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Title: The Epitome of Love
As he was doing the family’s laundry, he realized that he needed to say something to Lilo. From his brief run-in with death, Stitch had a vague memory of Lilo saying that she needed him, and then telling him that he was her family and she loved him. He knew from the ever-wise Earth deity Elvis Presley that one should not refrain from telling another that she is loved. It is said that some things are easier said than done, but in this case, neither would be easy. The logical choice would be to consult The King for guidance and perhaps for Stitch to even dress as Elvis to express his love that way. The little blue alien pulled out one of Nani's plain white blouses. After quickly jerking it on, he unfolded the collar to stand up straight. He ran his claws through the patch of hair centered atop his head to shape it into a mock-Elvis style. He curled his lip over his jagged teeth and cooed, love ya, little momma,Eto an imaginary Lilo in front of him. He swiveled his hips once for added effect. In his mind's eye, Lilo clutched her flushed cheeks with glee before succumbing to a fainting spell. He took the shirt off and tossed it into the laundry basket with the other clothes he was emptying out of the dryer. Stupidhead,he cursed himself as he realized that not even The King would be able to bail him out of this one. Stitch came across a freshly washed pair of Nani's red lacy panties in the laundry. He excitedly mumbled to himself as a thought came to mind. He ran at full speed to the room he shared with Lilo and snatched a book off the shelf. He hurried back to the laundry room and flipped frantically through the book, smiling and nodding once he had finally found what he was looking for. Stitch pulled the lacy panties over his head to fit him like a frilly shirt. He topped off his improvisational disguise with an off-fitting shower cap that featured a feather sticking upward. Dramatically, he propped the book against the laundry basket and cleared his throat with a pronounced “ahem.E With his arms held out romantically, he proclaimed in a crisp, clear voice, “I love thee with a passion put to use / In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. [ . . . ] I love thee with the breath, / Smiles, tears, of all my life! Eand, if God choose, / I shall but love thee better after death.E (1) After catching his breath from such a long speech, Stitch made a gagging face at the sappy nature of the poem. He slammed the book shut and tossed it aside. He hastily removed his outfit while grumbling a series of incomprehensible phrases that sounded none-too-complimentary where his newest brainstorm was concerned. Shortly after, Stitch came across Lilo's doll Scrump in the dryer. Scrump didn't look worse for wear after her accidental journey through the washer and dryer, but Stitch removed her from the machine with care all the same. He gazed intently at the poor doll who had survived several major surgeries, not to mention an explosion or two. In his mind, he saw himself in a suit as he sat across from Lilo, dressed in a sparkling red sequined dress, at some fancy restaurant in some unknown location. Stitch imagined giving Lilo an adorable stuffed animal of some sort, perhaps a teddy bear or a dog, but nothing too fluffy or cute because, in Stitch’s humble opinion, he was the only one in her life allowed \to be fluffy and cute. She dropped the rose in her hand as her diamond-adorned fingers reached out to clutch yet another gift from the one she loved. Stitch was ready to stop this fantasy scenario because it was so unrealistic. Lilo was not materialistic, and neither was Stitch. Such an overly exaggerated scene would be out of character for both of them. However, Stitch liked the calmness of the fantasy. They seemed like normal people, the type of people in the greeting card and jewelry commercials. In both the real world and in his imaginary world, Stitch shrugged his shoulders casually and rather shyly said, I love you. Before Stitch knew what was happening, a pair of tan arms wrapped themselves around him from behind. He struggled for a moment before giving in to the tight and unrelenting hold of a seven-year-old. Stitch squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment as his skin blushed, the red reaction appearing as nothing more than a slight trace of a purplish hue seeping through his blue fur.
“I know you do. And I love you too! Lilo exclaimed as she continued to squeeze her dear friend, the alien who was
starting to enjoy such an enthusiastic embrace. It was then that Stitch realized that all types of true love were
unconditional and unending.
(1) Lines 9-10 and 12-14 from Sonnets from the Portuguese, Sonnet XLIII (How do I love thee? Let me count the waysE) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
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