You're the Only One for Me

"Come on Brian! You have to tag me to win!" The young red head called out to him as she hid in the bushes.

"I have to find you first! Aribella! Where the hell are you?" She poked her head up from the bush she hid behind, pointing accusingly at him. "There you are!" He said as he pointed the camera in her direction and ran towards her.

"Brian Haner Jr.! You cursed." He shook his head no. "Yes you did! You said hell!" Brian laughed and pointed back at her.

"Now you said it! I have it on tape too!" Aribella pouted, tears coming from her eyes. Brian saw her tears and ran over to her, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Aribella buried her head into his neck, trying not to cry.

"Aribella! We have to go!" Brian and Aribella laughed, running farther into the park to their secret spot. The sound of Aribella's parents calling in the distance could only be heard lightly from their spot in the park. Brian held Aribella around her waist as she sat on his lap.

"You can't leave me Bella, you're my best friend." Aribella nodded and held onto Brian tighter.
"You can stay with me. You don't have to move."

"They wouldn't let us, Brian. I would have to marry you to stay with you." Brian then stood up and held his hands out to her.

"Then lets get married!" Aribella shot him a confused look.

"Where would we get married?" He motioned around them.

"Right here! We'll get married right now and you won't have to leave me." Aribella nodded again. Brian smiled and set up the camera. Once he started recording, he went back over to Aribella and held her hands. "Do you, Aribella Mikaela Denison, take me to be your husband so you won't have to leave me?" Aribella nodded.

"I do." She then pushed her red hair behind her ear and smiled. "Do you, Brian Elwin Haner Jr., take me to be your wife so I won't have to leave you?" Brian nodded.

"I do." He then smiled brightly.

"Now we're married and I don't have to leave!" Aribella hugged brian tightly. The then pulled away, looking into her eyes. "What?"

"We're not officially married until we kiss." Aribella looked nervously between his eyes and his lips before she slowly leaned in. Brian then leaned in and pressed his lips gently against hers.

Brian woke up with a start from his reoccurring dream. He looked down to see his girlfriend, Jessica, sleeping peacefully with her head on his chest. Brian sighed and set his head against the headboard, thinking about that day. The moment their lips touched, Aribella's parents found them; taking his 'wife' away from him. As he chased after her they promised that they would be together again. At one point, Aribella managed to break free from her parents and ran back to Brian, giving him her favorite ring. He had that ring to this very day, along with every old video they ever made.

Brian looked at the clock and saw that it was almost noon. He needed to get out of the house to clear his head. He carefully got out from under Jessica, leaving her to sleep peacefully. Brian got dressed in a long sleeve shirt and his jeans. It was February 14th, exactly 20 years since he last saw Aribella; Valentine's day. Every valentine's day he would go to their spot and just wallow in his misery. His first and only real love was taken away from him when he was only six. He grabbed his fedora and sunglasses, walking out of his house and down to central park.

He got to the park rather quickly, since he only lived a mile away from it. As he walked, he could swear he heard the sound of Aribella's laugh. That was crazy though. He hadn't seen Aribella for 20 years. Just then, he saw a flash of red hair run past him into the woods where Aribella would always hide.

"Come on Brian! You have to tag me to win" His head whipped towards the girl. It couldn't have been.

I have to find you first! Annie!" Brian's hope fell when he heard the little girls name. Just then, brian felt something hit his leg. He looked down and saw a little boy with a video camera on the ground. "Oh, sorry sir." Brian laughed lightly and helped the boy up. The little boy then giggled and ran off in search for his friend.

"I'm so sorry about him. I really think he needs glasses or something." A woman laughed as she walked up to brian. Brian turned to her and froze. He couldn't believe it. She smiled brightly at him and ran her hand through her short, choppy red hair. She was beautiful. Time really was her friend. "Are you alright? He didn't hit you that hard, did he?" Brian snapped out of his trance of her gorgeous grey eyes and smiled.

"Aribella?" She looked taken aback. She shot him a confused look, trying to figure out how her knew her. Brian laughed and took off his fedora and sunglasses. "What? You don't remember your husband after 20 years?" Aribella froze, a smile spreading across her face as the memories flooded back.

