You Are Most Beautiful Through the Lens Chapter 10

Four years later.

At the UCSD graduation ceremony, Ethan and I stood side by side on stage.

I was an honors graduate from the Business School; he was the winner of the Best Photography Award from the Art School.

"Thank you to these four years for letting me meet the best version of you," he said on stage, then suddenly turned to me. "Skylar Hayes, I have something to say."

The whole venue went silent.

He took a small box out of his pocket and knelt on one knee.

"From the first time I saw you in freshman year of high school until now, it’s been exactly seven years. For these seven years, I've been grateful every day. Grateful you posted that ticket transfer on Instagram, grateful I gathered the courage to contact you, grateful you gave me a chance."

"These four years, we studied together, grew together, watched countless sunrises and sunsets together."

"I've taken many photos, won many awards, but what makes me proudest is capturing every beautiful moment of you."

"Now, I want to take the most important photo of our lives—"

He opened the box. Inside was a diamond ring.

"Skylar Hayes, will you marry me?"

Screams and applause erupted from the crowd.

Tears flooded my eyes instantly.

"I do."

He stood up excitedly, put the ring on my finger, and hugged me tight.

"Thank you for willing to be my wife."

"Thank you for being the light of my life," I whispered in his ear.

...

The wedding was held a year later by the sea.

The exact same beach where he confessed to me.

The sun was setting, the sea breeze was gentle.

I wore a white wedding dress, walking down the aisle on my father's arm.

Ethan stood at the other end, tears shining in his eyes.

"I, Ethan Rivers, take you, Skylar Hayes, to be my wife. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I will love you, cherish you, and protect you, until the end of my life."

"I, Skylar Hayes, take you, Ethan Rivers, to be my husband. Through good times and bad, I will accompany you, support you, and love you, forever."

"You may now kiss the bride."

He gently cupped my face and kissed me.

Applause and cheers resonated across the entire beach.

...

At the reception after the wedding, Madison walked over with champagne.

"Skylar, a toast to you! Wishing you and Ethan eternal happiness!"

"Thanks, Mads." I clinked glasses with her. "Thanks for being by my side all these years."

"Don't be silly." She smiled. "By the way, did you know? Tyler got married too."

"Really?" I was a bit surprised.

"Yeah, just last month. The bride is a junior he met at NYU, studying Art History. Heard they are a great match."

"That's good." I said sincerely. "He deserves happiness."

"Yeah, everyone deserves happiness." Madison looked at me. "Especially you."

That night, Ethan took me to a small room behind the wedding venue.

"I have a gift for you."

He opened the door. Inside was a whole wall of photos.

From that silhouette under the ginkgo tree in freshman year, to the photo at the Annie Leibovitz exhibit, to the roller coaster at Universal Studios, to the sunset by the sea, to every important moment of our four years in college—

All the photos documented our entire love story.

"This is—"

"Our memory wall." He hugged me from behind. "Every year from now on, I'll add new photos here. Our children, our home, our whole life."

"I want to use my lens to record all our happy moments."

I turned around and hugged him tightly.

"Ethan, thank you."

"Don't thank me." He kissed my forehead. "Loving you, recording you, is the luckiest thing in my life."

...

Years later, when I look through those photos, I always think of that summer.

The summer I decided to let go, the summer I met him.

Some say life is like a set of photos, made up of countless moments.

Some moments are beautiful, some are painful, but it is these moments that make us complete.

And I am so lucky that in the photo album of my life, there is one person who has been helping me capture the most beautiful angles from beginning to end.

That person is Ethan Rivers.

My photographer, my love, my life.