Those three little words. A short story.

"Love is a crazy thing," I mumbled to myself as I stared at my flushed face in the bathroom mirror.

We had just finished a wonderful dinner that we had cooked together. It was our attempt at making tasty thai food. It wasn't a complete failure, per se, but it was definitely not perfect thai food. We both love spicy foods but apparently I'd been a little too bold with the unfamiliar thai spices. We ended up with a fabulous smelling meal and one that we could hardly swallow as it burned down every inch of our throats. We had laughed if off and decided that the leftovers might be better off in the trash can. But it had been a great experiment and one of those bonding moments. We had been dating for a couple of months and I constantly had butterflies in my stomach. He was sweet and caring. He was the most wonderful man. And the way he looked at me made my heart melt.

And as I stared at my reflection, I felt a little panicky. I wanted to say those three little words. I wanted him to know that every second that I was around him was amazing. I wanted to tell him that there are days that I just long for his presence. I just wanted to be in the same room with him. Breath the same air. I want him to know that there were moments that he took my breath away when he would grab my hand unexpectedly. My body tingled at his touch. My dreams were filled with his images. I imagined us years into the future still as happy as ever. I dreamt of our children and our lives together. I wanted to explain the feelings that were bubbling inside of me. And those three little words were the perfect explanation.

I sighed and turned on the hot water in the sink. My palms felt clammy. I cupped my hands and splashed lukewarm water on my face. Turning off the tap, I reached for a towel and dried my face. I looked up into the mirror again. Staring back at myself, I watched my lips mouth the words. I could do it. I wanted to tell him. Why was I so nervous anyhow? It was a simple phrase but it was a phrase that made me more vulnerable. I had to admit that he'd shaken me at my core. That I was head over heels and all those other love cliches. There was always the possibility that he wouldn't say it back. And I would be okay with that. This moment was mine for the taking. If he said it too than I would be that much happier, but I knew that I needed to tell him. I wanted him to know that I was open to the possibilities.

I put the towel down on the edge of the sink and winked at myself in the mirror. It was time. I loved him and I wanted him to know.