My Life’s Most Meaningful Moment

By Jack Browne*

The night started like any other. We were sitting on her couch, watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix, when I was struck with an idea.

I asked her if she wanted to go outside and look at the stars. At first, she said it was too cold. It took some convincing, and about 10 blankets, but finally, there we were, in the back of my truck, on a pallet of blankets. The air was crisp, with a slight breeze just strong enough to make you want to cuddle up even closer together. The night was mostly quiet, with the the occasional bark from a dog and the soft sound of cars passing by every so often from the main street.

Two smells I remember the most: the cool Lubbock night air and the coconut oil shampoo scent of her hair. What I saw was the most beautiful girl in the world to me, the half moon in the black sky, and the gentle glow of the city lights, like a ring around the horizon.

I could feel her head on my chest, her left arm around my stomach, her feet playing with mine, my arm around her backhand on her shoulder, rubbing it ever so gently. We lay there, talking about this and that, laughing and looking into each other’s eyes. She asked me where I saw myself in five, 10 or 20 years. All I knew at that time washopefully, with her.

I watched her watch the stars in the sky until she looked back down to me. After a moment of locking eyes, out of nowhere, I told her I loved her for the first time.

Oh, God, did I say it too soon? What if she doesn’t feel the same? Did I just make things weird between us?

I questioned myself in every way I could.

She smiled and asked, “You love me?”

Then she reached for my hand, held it to her heart and said the best thing my ears have ever heard: “I love you, too.”

In all my life, I cannot think of a time when I’ve felt more wanted and worry-free. I put both my arms around her, and we lay there, holding each other, looking at the stars for what could have been forever.

This was something profound and meaningful I had not experienced before and have not experienced since. No matter what has happened since then or will happen in the future, I will never forget it.

*Editor’s Note: The author of this essay requested the use of a pseudonym. 

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