Andy sat up suddenly in bed, awaking from a deep sleep. He knew he had slept hard. He was finding his memory a bit hazy, and he felt almost slightly disoriented. He rubbed his hand over his face, and then it hit him-where he was, what was going on-it wasn't a dream. He hadn't been dreaming about having that conversation with Sharon; he had actually had it. Further proof he'd had the conversation came when his hand rubbed his eyes. He felt the unfamiliar band rub his eye, a band that hadn't been there, well, for over 20 years. He smiled and glanced over at Sharon, also still in a deep sleep. He leaned back onto his pillow to hopefully recount the rest of his dream, well, actually, the rest of that great memory. Shortly after closing his eyes, he found himself back in his head, dreaming, no reliving that moment again.
"Don't you think we should discuss marriage again, though? " He brought himself back to that big question. The question he had wanted to ask her for quite awhile. This question right now wasn't a proposal; it was still the discussion. Like everything, he and Sharon talked things through. They always had, and he believed they always would. Discussing things is really how they started to become friends. Sharon's walls came down as she found herself able to talk to Andy about anything and everything. Something as important as getting married would not be sprung upon her. Yes, he'd have to figure out a more romantic way to propose IF that was where they were headed, but both believed they always needed to discuss their future together.
"Fine."
That word again. Sharon has started using it in more of a joking way since she first agreed to go to Serve with Andy. That first date, well, real date in their eyes-when Andy had asked her to dinner-she was nervous and "fine" slipped out. Of course she wanted to go to dinner. What she had really wanted to scream was, "Of course! You're my best friend! You give me chills just thinking of you. Yes, I want to date you!" However, she'd been so nervous. "Fine" was the only thing she could muster. Since then, it had been their standing joke. "Fine" really meant more to both of them, but to everyone else, "Fine" sounded, well, dull.
Andy laughed with Sharon's "Fine." Of course, he should have known she would answer with "Fine." That stopped him in his tracks though; Sharon was actually agreeing they really needed to talk about this. Marriage was serious, and after everything else they had both been through, marriage was forever; it was "Till Death Do Us Part" as they had also joked at one point during a case. Here it was; the moment finally to have the discussion.
"Sharon, what do you want? I just laid out my thoughts on the matter. My feelings-well, I hope you know that I love you more than anything. My feelings aren't the problem at all. This discussion isn't just about feelings; it needs to be about what you want. I want you forever. I want to be married to you. I want the whole world to know that, but what do you want? It's okay if you don't want that. It's okay if you want to keep things as they are. You are my best friend. I cannot imagine the world without you. I cannot imagine the rest of our lives without each other. That's not the problem. I won't go anywhere, either way, but I really want to know what you want. You have spent your entire life making sure everyone in your life has what they want. You've been a wife before, and most of that marriage was not as you wanted it. You've raised three kids now, and you've made sure they have what they want from life. What do you, my loving Sharon, want?"
Andy remembered looking at Sharon, and he didn't see any sort of conflict in her eyes. In fact, they were glistening. They looked alive and happy. He waited while she composed herself and her answer.