Shawn murmured her name twice before saying, "I realize now that love isn't about possession. It's..."

He gulped before continuing, "It's not about how much effort I put in, but about knowing that you're always there. It's knowing that no matter when, you'll always choose to come back home. We'll sleep in the same bed forever and ever."

That was true love. Love was not about control, tying one's hands and feet and watching their every move. Love was about mutual dependence with mutual freedom.