Epitome of Love

Leo was the epitome of happiness that morning. It was his fifth anniversary with the girl of his dreams. He didn’t regret the first thing he ever said to her; it was the reason they were so far into this relationship.

“I love you,” he recalled himself saying this as she could only stare and gawk at him.

She was a fan at the time, and now she was his lover. Leo swore he could feel his heart skip a beat as he tied his shoelaces while thinking about her. Kelly, his one and only; he was excited for the day he planned out with her. Naturally, he didn’t tell her of his plans, he didn’t tell anyone for that matter; he wanted to keep it a secret. Leo grabbed his jacket and made his way out of the apartment.

The weather outside was cold and dreary. It made sense as the forecast predicted a heavy snowstorm. Leo rocked back and forth on his heels as he sighed happily. The weather couldn't bring him down— he was too in love with his girlfriend.

Leo walked to Kelly’s apartment while whistling a cheerful tune. His hands were fidgeting in his pocket as he rotated the small box within his fingers. Leo planned on taking Kelly to her favorite dog park, although there might not be that many dogs out because of the weather. Then, he would take her shopping and buy her a new mascara and eyeliner. He owed her for all the tears she cried for him, making her mascara and eyeliner smudge; her best friend, Mia, gave him a tab of how much he owed his girlfriend. Thank god he saved up for this day. Their last stop would be at the garden where he first asked her out. She loved peonies, thus inspiring Leo to ask her out with a bouquet of peonies as she stood over the ones in the garden. That was where he planned on proposing. He purchased the very same bouquet he asked her out with and gave it to the staff, requesting that they gave it to him when he and Kelly entered the garden. They were very accepting of his request.

Leo reached Kelly’s apartment once he went through his plans again. He made his way up the step and to the door, inhaling as he prepared himself to knock on the door.

He knocked twice. That was Kelly’s way of knowing that Leo was at her door. But, Kelly wasn’t the one that answered the door.

“Oh, Leo,” Mia opened the door, her hair disheveled. Behind her was a frowning male that Leo recognized.

“Hi Mia, Matthew, Sorry, I must have interrupted something. I was hoping Kelly was going to answer the door,” Leo said as he took a step back from the door.

“Kelly isn’t home right now, sorry Leo,” Mia apologized sincerely.

Leo’s smile fell. “Do you know where she could be?”

“I don’t know, do you know Matthew?” Mia directed her attention to the boy latched firmly to her waist.

“She said something about going out to meet someone. I ran into her leaving your apartment on my way here,” Matthew said while shrugging.

“Oh, uh, okay. Sorry for disturbing you,” Leo bowed and left the apartment complex.

Leo was confused as he was leaving the apartment. He thought he told Kelly not to do anything today, that today was to be reserved to him. Leo checked his phone and went to his messages to see that he typed out the text, but he didn’t send it to her. Leo face-palmed himself and felt defeated. He was mad at himself for not sending the text to her and upset that his plans would go to waste. He decided to go to the garden where he planned on going that day to pick up the flowers. Maybe he would just propose to Kelly when she got home. At least now he didn't have to worry about the weather spoiling their special moment.

Leo started walking to the garden while feeling a little bit hopeful. He arrived at the garden in practically no time, only to have his mood deflate.

Through the glass windows of the garden, he could see Kelly standing over the peonies she loved, and another boy with his arm around her waist.

Leo was aghast. He could feel his face pale as he continued looking at the sight. Maybe the figure was her brother; Leo never met the guy, so it was a possibility. But brothers did not caress their sister’s cheek while saying what could only be the first three words Leo ever uttered to his beloved, and they certainly did not kiss their sister’s passionately on the lips.

Leo took a couple hesitant steps towards the glass doors and finally identified the standing figure. He was injured, appalled, upset. Leo entered the garden, his facial expression worsening by the second. His footsteps seemed to echo through the garden as he neared the couple. He was a few feet away from them when the boy noticed Leo.

“Ah,” the boy verbally hesitated, causing Kelly to turn to look at whatever made the boy she was with stop abruptly in his sentence. She saw him and, although she was extremely pale, paled almost immediately.

“Leo,” Kelly whispered.

Leo approached the couple, his face solemn. He took the box out of his hand and handed it to the boy Kelly was out with.

“Here, give this to her when you’re ready. Also, you go up to the staff and ask for a bouquet of peonies saying Leo sent you. They’ll give you a bouquet of Kelly’s favorite flowers because,” Leo paused as he looked at Kelly with complete and utter sadness. “I remembered.”

With that, Leo patted the boy’s shoulder and left the garden quickly so that Kelly wouldn’t see the tear that managed to slip out of his eyes.

Leo was the epitome of sadness that night. It was his five year anniversary with the girl of his dreams. He regretted the first thing he ever said to her; it was the reason they were no longer in a relationship.