te amo.

His name was Jaymes Villareal.


By day, he would grace women with a small smile, sometimes a kiss on the hand. He went about the town with his head held high and stole the hearts of all the people around him. He was known as the ciudad amante, town lover. He was married to a beautiful woman, but she lived thirty-two miles east of the lake to take care of her family. So Jaymes was alone, free to do what he pleased. And believe me, he did.


By night, his nickname took action. He'd visit his catch of the month, throwing small pebbles at her window to get her attention. When she came down to him, he'd take her to the bay of the lake. With the moon high in the sky, he would make love to her. While the small lake waves padded against their bodies. He would never stay with one girl for too long, for Jaymes bored easily. He was always looking for something new, perhaps something he knew he was missing in himself.


Her name was Natalie Garcia.


By day, she roamed free. Sometimes running endlessly through daisy fields. Or sleeping as long as she pleased. Loneliness was no stranger to her, for she had lost her parents at the age of nine and had never married. She had thick, wavy, brown locks that she always wore down. Tan skin and lips the color of roses. She was beautiful, but strange. Most of the town completely ignored her quirkiness, for they seemed to have better things to do. One day, as Natalie walked down the bay, she saw him....




Their eyes met and it's as if the whole world had stopped for her. His messy black hair, his soft brown eyes, and his burly build. She wanted to run to him, but Natalie didn't even know his name. As Jaymes saw her, he felt as though he was in a dream. This beautiful angel walking towards him could not be real. He wanted to grab her, and kiss her with everything that he had, but he thought against it, for nothing that beautiful could be a good thing. Natalie approached him slowly and Jaymes stood. When they were within eight feet of each other, they just stood, staring. Not an awkward stare nor awkward silence, it was comfortable; as if this had happened between them all the time. Jaymes was the first one to speak, "I'm ashamed to ask this, but I don't think I know you..." Natalie looked down shyly, "do not be ashamed, for I seem to not recall who you are as well..." Jaymes moved closer, "I'm Jaymes Villareal" and he put his hand out. "Natalie Garcia." she put his hand in his. 


It went from there, this is their story.


On the first day of their encounter, they stayed together all day. Just talking, telling stories about one another's lives. Natalie told him about the boy who broke her heart and since then love never seemed worth it. Jaymes told her about his art and his messed up family life. By the time they finally parted, the sun was waking up. That night, Natalie heard tapping on her window. She opened it slowly and there stood Jaymes, "come down to me..." Natalie smiled, closed her window and crawled back into bed. He was confused by this and continued throwing pebbles at her window. When there was no response, he walked off. This had never happened to him. "What have I down wrong?" He thought, and thought, and thought. Nothing had crossed his mind.  Jaymes could not sleep that night, for no girl had ever left him waiting. He would go back there tomorrow night, and try again; he decided before finally drifting to sleep. 


The next day; Natalie slept till twelve that afternoon. She awoke, put on her favorite white dress, plucked a pale pink carnation from her garden and made her way to town. Searching the sea of people, she searched for Jaymes' face. Finally, she found him. She made her way over to him, he noticed this and put down the board and hammer he held. "Good morning" she smiled, "good afternoon" he replied.  Jaymes pulled her away from the crowd, "why did you not come to me last night...?" Natalie looked disgusted, "because I'm the type of women who deserves to be seen out during the day, not hidden away in the night." And with that, she left him, standing there; mouth agape.  "Natalie!" Jaymes called, she did not turn around. He ran to her and grabbed her arm, "come with me, please?" he pleaded. She looked deep into his eyes and finally she replied "okay..."


He led her through the Willow Forest, past the daisy fields, and even further than the lake's bay. Finally after about an hour and a half of walking, there they stood; on a cliff that overlooked the entire town. Natalie stepped forward, the wind whipping her hair back. "It's breathtaking." She said looking back at Jaymes. "My father brought me here when I was a young boy, he told me that when I had finally found love, to bring that girl here..." Natalie turned around slowly, "love?" Jaymes stepped forward, "you're unlike any girl I've ever met Natalie Garcia, you're so free; you don't care what people think about you. You do what you want when it pleases you and you stand up for what you believe in. Your charisma is noble." Natalie's cheeks burned, "just because I'm not the first girl to come to you at night, does not mean you love me, Jaymes."  Jaymes smirked, "I know, but it's more than that. You're beautiful and inspiring." And with that, he grabbed her and kissed her more passionately than he had ever kissed another woman. Hours passed and they were still on that cliff together.  Tears of happiness slid off of Natalie's cheeks. "This will never work, you are married..." Jaymes kissed her forehead, "I'd cut off ties with everyone in my life if it meant I get to spend forever with you."  Natalie sat up placing her hand on Jaymes' chest, "you're a silly man Jaymes Villareal, I'm not going to let you shame your name like this and break the heart of an innocent woman just because you want to be with me right now...you need to think hard and long about what you really want in life. If it's me, then your heart will know where to find me. If it's not, then thank you; because of you, I now know that my heart is no longer afraid to love...."  


She walked away, tears falling down her face. Jaymes didn't know what to do, he too had tears slipping from his eyes. He laid there for hours, contemplating everything. Finally, he knew what he had to do. Jaymes walked to Natalie's home, but when he arrived; all that was before him was a daisy field. It looked as though the foundations of a home had never graced the land. Confused, he walked down to the village. The first person he saw was Momma Gio,  he called to her. "Momma Gio, where is Natalie Garcia?" Her face pained when he asked this, "Jaymes...you know she took her life last spring after her husband left her...you shouldn't ask such questions." And she left him there, cold and alone and confused. Did he dream this? No, everything that had happened had been to real to be a dream. That night, he wrote a letter to his wife....




"Dear Alexandria,

How have you been? It has been ages since we've last talked...and because of that I have not been the husband you deserve. Love, I've been missing something inside me for a long long time now. But I've been scared to confront it, in fear you might not see me as the man you've always been so sure of. I've been unfaithful and I know that's wrong; but I had to admit that to you. I care about you supremely, but I do not love you. You do not deserve someone like me. With someone as incredible as you, you deserve a man who can put the stars in the sky and rearrange them so beautifully, Heaven is envious. You may be wondering why I have had this sudden revelation, well I met someone...or at least I think I did. She put things into perspective for me and made me realize how I've been living is wrong. I'm going to travel the world and leave this small town...and I just couldn't do that knowing I have been dragging your heart around on a string. Thank you for blessing me with five years of happiness, but you deserve a life time. Lexie, please do not hate me...but if you do I would understand. Just know that we were young when we married and I never really had the time needed to grow up. I will always think of you whenever i see sapphire blue fabric or lily's. You are always in my heart...


yours forever, Jaymes Villareal."