Beginnings

prologue

"My love, my heart, my life. You have always been there for me and I will be forever grateful for having had you in my life all these years."

Siobhan's hand reached out and gingerly caressed Carmen's face; her fingertips tracing his lips and his strong jawline. She smoothed an errant lock of his jet black hair back into place, delicately touching his long black eyelashes.

"Ah," she sighed, "I believe I love your eyes the most. I will always remember the way you looked at me when we first met -- the intensity, the passion, the desire. No man before you had ever looked at me the way you did and I was hooked, right there in that first glance."

She smiled at him, lovingly, as she continued "Was it 'love at first sight'? No, my sweet. It wasn't; although, I knew in that moment that you would forever change my life -- and you have. More than I ever thought a man could. Thank you for gracing me with your love and your friendship."

Siobhan took is hand in hers, her other hand wiping a stray tear from being so overcome with emotion. Her voice thick, she placed a kiss upon the back of the hand that she held. "We will always be together, you and I, forever. You will always be a part of me and I will carry you with me wherever I go."

Placing a gentle kiss upon his lips, she then turned to the mortician, her voice breaking slightly, betraying her, "I'm ready to go now, Mr. Colucci, you can begin. Thank you for giving me this time with him. It is truly appreciated."

With that, she looked at her husband, her lover, her best friend, one last time, turned, and walked out of the room. She made her way out to the car, unlocking it and settling herself inside. As she started to turn the key, the radio came on, the local oldies station playing.

A wide grin dancing across her face, she recognized the song immediately, "I'll Never Break Your Heart" by the Backstreet Boys -- the song that she and Carmen first danced to, the song that became their wedding song. She closed her eyes, thinking back to that first dance with him, then back even further to their first kiss, further still to the night they met, to the beginnings of the love that changed her life ...