Coralia

"Hush, child," the mother cooed as her crying baby girl entered the world. The child smelled of the ocean air. The mother thought she saw the sea's blue in the depths of her eyes, as she opened them, the minute she was born.

Coralia exuded the beauty of the underwater reefs. Her very name echoed the serenity of the corals that captivated seabeds. Just as the calicles of the deep breathed life into a barren seabed, weaving vibrant hues across its silent depths, her presence brought a sudden warmth to the world around her.

Coralia was proclaimed a child of the ocean due to that. Her mother thought that she had heard the tides in her first cry, as if she had been washed ashore from the depths of the ocean.

She had the most bewitching eyes; a mystery danced in their turquoise depths resembling the sea's nature. The storms that stirred the ocean could be seen through them; though she portrayed a calm exterior, there was a hidden, wild streak that bespoke fierce independence.

“As special as she is to invoke inquisitive eyes to stare, my Coralia possesses divine powers. A cry from her heart silences the storms that rage in the seas. She is a mystery even to us,” her father proclaimed years later, as she grew into a beautiful young woman.

Her birth brought immense happiness to her family, blessing her parents with a truly blissful life together. Years before her birth, when her father asked her mother to marry him, they stood on the sandy seashore on the exotic island of Langkawi. Witnessing their love for each other were the blue corals and pebbles lining the seabeds below, while the sun's rays glistened like pearls on the shimmering surface. It was the perfect setting for a union such as theirs—a love as magical, idyllic, and transcendent. The serene surroundings evoked a sense of wonder and enchantment.

Back home in Toronto, it was winter. As Christmas neared, snow blanketed the city, transforming the landscape into a frozen wonderland. The crisp, biting air stung the skin with a sharpness found in the freezing season, prompting her father to sweep his beautiful girlfriend away to the land of the sun—Malaysia, where the idyllic beaches of exotic islands promised a paradisical getaway. They holidayed on the year-round warm island of Langkawi, thus escaping Canada’s winter-ridden chill. Though Toronto had turned into a fairytale setting of snow and ice-covered peaks, he was eager for the tropical warmth.

Langkawi was a paradise on earth, boasting pristine white sands and crystal-clear turquoise waters. Palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, providing shade in the tropical island, while a vibrant coral reef teemed with marine life, making it a dream destination for tourists.

It was a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Toronto’s city life, where the gentle sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the rustle of leaves from tall coconut trees on the beach created a picturesque atmosphere.

The perfect getaway for the two lovers, her mother, barely twenty, had dived into the sea that morning, happier than she had ever been. Minutes before, the couple had walked hand in hand along the shore, their bare feet digging into the warm sands, leaving a trail of footprints behind.

Standing in the shallow waters, she made a striking picture: her long dark hair fell below her waist as she balanced on nimble feet, the translucent water washing over them in lyrical movements. Watching her from the beach, her father found he couldn’t take his eyes off her. In that instant, a sudden urge overcame him, and he went and stood next to her.

She looked radiant, like a sun-kissed goddess, smiling as their eyes met. In a sudden move, he took her hands in his and asked, “Will you marry me?”

Taken by surprise, she answered without a blink of an eye, “Yes, I will marry you, Justin.” She had never loved anyone more, ecstatic that he had chosen such a perfect setting to propose.

“Do you have the ring with you, Justin?” she teased.

Looking down, he pulled a slender reed floating by his feet. A graceful stem of organic green, it became a heartfelt token of his commitment. He tied it around her tender finger, kissed her palm, and promised a real ring the moment they returned to the hotel. As they walked back, she asked if he had planned to propose to her the way he did. He shared that he had always known she was the one; the flawless ambience of the place had aligned perfectly with the vision he had always carried in his heart - the vision of her as his wife.

They were married a month later in Toronto, and Coralia was born eight months after that—an only child as mystical and magical as the island where she was conceived.

Growing up, Coralia deeply admired the love between her parents, who complemented each other in every way. She hoped to find a similar love one day, knowing how rare it is to find someone who reciprocates with the same intensity.

For love is a powerful emotion capable of consuming a person like a tidal wave, bringing a surge of eager excitement that makes the heart race and the mind buzz. It begins with a spark—a flicker of interest grown strong through careful contemplation—but once it takes hold, it transforms into an exuberant bond that transcends the physical and touches the soul. It remains a force to be reckoned with: a journey of self-discovery that brings immense joy, heartache, and pain, connecting two people on a level far beyond ordinary contemplation.