“I almost forgot! It’s Christmas! Merry Christmas, Kim!” Gerald said.

“Oh my God, I completely forgot...”Kim admitted, clasping her head.

“I have a surprise gift for you...”Gerald said.

“I’m sorry, had I known I would have picked out a gift for you too...” Kim said.

“Your mom took care of that. She gave me the best Christmas gift ever. These eyes and you. I really could not ask for more.”

Kim smiled affectionately at him. Gerald meanwhile pulled out a large package from the back of his chair. Kim didn’t notice it lying there when she entered the restaurant earlier.

“Open it...” Gerald said. “It’s something from my past that I almost have completely forgotten...”

“What is it?” Kim asked curiously as she slowly untied the white ribbon holding the brown wrapping together. As she slowly ripped the wrapping away, Gerald continued to talk...

“That’s the most defining moment of my life you’re holding there. Ten years ago I met the girl of my dreams, somehow I forgot about her, then ten years later, she came back to my life...”

Kim had goosebumps when she finally unwrapped the package. It was a painting she has never ever seen. Kim was suddenly faced with her own image!

“This is me...” Kimmy murmured perplexedly.

Here was the painting of a girl in a white dress, floating along with white lilies... and this time, she was the girl ---the girl from his dreams. In fact, she thought, this meant that she was Gerald’s original dream girl. The knowledge, however corny and cheesy it was, brought Kim an odd sense of comfort and security.

“Yup, that was when I first met you...”Gerald explained.

“You mean to say...wait, this was ten years ago!” Kim exclaimed noticing the date.

“Yup, as you can see, we were really destined to meet again. We were really meant to be together. You see our love story was ten years in the making...”

“I can’t believe this!” Kim smiled.

“There are more miracles out there, Kim. And just like ours, they're happening every day, all we have to is believe.” Gerald said with more twinkle in his borrowed eyes.

“Wait...the date...” Kim said almost in a whisper.

“What’s with the date?” Gerald asked.

“This was the day my mom drowned...this was the day she was paralyzed from the neck down. This was when our life started to spiral out of control...”

Kim slowly laid the painting to the floor. Gerald held her hand and squeezed it.

“You see, Kim,” Gerald said. “Even in the most trying times of her life, your mom really loved you. Even during that dreadful situation, she was still looking out for you. She knew you would someday need somebody to love you and take care of you and I am really glad she chose me. That night when I saw you in my dreams, the night I painted you, your mom entrusted you to me...for me to seek and find, and once found...love! And that, I am forever grateful to her...”

Kim could not hold back her tears. She hugged him once more, with all her love, with all her life...

“Thank you, mom” Kim said silently as she rested her head on his chest.

“I love you with all my heart, Kim...” Gerald muttered.

“I love you too...” Kim responded.

“Your mom, I must say, is one hell of a story-writer. She must have been an aspiring scriptwriter of a telenovela or something, considering what we have gone through these last ten years!” Gerald declared.

“And how do you suppose we end all this? ” Kim said jokingly. “Don’t you think a good telenovela needs a proper ending?”

“What do you reckon?” Gerald asked her.

“ Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Kim said.

“Yup, definitely...” Gerald answered.

He slowly got down on his knee and held her hand. He took out a black velvet box from his pocket, inside was the most sparkling diamond ring she has ever seen.

“Kim...will you marry me?”

“Absolutely...” Kim said as she flung her arms around his neck.

That magical Christmas night, as the whole, wide world celebrated the feast of happiness, hope, faith and LOVE...Kim and Gerald finally sealed their fateful union with one more blissful kiss...
.
.
.
.
THE END
.
.
.