Disclaimer: Recognizable bits still not mine. Still belong to SM, but glad she let's me play with them.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Real life has been crazy. Speaking of crazy, when you publish stories here on it shows you the countries that people are reading from. I was not surprised that the majority of my traffic comes from English speaking countries. (Hello, USA, Canada, UK, and Australia!) But I also seem to have a lot of readers in Finland. If the data is accurate and it's not just traffic routed through another country for some reason, I am honored. My father lived for three years in Suomi when he was a young man, we still have many ties to wonderful friends there.

A/N #2: Many thanks for all the encouragement and motivation you've given me with all your reviews, follows, and favorites. You guys are awesome! Thank you! (and Kiitos!)

Chapter 21

She finally texts me again around 8:15pm to say that she'll come pick me up in her old truck so we can go to the market and get the ingredients for pies. Apparently, I get to learn how to make pies tonight. It's not something that was ever really on my list of things to do, but doing anything with Bella is better than doing my favorite things without her.

"Mom! Bella is picking me up and we're going to the store to get stuff to make pies back at Sam's." I catch the look on her face and quickly add, "Is that okay?"

I am a 17 year old Native American who happens to shift into wolf to protect us all from vampires and have to get my mother's permission to make pies with the girl my wolf and I think of as our mate. Sometimes I feel like if I tried to write a book about my life, it would never sell because it would be considered too ridiculous to be believable.

"Is Bella sleeping here again tonight?" my Mom asks.

"Any chance I could stay there?" I try, hopeful.

"Will anybody else be there?" she asks, knowingly.

"Probably not," I admit.

"Embry." She is giving me the look that says 'I can't believe you are even asking me this, THAT is how far-fetched it is.'

"Mom," I can't help but keep the whine out of my voice.

"Embry, I was her age when I got pregnant with you. I have never once regretted having you, but I wouldn't wish the decisions I had to make on the two of you right now."

I really want to ask what kind of man would leave her alone to make those decisions, but it is an unwritten rule that we don't talk about him. Whoever "him" is.

"Mom, we're not having sex! We only kissed for the first time today right outside the school! Not here. I kept my promises last night, Mom."

She regards me and then sighs.

"Here's what I'm willing to offer you: You get home no later than midnight. She can sleep here. If you sleep in your room, it's with the door open. All clothes stay on, buttoned, snapped and in place. Around your ankles doesn't count as 'on'."

"MOM!" I sputter. This is so much worse than anything we talked about when I was first going through puberty.

She soldiers on, unaffected by my embarrassment.

"But kissing is allowed. Just don't wake me up. They offered me hours tomorrow, and I'd be a fool not to take holiday hours for the extra money, especially since we don't celebrate. I have to be to the store by 7, though, so I'm leaving here at 6 in the morning."

I'm disappointed. I really wanted to be alone with Bella, but this is a good deal for a mother to offer her 17 year old son who she doesn't entirely trust right now. I have a feeling her generosity is more about Bella and Chief Swan than it is about me.

Suddenly, I remember being nine years old again. I was sitting on the couch working on homework. Mom came in and stood there for a moment. I didn't look up because I was in the middle of a long division problem. She touched my hair and lifted my chin to look me in the eyes. "I love you so much, my sweet boy." I think I smiled, but I didn't say anything. She ruffled my hair and went on into the kitchen to go about her day.

She's looking at me with the same look on her face. She doesn't say the words right now, so I do. I grab her up in a hug. "I love you, Mom. Thanks for everything you do." She's so surprised by my hug that it takes her a minute to relax into it. And then I can smell a tear or two. We are interrupted by a knock on the door. I don't let go of Mom until she says, "Don't leave that girl waiting, Monkey."

I pull away, roll my eyes at her, and she laughs. I open the door to Bella and the sight and smell of her make me feel like I haven't really breathed all day. She has a big grin on her face and says, "Hi", softly.

"Hello, Bella." Mom has come to the door. "Can you come in for a minute?" Mom asks.

"Of course, Ms- I mean, Tiffany! Although, I do need to get to the market before it closes. Do you know what time that is tonight?"

"Should be 10, so you're fine," Mom smiles.

"Oh, good. I want to get at least a few of the pies made tonight. And I need to get ingredients for lunch tomorrow, too. Will you be able to join us?" Bella asks.

"Sorry, but I'll be working tomorrow. I'll be there Saturday, though, and I will let you know about Friday. Is there anything I can bring?"

"No! The feast on Saturday is a gift. A 'thank you' from the Swans for making us feel like family."

"The way I hear it, you might actually be family if Charlie ever gets up the courage long enough to ask Sue to marry him," I add.

"I wish he would! I love seeing them together! And having Seth as a little brother would be fantastic!"

"How about Leah as a sister?" I tease.

"We're working on it. I think I can safely call us friends now, though not even close to bffs," she winks.

"Well, I won't keep you kids if you're going to try to get baking done tonight. Embry's curfew is midnight, but you're welcome to spend the night here again."

I smile at Bella who looks at me with a question in her eyes.

"There have been amendments to the rules," Mom smirks, "because I trust you both to follow them. Thank you for being so respectful last night."

Bella's eyes mist up a little and she moves to hug my Mom. "Thank you so much, Tiffany. I know how much Embry loves you and I won't ever do anything to get in between a Mama and her monkey."

At which point they both start giggling and wiping their eyes. I scowl at them both, until Bella hugs me. "Aw, c'mon, Monkey. We need to get to the store. And then we shall make pies! Miss Tiffany, what's your favorite kind?"

