Day after day, the little turtledove gazed from his perch on the church windowsill at Dear Jesus, and spoke to Him of all that was in his heart. Then one soft summer evening, Tobias lifted his eyes to Jesus and said, "Dear Lord, if it is your will for me to stay here forever serving You and belonging to You alone, I will be perfectly happy. Even if no other creature on earth loves me, Your love is enough for me. But if somewhere there is a mate for me, please help me to find her."

+ + +

For the first time Tobias really looked at the little dove. Her name was Callina and this was the first time she had been away from home by herself. He could feel her heart beating with fright next to his. When she looked up at him gratefully, with her big brown eyes full of frightened tears, she seemed so small and delicate that he wanted to protect her always. His heart throbbed with love that very first time she cooed at him shyly and tucked her head, almost burying it in her snow -white feathers. Tobias shuddered painfully as he realized how close he had come to losing her.

+ + +

Tobias thought constantly of his love. He imagined Callina beside him with her gentle eyes and her soft cooing. But as the little turtledove drew ready to leave, almost feeling Callina's soft feathers next to his, he looked up into the eyes of the Savior on the crucifix - so sad with the weight of the world upon Him. They seemed to say, "Would you leave me, turtledove?"

A pang shot through the little turtledove. Would he be one of those that left Jesus and forgot about Him when they found another love? Though his heart felt as though it were breaking, he lifted his head, No, he would not. He could not desert Jesus, who died on the cross out of love for us.

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Tears welled up in Tobias's eyes upon seeing Callina waiting there for him on the front steps of the church. Callina was silent for a moment. Tobias seemed so thin and tattered from huddling day after day in the cold upon the church windowsill. She loved him more than ever at this moment, and knew that she could never leave him. Jesus had made their love more noble and wonderful because Tobias loved Him so.

She looked into his eyes, gently cooing the words that she had heard read at Mass one morning. "Wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you live so shall I live and your God will be my God also." The little turtledove's heart leapt within him. At last she belonged to him!

+ + +

When spring came, seven new baby turtledoves poked their heads out of their eggshells and blinked at the brightness of their new world. Tobias and Callina smiled at each other with a feeling of overwhelming happiness, realizing how God had blessed their love.

As the turtledoves looked at the stars each night, they prayed for their little doves, that Jesus would bless them and keep them faithful. Most especially they thanked Dear Jesus for having given them each other forever!