(I'll Love You) Forever and Always

I watched my beloved fiancé on the ground crying her heart out after I had whispered into her ear that I still loved her; in our own special way. But now, watching all of this, watching how much my death affected her, made me wish to the heavens (that I now called my home) that I hadn't died, that I hadn't left with all my friends to go camping, that I had stayed home with her after my proposal and watched one of her favorite movies instead. Alas though, we cannot change our fates or turn back time to undo what has already been done. I stayed a little while longer watching her recollect herself, wipe away her tears, and head to the car; even then staying a little while longer just thinking on how much she's changed, but of course those thoughts were interrupted when Michael, an archangel and my teacher, flew down beside me. I turned my hazel eyes towards him and looked into his bright blue eyes that showed pity and something else that I couldn't pin-point but it looked like a secret dying to be told.

"Yes, Michael; what is it?" I asked as I looked at my bare feet that were dangling back and forth across the mountain's ledge for only a second then back into his blue eyes.

"I...um...have some news from God that you may or may not like." he said as he itched his pure white long wings, nervously, that he never tried to hide when down on Earth, but of course; away from a humans wandering eyes as well.

"Okay, so what's the news?" I asked another question and once again looked at my dangling legs then back up into his eyes. Even as an angel I wanted to move around, to not want to stay still for a number of minutes; something Elly-May found cutefully annoying and would always sit on my lap or in-between my legs whenever we were watching a movie as her way of trying to make me stop.

Michael looked at me even more nervously than before, if that was even possible. "It has something to do with your ex-fiancé."

This peaked my interest instantly as I turned my full body around to face him, yet still leaving my legs over the edge.

"What? What is it? Tell me; Tell me?" I said like a four year old would, about to be told a secret from their siblings on how to get more candy from their parents.

"Um, God has decided to make you her Guardian Angel."

Upon hearing the first news; I had started jumping for joy and had even freed my pure white cloud-like wings from my back and had started flying in the sky in circles. After finally letting out enough of my excitement I flew back to Michael because something else must have been bothering him. The reason why I thought this is because Michael never delivers news like this. He's always somehow beside God and the other archangels; he would've had a lower angel come and tell me this.

"That's the first part of the news. However there is also some bad news to this as well." he said with at first pride showing in his eyes at his student being made a Guardian Angel so quickly but was quickly replaced with despair and pity as well.

I had noticed the change and for once in my life and death; I stood as still as I could facing Michael and looked straight into his eyes.

"What's the bad news Michael?" I asked as I brushed some of my dark brown hair that had gotten into my face from my flight a moment ago.

Oddly enough, Michael started to get twitchy and kept avoiding my eyes by looking at a couple of ravens that had decided to fly by, at the white clouds surrounding us, at the green and brown scenery below us; anywhere but at my eyes.

"What's the bad news Michael?" I asked again but with a hint of annoyance in my voice and a fresh wave of tears that were trying to break from my eyes.

After finally giving in; Michael looked me in my eyes with the pity and despair I had saw earlier. "She doesn't have that long to live; maybe a month or two left. She didn't tell you this before when you both met, but she had cancer. Now before you two officially started dating; her doctors that she's been seeing were able to get parts of it out, but not enough. So they warned her that it might come back. All the other angels and myself guessed that with the news of your death or some other way; the cancer in her liver has been active again.

After hearing that; the tears that I was trying so hard to hold back, finally broke from my eyes and without another look back at Michael; once again my wings were freed from my back
and I flew off into the sky thinking about the last moments I had with her...

"Mark, are you sure that doing this is safe for you and the guys? How long are you all staying at Ridgewood Point again?" she asked nervously as she saw me check my camping bag for the third time before my friends and I headed out at 4 in the morning.

We had all decided that since Ethan was about to get married to his high school sweetheart that we should all celebrate by doing something on Ethan's lists of "Things to Do Before I'm Married". Ethan of course had to pick the one that if anyone of us weren't careful enough, would be our last time seeing our loved ones. I turned my hazel eyes to her with nervousness and a love that could know no bounds in them.

"Hey guys, why don't you go on ahead and load up the car. I wanna say goodbye to my girlfriend real quick." I said as I faced our friends that were on my right, her left, side of our apartment.

"Sure" were heard from everyone as they each grabbed something and walked out the door, which we had left opened. I saw her look outside at the dawning colors the days' morning sun shine over the trees and houses as some of the birds started their morning flights.

"Ellina..." I said as I quickly got on one knee before she could turn around. When she did however, I saw a hint of confusion and surprise in her eyes. {"God, I hope I'm doing the right thing." thought to myself} "...I was actually hoping to do this after we got back from the trip, but something in my heart told me that this was the right time. So here it goes." I said and took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"Um, Mark what are you doing?" she asked as joy, nervousness, and wonder all somehow crept into her voice.

"Ellina-May Marie Matthews; will you marry me?"