

was not saying a 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

see it very clearly," Rufus said meaningfully, still holding her