Glancing through the window, it’s a beautiful wet morning. I can see through the trees, dry and patiently waiting for spring. Another day, and this time, without Ryan in my life. What is the story? I got entangled with Ryan, very short, sweet, and sour. I thought by now, I would be showing him off to the world, but it was a mirage. I let my emotions overcrowd our reality. The moments we shared were the most beautiful moments of my life, and the truth is, I am never going to forget every minute of it. Any regrets? No.

I know you want to know how it all went down. So let me unfold the entire story. Ryan and I started seeing each other every day at our secret meeting spot. I always looked forward to each day, having grown on him. I always anticipated the early morning calls and texts meant everything to me; I always looked forward to them.

“I want to live my life with you, Ryan, but how?” I was about to finish my sentence when he kissed my lips. I couldn’t resist; it’s something I look forward to every day. The kisses, the touch, the stare, the feel—they take me away from this world. I just forget about the future and focus on the present as it’s everything I had wished for. “I want to be with you too, Adunni,” said Ryan. “Will you marry me?” OMG, am I crazy? Is this real? Did Ryan just ask me to marry him? I could feel my heart racing so fast, my hair follicles standing, and overwhelmed with emotions. Ryan went on his knees to ask me to marry him. This is the man I am in love with, the man I have longed to be with, the man of my dreams. Sometimes I question the normalcy of my feelings, unprecedented in my life. The way I feel about him—I have never felt this way about anyone, ever.

I love Ryan; he’s my dream man. I yearn for him, my brown-skinned, beautiful-eyed, and tall prince. The one I am going crazy for; I deserve to have him all to myself. I have longed for his love for so long; I have only read about it in books, but it’s happening to me, and it feels so unreal. He wants me to be his wife. All of these thoughts raced through my mind within a few seconds. I needed to give him a response; he was on his knees. “No, Ryan, I can’t marry you!” I spoke. I had to face my reality; you belong to another.

Reflecting on our beautiful days together; Ryan stands out as the most caring and intentional man I have ever known. Despite his farm busy schedule, Ryan prioritised me with acts of service, which meant the world to me.

The memory of our first kiss remains fresh every day. It was a beautiful evening; I had just left the store after a long day, and I went to meet Ryan at our secret hideout. We talked about how tedious our day was. As a farmer, I expected him to always get tired, but he is such a strong and healthy man. I shared the story of my past relationship and why I moved to Willowbrook Village. I gazed into his eyes at every slight opportunity during our conversation. Such a beautiful soul, I longed for a kiss from him, a perfect gentleman. It was time for me to leave and as a perfect gentleman, he walked me to the door. I turned around and kissed him. It was just a peck on his lips initially – but my second attempt led to a magical, sweet kiss. His lips were so soft and sweet. That was the beginning of our romantic journey.

Our first night together is a memory that will linger forever – an everlasting memory. A night filled with emotions and charming words. His touch, calming to my soul. He called me so many beautiful names all through the night; I wish the night never ended. It ended so fast, yet so special and beautiful. But, how long do we have to do the hide and seek? I longed to show him to the whole world, but it seemed impossible. Oh, am I going to be a secret wife? That’s not my life. I had always wanted a family of my own and public commitment, and marrying Ryan secretly was not going to make that happen.

You might wonder why I found myself in this situation – involved with a married man. I am not proud, but my emotions got the better of me. Please don’t judge the immorality. I fell helplessly in love with the man of my dreams. Regret? Never. Those beautiful moments mean the world to me. It’s over with my brown skin prince, but the memories will stay with me forever. I will leave you with one question, who knows what the future holds?