My time on Earth held much tragedy, but it left me with one enduring bright glow that has made every gnome lifetime since then into a happy experience: I met my delightful and beautiful wife Jaal there.

Jaal was also young and new in her career, and had arrived on Earth shortly before I did. She was equally determined to do well working on the upcoming dinosaur research.

The dinosaur project was huge. Our work group started by assembling maps of different ecological zones, and listing the many types of flora and fauna that had already been rather haphazardly scattered around Earth.

I concentrated on working with the dinosaurs, since that was why I was hired. Transporting specialty dinosaurs to Earth from intergalactic zoos turned out to be quite a headache. They were bad-tempered and dangerous, and constantly tried to escape from their cages. The list of all the things that could go wrong was nerve-wracking.

Jaal’s specialty was not dinosaurs, but biosphere monitoring and landscape design. She was on the team that checked how well the local environments were progressing. If an area was not working out, that team had to decide whether the physical landscape would be altered or if new varieties of plants would be needed.

Jaal and I were attracted to each other at first glance. We quickly moved onto the same work projects so that we could spend our days together. We trudged through all types of plants in all kinds of terrains. It was easy for Jaal to determine which plants were thriving, since those plants were green and growing new shoots. Noticing which plants were shredded and trampled gave me insights on which vegetation the dinosaurs found tasty.

This detailed observation work was tedious, but it did give us a chance to talk and get to know each other better. We were hot and sweaty and tired, but the discomfort allowed us to discover exactly who we were, good and bad, during those long days. Our relationship flourished along with the dinosaurs.

I have heard humans say that gnomes are not romantic, however, that isn’t true. I wasn’t able to give Jaal bouquets of cut flowers but I did give her gardens full of living flowers instead.

Plants with big showy blooms, like roses, did not exist on Earth yet. Modest little mats of simple plants on low stems had been developed and were doing well in their new environment. The flower petals were tiny, but they were colorful and plentiful. With a little inspiration, these small florae were perfect as the basis for a beautiful vista.

I planted an entire large meadow with carpets of tiny colorful flowers. Viewed against the existing background of waterfalls, pine trees and mountain peaks, the panorama was stunningly beautiful. I even wove a few rustic arched bridges, built from vines, and set them over small streams. I hammered small lanterns to hang from the bridges, ready to light for a bit of soft illumination. I found textured and colorful stones to brighten up low spots that might become slippery.

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When everything was perfect, I brought Jaal to the highest bridge with the most stunning view. Her reaction to the magnificent scenery was everything I had hoped it would be. She was awestruck by the beauty of flat valleys that gradually rose to become foothills and then distant mountain peaks. I told her I named our area Jaal’s Meadow.

I will never forget standing on that bridge, holding hands, as the sky changed from fiery reds to cool lavender tones. Being young and in love, the entire evening was a magical experience.

I proposed to Jaal on that splendid evening. I had hammered out a simple silver engagement ring, so I’d have it with me if she said yes. I turned to Jaal with my question.

Gnomes are shy and private with our emotions, but I can confirm that Jaal said yes.

At that point our relationship became even deeper. Our conversations moved from being mostly about work to opening up about our dreams and goals. We met in the meadow often, to stroll hand-in-hand through the flowers, or to sit and dream. We never grew tired of the lovely views, or of the colorful sunsets and silver misty evenings. It was like Earth was created just for the two of us.

Gradually the birds would settle down for the evening and their songs were replaced by other noises. Night animals would rustle through greenery as they started on their nightly rambles. Insects would call to each other. Frogs filled the night with choruses of sound, even as they remained hidden from us.

Perhaps best of all, the silent fireflies added their hypnotic light displays. The random glows added a dreamlike quality to the entire meadow. During a full moon, it was sublime.

As the evening darkened, we would light small lanterns for a bit more illumination. We didn’t use the powerful alchemist-created fire starters. We feared accidentally igniting a huge brushfire. Instead, we struck our old-fashioned flint tinderboxes. The sparks were perfect for igniting a small but steady glow.

I always managed to keep the dinosaurs out of our enchanted meadow, since I had created it to be Jaal’s and my private preserve. I felt like this was a charmed spot where nothing could ever go wrong. Our small love flames became ever brighter as we discussed our future.

Gnomes marry for only a single lifetime but are free to marry again and again during any of their future lifetimes, if they wish. Jaal and I have indeed married during every gnome lifetime. We have raised children and experienced diverse and challenging years together. Our devotion to each other has been a constant glow of strength for us.

I get nostalgic looking back at that time in Jaal’s Meadow on planet Earth. We were such young and happy souls. We naively looked forward to our future together and proudly continuing to work on the dinosaur project throughout many lifetimes.

When I think back to that time, I am still unhappy and angry at how poorly the creator gods handled ending the dinosaur experiment on prehistoric Earth. There was no excuse for the death and destruction they caused.