The first thing that Roger noticed was a familiar scent. He opened his eyes and his gaze fell on his ex-wife, who was still soundly asleep. He smiled as he breathed in deeply. She had changed perfume over the years, but her natural scent was still the same. Still intoxicating.

She had drifted away from him during the night and as he looked at her, he felt an urge to feel her body against his again. Cautiously, he shifted his weight so as to spoon her slender frame.

He could not wait for their new life together to begin.

He ran a finger on her arm, lightly tracing the curve of her elbow. They could move from Springfield, he thought as he grinned widely. Yes, that was probably the best course of action. Alexandra was bound to be furious by his leaving her, and having Ross around would be even more awkward.

Where would they go? Europe, maybe? He had always been fond of Paris, and so had she. He could picture them there, living in a small house in Montparnasse like the carefree artists of old, drunk on love and good wine.

They might end up missing Blake too much if they went that far away though, he suddenly reflected. A closer destination might suit them better, come to think of it. Chicago, maybe? Or New York!

Yes, of course. New York. The city where their relationship had taken a serious turn; where they had made love for the very first time. He had rarely treated her with the respect that she deserved back then, but now he finally had a chance to change all that. He was going to lay the city at her feet.

Holly opened her eyes and look disconcertedly at her surroundings. Then she felt the weight of his arm on her waist and remembered.

The previous night played in her mind in fast forward; the lagoon, the nap, the dream, the dinner, Gabriella. Her heart began to race as she then recalled the dance…the fight….the love making on the floor…the lovemaking in the shower. She raised her head cautiously from the pillow to take a peek at the clock on the nightstand. Their plane left in two hours.

Roger was going to wake up any minute now, asking for a decision that she felt incapable of making. And he would not understand, no, she already knew that he would not. For Roger, things were always either black or white, whereas she was swaying between endless shades of grey.

She loved him, but she also loved Ross. No matter whom she chose, she would be facing a tremendous loss. The question was; in which case would it hurt the most in the long run? Would leaving Ross be an act of courage or of insanity? Would staying lead her away from the true love of her life?

She turned so as to face Roger and gazed at his face. His features were –oh!-so familiar to her. It was almost as if looking in a mirror; that's how much a part of her she felt him to be. She used to consider him as her dark side, her crazy half. She had tried to get rid of him, as she would have with a gangrenous limb. But he had healed. They had healed together.

Severing him from her life now seemed impossible, yet keeping him as a lover was something else entirely.

Don't you just wish that you could flip a coin and that would be that? the voice in her head said.

"Hell, yes," she muttered miserably.

"A penny for your thoughts," Roger asked at that very moment, making her jump. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she had not noticed that he had been awake and looking at her for several minutes.

"I've been thinking about you and me…and Ross," she said slowly. There was no point in beating around the bush.

Incredulity appeared into Roger's eyes, followed by shock and finally by panic. He sat up straight in the bed and stared at her, and though her doubts were plainly showing on her face, he still needed for her to spell it out.

"You mean that you're still thinking about going back to him?"

She sat also and put her pillow on her lap. "I don't know what to do, Roger."

"After what happened last night? Come on, Holly, you were right there on that floor with me," he exclaimed, pointing at the spot where they had made love, "and you felt what I felt, I know it! I thought that my heart was going to burst and so did you!"

Holly clutched at the pillow and briefly buried her face in it. "It's not as simple as that. There's a difference between a night of passion and a lifetime commitment, Roger, and right now I'm not sure in which category to put what's happening to us."

"I can't believe this! I was so sure…"Roger shook his head as his voice trailed off.

They stared at each other painfully. "I have a story to tell you," Holly finally said. "Maybe it will help you understand how confused I am. I had a dream yesterday, when we fell asleep at the lagoon. I dreamed of my wedding day to Ross."

Roger swallowed hard and nodded. "Go on."

"Everything about it was totally eerie. The cathedral was grand and my gown was beautiful, but there was no guest except for a fistful of people. Ross was waiting for me, and I could see him as I went down the aisle. Then he disappeared…and you took his place."

"Sounds like a hint to me," Roger said with a raised eyebrow. Holly raised her hand, signalling him that she was not done with her story.

"You were dressed in the clothes that you wore in Santo Domingo, Roger, and so was I," she said in a flat tone that made him wince. "I froze, right there in the middle of the aisle. Then Blake appeared and pushed me forward, and you were also egging me on, telling me that everything was going to be alright and that it was the right thing to do. I didn't know what to believe."

"What did you do?" he asked, hanging to her words

"You held your hand out to me…and I took it."

Roger got up with a triumphant look in his face. "See? We ARE meant to be together, and deep down you do know it!"

"It was a dream, Roger," Holly replied dejectedly. "Maybe it's all that it was."