"Adrian," I protested, "You know I hate surprises." They were a nice thought but with my luck, they always caused the worst of problems but I played along and kept my eyes closed nonetheless.
"Come on, Sage," the voice of my boyfriend – husband, although that word would take some getting used to – was only a few feet away and so I walked blindly with careful apprehension through his art studio towards him. "Okay, open your eyes." As my eyelids fluttered open, my eyes were met with a single eye with an array of emerald and mahogany oils. The flecks of white looked to be reflections and I felt a burst of pride run through my bloodstream. Adrian had improved so much as of late. The new lifestyle here at court was so much better than I would have had any inkling to expect or even imagine.
"Adrian, it's beautiful," My voice was a whisper as I looked into his hopeful green eyes, still, despite my many days with him, awestruck at their beauty.
"What do you say, Sydney?" I stared at him blankly and he took my hand and drew me close to him. "Dhampirs of our own," he entwined his fingers in mine and I just looked into his eyes for a moment. We didn't have the money right now; we have to be pragmatic about this, the logical part of me chastised but I did want to say yes, just to see the light in Adrian's green eyes shine a little brighter.
"Adrian," I began levelly, "It would certainly be an adventure and you know how I feel about adventures," His eyes lit up like the burning tree. "But," his face fell slightly, "We're going to need a lot of money." His brow furrowed the way it did when he was trying to think of a clever plan but the excitement didn't leave his eyes.
"Don't worry about that, Sage," he smiled flippantly but I knew that look; he was worried about it too and it was well-warranted, now that he had revoked his… accounts. "I think we should cross that bridge when we get to it." He smiled and brushed a strand of blonde hair out of my face. I wasn't usually one for things that weren't properly planned but we had nine months to figure that out.
"You're right," I told him and he wrapped me in an intimate embrace. "The centre will hold." My voice was a whisper and I felt his heart skip a beat against mine and I felt his warm breath in my ear.
"The centre will always hold."