I wanted a little bit more so I epilogued.

Epilogue

"There's post here for you," he told her, placing the envelope in front of her on the kitchen table.

"Yes," she murmured softly, pushing her toast aside and looking at the envelope, "I finally got my address changed to here."

"Dicks have addressed it to Ms. P Baxter," he pointed out, sitting back down opposite her, nodding critically at the envelope, "You should tell them about that. It's like they think women can't be professors. You should tell them to fuck right off."

She smiled gently at his frustration on her behalf.

"They're lawyers," she told him, slipping her thumb under the paper to open it, "They know women can be professors."

"Is it from them?" he asked, doing a double take, looking anxiously at her over his tea, "What does it say?"

"Wait a second," she drew the first sheet out of the envelope, her eyes scanning it quickly, taking it in, flitting to the top and going over it again, "Yes," she said softly, "This is it."

He looked at her expectantly. She put the paper down on the table, offering it to him so he could read it.

"I'm a divorced woman," she told him, "Officially, in the eyes of the law."

His heart skipped a beat. He reached out, picking the paper off the table, reading it for himself.

When he put it down, he found her eyes watching his face. He was hard-pressed not to beam at her.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

"No different," she replied softly.

He looked at her curiously.

"I've been divorced from Peter for a long time," she told him, "The law doesn't make much of a difference."

"It's nice to have it for confirmation, though," he pointed out.

She smiled gently.

"Well, there you may be right," she told him, "Anyway, it's quite a good start to the day," she tilted her head to the side a little, looking at his face. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied, "Surprised. Happy."

"That's good," she said softly, "Happy is good."

They were silent for a few moments.

"Of course, this now means that, officially, I'm single," she pointed out.

"Oh," he murmured, "I suppose it does." There was another pause, "You don't feel single do you?" he asked her.

"No," she replied truthfully, "But then I suppose it depends how you define it."

He caught a glint in her eye, and he knew she was teasing him. For a second he pretended to mull it over.

"What do you reckon to the single life, then?" he asked, "Legally speaking."

"Not much," she replied frankly.

"I see," he replied.

"Joe-…" she said softly, "Have you ever wondered if we-…?"

"Yes," he replied immediately.

"And what did you think about it?" she asked him.

"A lot," he told her, "Good things," he confirmed, "And wondering if you'd want to, ever again, after Peter."

"It would be completely different to with Peter," she told him swiftly.

He nodded his agreement.

"It would," he replied firmly.

She smiled at his certainty.

"So?" she prompted him.

"So-…" he began slowly, "Maybe, when you're ready-…"

"Oh, for God's sake, Joe," she rolled her eyes softly, a smile spreading across her face, "Call me Miss Baxter, in that ridiculous formal way you have when you're nervous, and ask me to marry you."

end. (this time)