One Sunday morning, he unexpectedly showed up at my doorstep and surprised me with an invitation to breakfast at the local coffee shop. I prefer sleeping until noon on weekends, so I was complaining with my usual morning crankiness.

“You look beautiful with or without makeup,” he chuckled.

He sat down on the end of the couch and waited. I picked up my eyeliner pencil and leaned toward the mirror. I hesitated when I noticed his uneasy expression in the background.

“What are you staring at?” I asked, slightly amused.

“How do you manage not to poke your eyeballs out?!” he gawked.

I laughed and set the pencil on my desk.

“I’m not in danger, silly goose,” I rolled my eyes. Why do they call it "lucky duck" and "silly goose"? I mean, what makes a goose sillier than a duck? I'd like to know.

He came up from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me in closer and gently brushed my hair aside. I blushed. “I never want to see you get hurt,” he whispered.

Gosh darn it, he was such a hopeless romantic. Can’t really blame a girl for falling head over heels though, he was just so sweet and thoughtful. I turned around to face him and placed my hands upon his broad shoulders. I rested my head against his chest and caught a whiff of his signature scent, a familiar hint of fresh peppermint, cinnamon spice, and sandalwood. It was warm and comforting. He pressed his forehead against mine and stared into my hazel green eyes. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach and goosebumps lingered on my skin. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and tousled with his soft brown hair. He slowly leaned forward and kissed my lips. When he opened his eyes again, he sighed. I felt his muscles tense up and he loosened his arm around my waist.

I held my breath, preparing for the worst. “What’s wrong?”

He glanced at me nervously and bit his bottom lip. “I wish I could always be there to protect you.”

I exhaled. That’s all? I giggled and playfully elbowed him. “You jerk! If I develop worry lines and begin premature aging, I totally blame you.”

He grinned. “I love you.”

A crooked smile spread wide across my face. I bet I looked like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. It was another one of my idiotic moments, when all the words were caught in my throat. How much I wanted to open my mouth and fearlessly speak those four little words, "I love you, too.”