Choices

He woke up in the morning and watched her sleeping peacefully. He just looked at her and in the way that the light would hit her face. She looked peaceful, like an angel. It was in that moment that he knew that he loved her, that he knew that she was the one. They had known each other only for about a month, and this was the first night that they had spent together. But it was all in the way that she looked at him that he knew. It didn't matter what or how much he had, she loved him truly and purely for who he was. She woke up and found him staring at her and couldn't help but to smile.

"Morning," she said to him. "Morning," he answered back and kissed her. She knew that there was nowhere else she wanted to be than to be in his arms forever. He went to leave and for a moment just stared at her.

"What?" she asked him. He took a deep breath, then just knew he couldn't hold the words back. So he said, "I love you." She was surprised by the words and just said, "I love you too." And she kissed him back.

He walked home just being truly happy. He knew that he had held things back from her, so there were many things that she didn't know about him. But she knew who he really was in his heart. And isn't that all that really matters in the end of the day.

That night he was sitting at home. He sow his little black book and opened it. Flipping through the pages and looking at all the names. He was one of the few guys he knew that actually had a little black book. A book he had never let anyone see inside before and that he took pride in. Now looking at, he couldn't help but wonder why it mattered to him before.

Then he heard his friend David looking for him, "Hey where are you?"

"In here," he yelled back. "There you are," he said as he came into the room, "Alright let's go, what are you doing?"

He stopped, looked at it, then closed it knowing what his decision should be. So he handed his friend the book, "Here," he said. "What are you talking about?" he asked taking the book confused. "She's the one, she's the one. So I don't need this anymore."

David was shocked, and so he tried to give it back and said, "You really need to think about this Ricky." "Why do I need to think about this? I know what I am doing. I am telling you, she's the one. I know I just met her, but when you know, you know." "It's not that, and you know it." They both just looked at each other and Ricky just said, "What is it?" "Don't make me say it, we both know what it is. Your family will never accept her. Look at where you are from and where she is from. She's a nice girl yeah, but your family will never accept her," he said the pure truth, the truth that he didn't want to admit out loud.

"You don't understand. She understands me for who I am, for just who I am, no strings. She doesn't even know where I am from, she loves me just for my true heart. I know that I have been with many girls, but I am telling you that she is different that it is different," he tried to explain. "You like her enough to lose your family?" David asked him. Ricky took a deep breath and then said, "Yeah she is, she is worth it." "Then you are going to tell your parents tonight then," he said and smiled at him, before he could answer, "I'll just hold onto this in case you change your mind."

He listened to his friend go on about nonsense on their way to the party. He couldn't stop thinking about everything his friend had said to him. Was he right? Was he really ready to give up his life? Then he snapped out of it. And realized that was crazy. In this day and age, it shouldn't matter who he wanted to love. He knew his friend was right, but until he introduced them he could live in the fantasy of what he wanted his life to be.

At the party his mother asked the question she always asked, "So who are you dating?" He paused, wondering if he should give the standard answer so nobody special. But he decided to tell the truth, "I have a girlfriend actually."

"Really?" his dad answered surprised. Ricky had never given them that answer before. "Yes," he told them, "And she is great. I love her." "Well then we have to meet this mystery girl of yours, dinner tomorrow?" his mother said. She gave him that look where he knew that no was not an option. "Okay mother."

He left the party early to see her as she was getting off work. He waited outside to surprise. As soon as she left the restaurant she sow him and ran into his arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a party to go to," she said as she kissed him. They started walking, and he answered, "Yeah I left early, wanted to see you. You're not working tomorrow right?" "No not tomorrow, why?" "My parents want to meet you, dinner tomorrow. My mother won't take no for an answer."

She took a deep breath, surprised a little, "Are you sure that you are ready for that?" He laughed and said, "Yes I am if you are." "Then I will be there, I will be anywhere you want me to be." He stopped her and kissed her, knowing that it was the right move.

As they continued to walk he said to her, "I should warn you that my parents...have a lot of money. I tell you so that you are not surprised by the large house tomorrow." "What do you mean by a lot?" "A lot, a lot. I don't like to tell people. They usually judge me, but I know that I can trust you. I know that you love me for who I am not what I have. My parents money doesn't define me." She stopped him and said, "Thank you for trusting me, I understand really. And of course I don't care about your parents money. Money doesn't make a person. It's who the person is that defines them." He kissed her and remembered why he loved her and knew she meant it.

When he went to pick her up the next night, her place looked like a tornado went through it. He laughed and said, "What happened?" She looked at him, clearly worried, in her underwear, "I can't decide what to wear. What if they don't like me?" "They will of course like you and I want you to go as yourself. Wear whatever you want. It'll be okay." He kissed her hoping it would be better. But of course she still took another half hour to decide what to wear.

They go to the house, and she just said, "Oh my."

He laughed and said, "I told you."

"I know you told me, but still. Now I'm nervous."

Going through dinner he watched at her. There was something precious at how nervous she was, almost out of place. It just made him love her that much more.

When she went to the bathroom his mother said to him, "Okay tell me what is going on?" "What are you talking about?" "Why are you with her? Is this a game or something?" "I love her."

"What your mother is trying to say," his father tried to explain, "is that she is a nice girl, but you can't really be serious about this one." "Why not?" "She's a nice girl, but she doesn't fit in our world. You can't be with her, you can't marry her."

He paused trying not to get upset, "Why not? I love her, she's the one." "You are not going to be with this girl," his mother said sternly, "She doesn't fit in our life." "In your life, not mine." "If you are with this girl, then you can't be in ours. We will cut you off. You need to be with someone on our level. You need to be with someone that is the same as us."

"David told me this was going to happen, but I kept thinking that you wanted me to be happy. I don't care about your money, I never have. She loves me for who I am. If I lose you to be with her than that is your choice, but I will not stop seeing her because you think she isn't good enough for some stupid reason," Ricky said to them and got up. He turned to leave and saw her standing there watching them. He didn't say anything, he just put his arm around her, and they left. They didn't say a word the whole way back to her place.

When they got to her place he finally said, "How much did you hear?" "Enough," was all that she said. "I'm sorry, I should have warned you that was going to happen. But I hoped that they would have changed."

"What is wrong with me that they won't accept me?" she asked.

"Look the problem is with them not you," he said firmly, "They have an idea of the type of person that I am to be with. Someone from a family that has a lot of money. They have talked about doing an arranged marriage for crying out loud. But I don't care about money, I never have. I love you and I don't care what anyone thinks. I know that you love me for who I am. I even got rid of my black book."

She looked at him confused and said, "Your what?" "You know, my black book." "You have an actual book?" He laughed and said, "I'm an attractive guy, and yes I did. But I gave it to my friend. I meant it when I said that I love you. I love you with my entire heart. I know that you love me." "Yes I do," she answered.

"So you'll love me even now that my family is going to cut me off?" She laughed and said, "Are you sure that you will be okay even though my family has cut me off, and I won't have a lot?" "Yes, you can stay with me. We might have to live off pasta and peanut butter sandwiches, but we will be okay as long as we have each other."

He went to her and kissed her and knew that he had made the right decision. Even if he lost his whole family, she was worth everything.

-T