" Nice place"

Declan says looking around at the vast garden around the castle like place. With blooming flowers.

While slipping the tea.

" Thank you. "

Aaron replies, while sipping his own tea. As both look at Zaria and Hayden playing in the garden. Their giggles echoing around.

Declan wanted to ask Aaron about her. But he was not able to find the right words. Rubbing his neck awkwardly, he asks something else instead.

" Zaria. A very beautiful name for a more beautiful girl."

Aaron continues to stare at her, smiling sadly. To answer.

" It means a gift of love."

" Umm Aaron where is Ez-"

He couldn't complete as a figure walks towards them. Her heels clicking against the tiles, to go silent when they pierce the garden.

" Come on kids! The food is ready! Hurry up!"

Declan looks at the elegant women in surprise. Her blue eyes locking with them as Aaron calls her.

" Olivia! Come. I want you to meet someone."

The women starts walking towards them and Declan gets up to greet her. They nod at each other to have her place her hands on Aaron's shoulder.

Speaking to him in a soft gentle caring voice.

" The food is set. Come. You guys also have something to eat."

Aaron smiles at her over his shoulder. Nodding.

" We will join you in a while. Meet him first. Declan."

Her eyes widen in surprise. Her expression changing. As she recalls the name.

" Declan. As in that Declan in the book ?"

She asks suddenly getting excited ,turning her attention to those confused blue eyes of Declan. She has heard his name, but how? Who was this women? Could it be that she is Aaron's wi-

" I have heard so much about you! Truly speaking if I was for our main lead. I would definitely choose you over this stupid grey eyed monster!"

She exclaims. Her eyes shining in excitement. And Declan smiles sadly at her over excited self.

While Aaron sips his tea with that stoic look on his face , no emotion decipherable. Moving his fingers over his hair which have slightly turned grey.

He just sighs.

Seeing the uncomfortable silence stretch between them. Olivia bites her lip, not sure what to speak next.

" Ummm come on. The food is getting cold."

She urges and they follow her to the dining room where the kids were already seated.

Declan settles down and they have the delicious food. But he couldn't help look around at the interiors to find something about her, but nothing.

There were no traces of her.

Once done. He gets up and they sit in the lobby, when Aaron's phone starts ringing.

" Excuse me"

Excusing himself he leaves and Declan is left alone in the drawing room. He see books lined and he gets up approaching them.

When his eyes stop at a frame in the center.

It had 5 people in them.

Mrs Rose, Mr Reed, Ben , Aaron ,Olivia and little Zaria in Aaron's hand.

And Declan picks it up to look closer. Why? Why isn't she in this picture? Why is Aaron standing with Olivia?

" Nice picture. Right?"

A voice speaks from behind. And Declan turns around surprised to see Olivia there. A tray with cup of green tea in her hands.

" Yah. I am sorry. I was just..."

" It's fine. Please. You are searching for her right?"

Taking the photo from Declan's hand. She looks at it. Tracing her fingers on the photo smiling.

" She is the one who clicked this picture."

Declan's heart thuds. Hope rising inside him. As he looks at Olivia in eagerness.

" What...what happened in their story? I read the book and the end was never written. "

Olivia sighs. Placing back the photo frame to look at him.

" She refused to publish the end. But it was written. She wrote it herself."

Sighing, she approaches the pile of books to take out a book with red frame. Coming towards him,she offers him the book.

Nodding.

" Here. Take this. It will answer all your questions."

Declan looks down at the book. His heart beat racing. As Olivia nods at him.

" I will be back"

Leaving him in silence.

Declan was perplexed.  Tightening his grip on the red book Declan looks down at the title of the book.

' Selfless Love'

The words made his heart to beat more faster.

As he turns the first page, the words written on it, made him fill with nostalgia.

Dedicated to the person who bloomed like the flowers of the month she was named after and left us to join heaven.

May

Declan's heart beat was audible in his ears. Turning the first page, he moves his fingers on the quote written at the top of the page.

" Did the Sun asked it's payment for lightning our earth?

Did the rivers asked it's dues for quenching our thirst?

Did the air counted the breath it offered?

They didn't.

Then why would my love become selfish to ask you for your love in return?"

Declan's grip on the book tightens. Oh Ezra. He has seen and known many women in the world. But never has he encountered a girl like her in his 45 years of life.

How can a person like her be real.

When they say angels exist. They are real. They are alive in beautiful souls like Ezra's.

And maybe that's why there is balance on earth.

If there is evil, there is good as well.

The stories of her selflessness are what he taught Hayden while he grew up. And maybe that's why he has been drawn to the little girl Zaria.

Zaria, the gift of love.

The girl was a complete replica of Ezra in her deeds and innocence.

Taking a deep breath, he looks down at the paper. Ready to read more.

Since childhood, we learn different things. They say this society, our family , our friends teach us a lot of things. But with me ,I was a bit different.

My minds ideologies were set. Even before anyone could teach me. Like my genes, my blood inculcated it's own values in me.

Or maybe it was my soul's purpose underneath.

I could feel everything.

What people would see and ignore. I would take it as my own.

I would go beyond logical boundaries for strangers.

Even at the cost of my own self.

And maybe that's why, he called me

"His Stupid girl"
.
.
.
.

I didn't fit in. I couldn't adapt. I couldn't make friends. I considered my self to be weird and unacceptable by this society.

And I to some extent in my heart doubted myself. Judged myself and even hated myself.

Untill the day I realised.

