I Love You

 “I love you.”

              He first said the words so carelessly and irresponsibly.

              Or so I thought.

Silence.

I laid there. Unable to say them back.

Until one day,
            “I love you”
Came out of my mouth.
To him
I said it to him. And about him. I meant it but the words were green like eating pre-ripe fruit.
A green banana.
A bright orange persimmon.
A white raspberry

I was scared.
And I didn’t know how to admit those words.
Didn’t know if I could live up to them.

But he continued.
His daily sonnet.
            Confession.

His Patience.

And every time I felt it. Absorbed his words.
I hungered for them.
And he gave me life.

As time went on, as I said what I needed, I felt the taste change.
My words ripened.

“I love you.”

They caramelize in my mouth. Went down sweet.
Sugar.
Cream.

            Heaven

            is so close to those words.

I Love You.