One Dark Starry Night *Part one*

"You will never find true love," were the words that kept repeating over and over in my mind as a teenager. Looking back now I realize how untrue that statement was. 

Ever since I was a child I always had this love for a boy. He was a year and a few months older than me, very kind, understanding, smart and easy to talk to. I knew I had special feelings for him but did not ever dare call it love. Why? Well a love like that would be called forbidden. This boy whom I was so fond of was my cousin, Daren. Many summers I would visit his home town and we would hang out together and have lots of innocent fun. My other cousins realized our closeness and could not understand how two people who only see each other once a year for a few weeks could be so close. Some times family members would tease us and say we were love birds or husband and wife. Of course I never thought about us that way. I only saw our relationship to each other as being good friends. How ever there were occasions where we did pretend to be husband and wife but I never thought about it seriously. 

My grandparents had a very large house with a very large upstairs room filled with beds for us cousins to sleep. Of course Daren and I shared a bed. We would talk for hours and finally fall asleep happy and contented. As the years rolled on Daren matured into a tall, handsome, responsible guy and I into a mature, tall, slim, beautiful young teenage girl. One dark starry night after everyone had gone to sleep, I made my way to the outside porch. I sat there on the wall for a good five minutes looking in awe at the vast starlit sky and enjoying the nice breeze. Suddenly I sensed a presence and looked and there stood Daren next to me. He smiled.
"Hey how come you're out here so late?"
"I could not sleep and just wanted to catch some fresh air," I said smiling.

"I see. So do you mind if I join you?"
"Ofcourse not. There is plenty of room," I said moving over. For a few moments we sat in silence. Then Daren spoke.
"Marie there is some things I need to tell you."
"Oh? what about?"

He then came closer and held my hand. I thought nothing of this because it was really normal to me, for us to hold hands.
"I hope I wont scare you or anything when I say this but Marie I really love you. Always have and I always will. Ever since we were little I imagined my future wife to be someone kind, loving and beautiful just like you...not really like you but the real thing. I want you to be my wife."
"Um...Daren do you realize what you are saying?"
"Yeah."
"But we are cousins. We cant marry each other."
"I know..."

There was a rather uncomfortable silence as Daren let my hand go. Quickly I grabbed it and held it tightly. He looked into my eyes.
"Daren what you just said to me is really shocking. I care about you very much, very deeply in fact. I know I feel something for you, I know I always have but I have never been able to identify it as love."
He looked at me in silence as gush of breeze blew upon us.
"So do you love me then?" he asked finally.

"Yes I do very much. Which is what scares me. Is it possible for cousins to love each other or fall in love?" I asked rather innocently.
" It can happen. Marie let me tell you something," he said putting his arm around my waist, "when we were younger I told your parents that one day I would marry you. Of course they laughed thinking it to be a funny and cute joke. But I was not joking. I love you very much. I can't understand how I could feel something like this for you when I only see you once a year every summer. But each time I see you my love grows deeper and deeper for you."
"Really Daren? Are you serious or is this another game of yours?"

"Marie I am very serious. I was thinking about something today do you realize that today is our wedding anniversary?"
"Our what? How?"
"When we were younger we had a pretend wedding and I recorded the date and you know what I never ever bought you an anniversary gift."
"That's because it was only a game. I had no idea you were serious."
"Well I am but you know what frustrates me the most?"
"What?"
"I know I will never have you as my wife."

There was another silence and I looked into his eyes. So warm and soothing. He took my hand in his and began rubbing it gently.
"Perhaps Daren we can just be husband and wife for this summer. I love you very much and I think this is the only thing we can do about our love."
Agreeing, he took my hand and led me upstairs to his bed... before falling asleep he spoke.
"If I cant have you for my wife in the future, I sure want to enjoy the pleasure of having you at least one night. One night to end it all."
I looked at him horrified. 

"Dont get scared now," he said smiling rolling over on his side.
"I wont." I said smiling anticipating that night.