I was different, I was unique. I was out of this world . I was special.

And I was way worth more I thought of myself.

I never said I was right. But I would never do wrong or see wrong.

And I loved myself for who I was.

I accepted my uniqueness. And my Stupidness.

Because that's who Ezra was.

When people set the boundaries for the word love. I would smile at it. Wondering when will they realise that, love is not just a boyfriend girlfriend affair, love is not lust, love is not just a boy girl thing.

It was beyond.

Love was for nature. Love was for friends. For family. For animals. For food. For yourself.

Love was everything.

It was present in everything around me.

Yet, my stupid 6 year old self found it in only one person for the first time in my life.

I found it in him.

Aaron

In Hebrew , his name meant a very high mountain of strength. And my innocent self was determined to climb this mountain with my everything. To finally claim that one thing placed at its peak.

"His protected heart"

How it started? I really don't know. But when I saw those stormy grey eyes for the first time. My scared self wanted to become audacious for once.

I wanted to jump into their storms, to find out the mysteries behind this beautiful boy, who rarely spoke.

I thought it will be easy. But who knew it will take years to unveil him?

Who knew I will fall so hard for him that I will forget everything.

Beauty is present everywhere. I wasn't the one to be fooled by his looks. He was a pretty flower indeed, but I was cautious of thorns as well.

But, why my heart fell for him?

It was because of something else. Something every one couldn't see.

He got a bird one day and hid it in the basement. I hated him for taking away the little birds freedom.

To only realize. The birds wing was broken. He took care of it for days and once it healed.

He opened the window. Letting it go.

He taught Neil and Ben for their exams. When the next day , he had his own exam.

He gave me his favourite pencil ,when I failed to bring one.

He protected me from boys that made fun of me.

Untill that one day on my 7 th birthday. He changed. He stopped giving me his pencil. He instead started breaking mine. He didn't stopped the bullies, he started walking away instead.

I thought he hates me. He was ashamed to be with me.

Just like others.

If only I knew then. Why he changed.

If only I knew then the battles he learnt fighting at such a young age.

He had a problem. And this problem was what brought his downfall.

And it was his selflessness.

Yes, you heard me right.

His selflessness of not letting others get hurt on knowing how hurt he was. The problem of hiding his pain to not let the smiles on others faces fade away.

I somehow still wonder how he was able to do it?

I couldn't even hide the secret of eating a candy without permission. How did he hid such a big secret from everyone?

And that's when I realise how true his name fits.

Aaron, strength.

Yes, he was the strongest 10 year boy I had ever seen. And mentally his strength was unmatchable. I don't think I will ever see a man like him .

And that's why I waited for him.

That's why I searched everywhere for him.

That's why that day , I finally met him.

He never told his own family, his friends, even me his secret. He never told them his love for me had became his greatest weakness.

And maybe that's why, our fate turned out like this.

That's why we reached here.

35 years, 459 days and 50 seconds was what it took for our story to reach at this point.

To only realize, some stories never end.

That they remain alive in our hearts forever.

And this was one of those stories.

The story of Ezra's love for Aaron

Which turned out to be way fainter than his love for her.

This is a story of the purest and most beautiful love in the world.

This is a story of their

" Selfless Love"

                 .......

Declan feels something wet on his cheek , to only realize it to be a rogue tear.

He has read this book countless times before, but everytime he reads it.

He can't control himself.

Cleaning the tears with his fingers and trying to calm his chaotic insides. His takes in a deep breath, before turning the pages.

Flipping the book. To read the last pages.

And he realises what Olivia actually meant.

The place on the paper where the typing ends, lines were written down in beautiful lucida handwriting . Her handwriting

The incomplete end of the story was completed.

Selfless love , had an end.

Which no one has read and was left unpublished.

Gulping the lump in his throat. He reads the last typed words again. From where the actual end begins

" On that night in the mental asylum, while I laid in his arms with blood oozing out of my body. I couldn't feel pain. I couldn't feel anything. Except his warmness.

His touch, his embrace. His scent. Made me smile despite my state.

His heart was thudding, right under my palm. His palms holding my face. Pleading me asking me why I did it. And I answer truthfully, unable to stop a traitrous tear.

" Because I love you Aaron. Had and always will."

I confessed with my fading breaths, gathering all the strength in me. To only see his grey frozen orbs melting. His Fascades dropping.

Kissing my face, not leaving even an inch. He shows me my heaven. He gives me everything I could ask from him.

And I was ready to leave now. My eyes closing and darkness enveloping my vision.

" No! You can't leave me...no!"

He pleads. But where was I going? I was with him. In his heart forever. No one could seperate us now.

I feel a warmness on my lips and the last words I hear him say in my half conscious state. Were still enough to make my struggling heart, thud one best faster.

" I love you more my Ezra...I love you more"

And that's when I was ready to surrender to this heaviness in my head. Ready to surrender to this battle. In which one would think I lost. But truly.

I won.

Our selfless love has won finally.

I have found him. And we will remain together, forever.

              .....

This was where the typed words end. And Ezra's hand written words begin. The real end of this story.

And Declan cleans his tears to clear his hazy vision. Reading.

            ....

I had accepted this to be the end of our selfless love. But God had some other plans.

I didn't believed in the power of my love.

But today, God showed me what it truly meant.

We gave our everything without the hope of getting anything in return and maybe that's why he returned us.

With abundance which was nothing less than a miracle.

When we give without expecting, remember he gives us without asking.

And I was given everything.

                  ......