Water Under the Bridge

This is one of my very favorite places in the world. It's very pretty, but not spectacular. It's far away from things, but it's not some hidden, secret place. But it's special to me for a very important reason.
Gary and I liked to come here when we were dating. It's called Cascade Springs up American Fork Canyon. This is the place where I first realized I loved Gary and I couldn't live without him.

We were standing on this very bridge. It was Spring of 2000, a few months after we had started dating. Everything was green and the water was high and deafening and beautiful. Gary and I had been walking around, looking at the springs when I saw a cute little bridge and we went to go walk across it. A big family had been standing on the bridge, and they walked off, leaving Gary and me there alone. The water was rushing below us, under the bridge, muting all the other sounds around us. It felt like it was just him and me. No other people. No talking. No noise. No homework. No dance labs. No jealousy. No stress over classes. No jobs. No confusion. To me, the water rushing under us was all those things. It was the first time that I was able to not worry about those things and really picture what life would be like with this wonderful person standing next to me and tune everything else out. I looked at him and his big, beautiful smile and sweet, gentle eyes and it hit me so strong- the realization that I loved Gary. It brought tears to my eyes. It was powerful and real and I just loved him.
Here we are at that same spot almost ten years later. We still have homework, and jobs, and bills, and stress, and noise, and even loneliness. (I've seen Gary twice this week.) But I love Gary so much. I'm so glad he chose me and that I chose him. It's you and me, Babe.