Everyone sees them and sees lovers. They see each other and see best friends. It's obvious that they love each other. Everyone knows, even them. She found out first. He gave her a letter confessing his love for her, but assuring her that he wanted to stay friends, if only so she wouldn't be forced to make a decision. After that, it was all downhill. They were closer than ever. They were happy just to be around each other once every few weeks. Then he noticed something odd. One day he decided to pretend, just for an hour, that she was his girlfriend. She'd never know, and even if she did it wouldn't matter. They'd still be best friends. Nothing would change. And so he looked into her her eyes. For a long time he stared, pretending that she was staring back, that she loved him too. Her deep green eyes shined like nothing he'd seen before. And in those few moments that felt like hours, he saw love in those eyes. Nothing else was more important than that single revelation. She loved him. At that moment, time stopped, while he contemplated this meant. Did she want more? Did he want more? How would this affect them? And so he told her again: “I love you.” Her face went red. For a few seconds, the universe spinning around them went silent. It was just them. Her response shocked him. It felt like she meant it, but she shouldn't have. It might have ruined everything between them. But instead of any of that, those four words only made him love her more. They made him wish that this could be the end. If the world had ended there, nothing would be wrong. “I love you too.” And nothing changed. And it never did. If you see them now, you'll find two best friends who grew old and died together. Nothing tore them apart, not even when they started families. Their spouses knew that they loved each other, but never said anything. They died within weeks of each other. Perhaps God wanted them to be together. Perhaps they lived completely different lives from what was intended. But in the end, they were together. Their families, knowing this, buried them together, knowing it's what they really wanted. But even in death, nothing changed. Ever.
