A story...

A girl was walking into town one January night with her friends. She had just turned 19 and had just gone back to her 2nd term at University. A beautiful young man was walking at her side. He was 21, in his final year and had big brown eyes and long, black eyelashes. They shared a love of film and music, and he made her laugh. They had been flirting the night before Christmas Holidays, and writing to each other during the break. It was the boy who bit the bullet and asked if they could consider themselves an Item. She had hoped that he might. She was still a virgin, hadn't been in a proper relationship before, and she wasn't sure she was ready for a big commitment, but she liked him and she wanted to see where it would go.

That was seven years ago today, and since then they have lost pets, grandparents, parents and friends, they have been in accidents and been sick to the point of hospitalisation, but always (save the worst two weeks of my life) together. They both stayed in the town where they met, and moved in together, and then, one ordinary day, he asked her to marry him, and he genuinely made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. He still does. Every single day. She didn't believe in Fairy Tale Love before she knew what it was to love, and be loved by, him.

Nathan Crouch, I know you read this.

I love you more than anything in the world.