Just a Plain White Gold Band

She looked at her finger. Just a plain white gold band. So small...and yet. Yet it dominated her life.

Theirs had been a long courtship. It sounded so much better to say "long courtship" than to say that they had lived together for six years before finally getting married.

She had wondered over and over again, during that six years, when he would finally get around to asking her. He never did. They just kind of got married when they discovered that the light of their lives was arriving in nine months.

She should have been happy. And she was. All of her dreams were coming true. She just wished for all the romance to go along with the man she loved. The chance to tell her children about the romantic way their father asked their mother to be his forever.

Somehow she felt cheated. Robbed of that special moment.

Yet she had stood before that wonderful man...and the rest of the world as she vowed to love only him. A vow she wanted to keep.

That night they had made love so tenderly.

He had looked deep into her eyes as he gently stroked her growing belly. She smiled as she felt butterflies in her stomach. After all these years he still had the power to give her butterflies.

He began stroking her breasts as he kissed her gently. The kiss deepened and awakened her senses. Every stroke was so sweet. His hands massaged her breasts and left her breathless.

He touched her everywhere except the one place she desperately needed him to. That place between her legs needed his attention.

She arched and writhed, attempting to convey how much she needed him. Slowly his fingers made their way to her already wet mound.

"Ooh!" He was surprised to find her wet and ready.

She moaned as his fingers found their entry and began dipping into her, stroking her into senselessness.

"Please..." She thrust her hips forward, demanding deeper penetration.

He moved over her and positioned himself for entry. His smooth, hard shaft probed for entry. Just as was about to enter her, he lifted her face so that their eyes locked in a smoldering connection.

"I love you," he whispered. Then he slid into her.

She felt immediate relief to have him inside, filling her completely. He stretched her with his fullness. They were made to fit together.

She could feel his heart beat inside her.

Then he began moving. At first it was slow and gentle while they gazed into each other's eyes. Then it intensified. She could feel her climax building until he was slamming into her with urgency.

"My love. My wife. My angel. My heart." Each tender phrase he said was accented with a deep thrust.

"I'm gonna...oh..I.." She uttered as she felt the climax about to take over.

"Yes, wait, me too," he replied. "Look at me."

She looked in his eyes as she felt herself explode. He climaxed at the same time.

They watched the emotion, the ecstasy in each other's faces as sweet relief washed over them.

And then they held each other. For how long, she couldn't say. Hours, maybe.

It had been amazing. It continued to be amazing. Every night, every day. They found new reasons to be in love at every turn of their lives. He was always in her thoughts. The family they had made together was her life.

How important was it really, that he had never asked her to marry him? She had what every sane person in the world dreams of. She had a tender, expressive, handsome, loving soul to share her life with. She had the rare joy of being married to a great lover who just happened to come in the package of her best friend. He was always going to marry her. He wanted her. He loved her, she never doubted that for a moment.

That ring represented her commitment to him. It really represented him. He was always with her. Even if they were apart, he was always with her.

So now she stood all in black with a handsome little boy, the very image of his dad. Her heart hurt, but if it was hurting then she knew it wasn't broken.

If she had just known how much time she would have with him she wouldn't have spent one second upset at him. She would have told him every day what a wonderful father he was. She would have spent every second with him.

Now she had a reason to feel cheated. Not because of some stupid marriage proposal. She had a real reason. But she didn't feel cheated. She felt blessed. Blessed that she got to really know him, love him, have him. Blessed that he had chosen her. Blessed that she had his ring.

She looked at her finger. Just a plain white gold band. So small...and yet. Yet it dominated her life.

It always will.