A Love Story

The house was lit up, all the windows letting out light and the joyful celebration contained inside shown to all the world. The house had been keeping all the heat and happiness bottled up inside, except for a few snowballers with a lust for the icy cold feeling you get when a snowball hits you square in the back of the neck and drips down your back, but they had all gone inside a long time ago. Presently a car came up the hill, its tires slipping a bit here and there, but making it despite the adverse conditions for driving. The car pulled into the already over filled driveway, and a young man got out. His face looked about twenty or so, but it had that curious, utterly contented look that usually only comes to a person after a lifetime of joyful marriage. The man and that curious face made their way up the steps to the house, and quietly inserted themselves into that festive gathering.

Hanging up his coat on one of the already overfilled pegs in the hallway, he walked into living room. He was greeted by surprised and happy exclamations, and he returned them with merry hellos and how are yous. He wandered from room to room, inquiring, Have you seen a certain person? but no one had. Finally he came to a room at the back of the house. As soon as he opened up the door, a guilty silence came over the room. That feeling that comes when the witnesses to something suddenly realize they should have done their duty and intervened, but did nothing. Anyway, in the middle of the room were a young man and woman, kissing fiercely underneath the mistletoe. The intruder stepped forward and said, "I made it! And I see you've met a new friend." She quickly pushed her mistletoe lover away and responded, "Oh, um, I can't believe you got in! I thought your flight was canceled?" "I did too, but they decided to try it. Can I talk to you?" She left the other man underneath the mistletoe, and followed her fiance out of the room. They walked to the front hall and collected their coats, and made their way outside.

They started walking aimlessly, in no particular direction, but eventually, they found their way to a line of pine trees, cut off from view of the house. Tired, she sat down on the garden bench underneath one of the trees, while he remained standing. She watched his back as he watched the stars, then let her eyes drop as he began to speak.

"You should know, I still love you. I don't care what reason you had for kissing him; if you had one and what it was are nothing to me. I love you, and that's all that matters. Love connects you to someone in a way that is so deep, so strong, there is no way we can even comprehend it. If we were to die right now, and you were sent to Heaven, and I was sent to punishment in Hell, my voice would ring out across that great void between the two realms, and I would be happy, knowing, even as I burn, that you can hear my voice and I can still speak to you and tell you I love you. Love. I would give everything I can for our love. If I had all the power in God's universe, and could smite all life or make all the suns go out at once with a blink of my eye, I would do it without a thought for the consquences if you wished me to. I would undergo more pain than my physical body can bear; I could not be happy without you, even in paradise. What does it matter to me if you kiss one man; what does it matter if you make love to a thousand? I Love you, I've welded our souls together, and if you stray or if you stay by my side, it will change nothing between us. I know what it is like to be God, for my love for you closes in upon the Love He has for all His people. I Love you."

She replied, "I must have had too much eggnog; anyway, just before you came into the room, it was he who came up as I was walking under the mistletoe and kissed me." She began to cry, and he moved with infinite care and tenderness to comfort her.