"Brian?" He smiled and nodded. Aribella beamed, launching herself forward and hugging Brian tightly. Brian held onto Aribella, not wanting to let her go. He dreamed of holding her in his arms again and now here she was. Aribella pulled away, wiping a tear from her eyes. Brian smiled and wiped her tears away like he had many years ago. "I can't believe it's you."

"Yeah, It's me." Aribella smiled and looked brian up and down.

"You look so different from when you were six." She laughed as she ran her hand down his arm. Brian nodded and looked her over as well.

"And you look fantastic." She laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, not too bad for having twins." Brian's heart broke. She had kids with some other guy and not him. Aribella waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"You alright?" Brian nodded, looking behind him at the two kids playing in the bushes.

"Those two yours?" She nodded. "How old are they?"

"Just turned six today. The camera was their birthday present and they just had to test it out." She laughed. Brian nodded and looked down at her hands. There wasn't a ring on her finger.

"You married?" She shook her head no.

"No, I..." She started.

"Bella!" A voice called out from behind them. Brian looked to see a tall man with choppy black hair and lots of tattoo's come running towards them. He walked straight to Aribella, picking her up and kissing her quickly. Once he put her down, he held onto her waist and smiled at Brian. "Oh sorry man, Didn't see you there." Brian waved it off. Aribella put her hand on the man's chest and looked between him and Brian.

"Brian, this is my boyfriend Asher. Asher this is my best friend as a kid, Brian." Asher shot a shocked look at Aribella and she simply nodded. Asher held out his hand, holding onto Brian's hand and shaking it lightly.

"Wow. It's nice to finally meet you. This little lady doesn't go a day without mentioning you in some way." He then looked back to Aribella with a joyous smile. "Baby, you never told me that Synyster Gates was your childhood friend." Brian's heart cracked at the word friend. Aribella laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I didn't know that six year old Brian would turn into a big rock star at the time." Asher laughed and nodded his head.

"Well, I'll let you two catch up. I'm gonna play with the birthday kids." Aribella smiled and nodded. Asher kissed her quickly before turning to Brian. "It was amazing meeting you." Brian nodded and Asher ran off. Aribella smiled, placing her hands deep into her pockets.

"So, is that their dad?" Aribella nodded and looked over at him. Suddenly, there was nothing to talk about. Brian had a million questions to ask her, but none of them seemed important anymore. "Well, I have to get going." Aribella turned to protest but Brian had already started walking away. He couldn't bear to say goodbye to her again; it would be too hard for him. Brian walked all the way to their secret spot and sat down on a log. He took out the video camera from his pocket and started watching the tape form his dream, that fatal day. Tears welled up in his eyes once it got to their wedding. Brian would give anything to have married Aribella.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here." Brian looked up and saw Aribella standing in front of him. Brian looked back down at the video, playing with his heart strings. Aribella sat down next to him and watched the tape. "This is from the day I left." Brian nodded and closed the camera. He stood up and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. He took a long drag, trying to calm himself down. "Brian..." Aribella started, breaking the awkward silence. "...Are you mad at me?" He shook his head no. "Then why are you acting so weird?"

"I'm not acting weird. I always act like this." He shot back.

"So now you're cold? I was not expecting that from you." He shrugged her shoulders.

"I wasn't expecting for you to have twins." He replied, ice dripping from his words.

"Brian, that's not fair." Aribella said. Brian stomped out his smoke and turned to Aribella with his arms crossed over his chest.

"No. What's not fair is having to watch my only love leave me for 20 years. Then when you finally come back, you have kids and a new guy! That's what's not fair, Aribella." Aribella sighed and got up, walking past Brian. Brian kept her back to her, making sure she couldn't see his tears. Aribella stopped at the edge of the bushes and turned her head back towards him.

"The only reason I never married Asher was because I was still married to you." Brian froze, feeling like his heart had stopped beating. Aribella sighed and turned her head back. "I guess that I can finally tell Asher yes..." She sighed again. "...Happy Anniversary, Brian." She then left Brian in their spot to wallow over his own stupidity. He let the best thing he ever had slip through his fingers. Never in 20 years did Brian think that he would get married and divorced in the same place...