"Mock-cherry pie," she answers without missing a beat.

"What is the berry that mocks the cherries?"

"Cranberries. My Mother used to make them in the fall because she had a brother who would go down the coast to work the cranberry harvest. He could buy 'seconds' really cheaply and would bring back huge bags for us to cook with."

"Do you have her recipe?" Bella asks, looking excited. I watch her and my mother move into the kitchen where Mom keeps the few recipes she has written down. My heart is swelling as the two women I love best are honoring my ancestors right now. As if she can feel it, Bella looks up and meets my gaze. She gives me a quiet smile, but her eyes tell me that she knows this moment means a lot to me. Was it really just yesterday that I didn't know she loved me?

"Here it is!" my Mom says, holding out a battered 3x5 notecard with some faded handwriting on it.

"Let me take a picture of the front and back. I don't want to risk losing a family treasure like that!" Bella says as she takes her phone out of her pocket.

"It's not exactly an heirloom, Bella," Mom chuckles.

"But it's a treasured memory," Bella says, taking the picture. "Thank you for sharing that with me, so I can share this recipe with everyone else on Saturday."

Mom looks at me now with a 'Is she for real?' look. I smile and nod. Mom shakes her head in disbelief.

I step in, anxious to be alone with my girl. "Bella, we should go. I know Quil was looking forward to seeing you again since he's working the register tonight."

"Sure, sure," Bella mutters as she gets the back side of the card lined up just right for the picture.

I huff a little at Jacob's favorite non-cussing expression rolling so easily from her lips. But as soon as she's done with the picture, she's thanking my Mom again, and then taking my hand to lead me outside. I'm so focused on her proximity and touching me again that I barely remember to say goodbye to my Mom.

As soon as we're outside in her truck I can't wait any longer. I move quickly across the bench seat and pull her into my arms.

She sighs and melts into me. "I missed this. All day long I kept thinking about how much I like being in your arms."

I don't know the words to tell her just how much this means to me. How much she means to me. How much her sharing her feelings means to me. Instead I hold her tighter and breathe in her scent while she nuzzles into the crook of my neck again. I love that she always ends up there.

Bella POV

"I have a feeling that I'm not going to be as productive tonight as I'd planned," I say still clinging to him.

"Why not?" he whispers with his face buried in my hair again. I think we're both in our favorite spots right now. This seems to be where we always end up when we touch.

"Because it's very difficult to shop or make pies in this position."

He chuckles and lets me go and scoots back over to the other side of the truck. "Don't let me stop you," he chuckles.

I make a mewling noise at the absence of both his body and his warmth.

"Bella," he says my name deeper than normal and it actually sends tingles up my spine, "you can't make noises like that if you want me to stay over here."

I blush and realize what he's saying to me. And then I feel powerful! I can affect Embry Call like that?

"I don't want you to stay over there!" I say, starting the truck and backing out on to the road. "But for now, it would be the most prudent."

"I don't like prudence," he says with the most adorable scowl ever.

"Was your Mom ever able to scold you when you were little, or was your sheer adorableness simply too much for her to fight against?"

"I'm not adorable!" he complains with mock insult. "I'm the Big Bad Wolf, remember?"

I smile but don't say anything until we pull in and park at the market. Then it's my turn to slide across the seat to him. I put my hands on his chest and press my forehead into his. We haven't kissed since this morning and I have to taste him again.

"First of all, you are actually adorable, Embry Call."

He is smiling, but barely breathing as he listens to me.

"And you may be a Big Bad Wolf out there," I point out the window, "but you're MY Embry wolf right here." And then I slide my hands from his chest to his face to the back of his head and pull his head down just a fraction more so our lips can touch. I can't describe his taste, except to say that it's my new favorite flavor. I would like to stay here forever, but we are interrupted by a knock on the window and I turn to see Quil, waving and grinning. Both Embry and I growl in frustration, and then surprising one another with our reactions laugh and finally climb out of the truck.

"Hey, guys!" Quil says cheerfully. "I heard this beast of a truck pull up and got worried when you didn't come in right away. I didn't realize you had company, Bella." Quil is completely unapologetic about interrupting us. Embry is glowering at him, but Quil is oblivious to it.

I grab Embry's hand and pull him through the door of the store and since it's empty, I put both of them to work grabbing everything on my pie ingredient list. And then I have them grab everything I need for meals tomorrow, too.

Embry POV

Bella transforms in a grocery store. She goes from being sweet, caring, shy Bella, to drill sergeant Bella. I love it. And Quil's getting a kick out of it, too.

"How many pounds of butter do you need?"

"20 lbs. All unsalted! Be sure to read the label!" she orders him, while selecting the fruits and nuts she wants.

"Bella, you're going to make it so I have to restock all the shelves tonight," Quil whines.

"Then you'll know how your mother and Emily feel every time they feed you and your bottomless pit of a stomach, won't you?" she says archly, handing me 12 bags of cranberries to take up to the register.

"Quil, do you have any cheese pumpkins?"

"Huh?"

"Cheese pumpkins. They're sort of flat and a very pale orange color," she explains.

"Um, no. We have canned pumpkin," he offers.

She looks at him in horror. "I'll need 8 of those sugar pie pumpkins instead."

She wanders over to the baking aisle with the cart and Quil comes up next to me. "Dude, your girl is nuts right now!"

"You won't be saying that on Saturday when you get to eat all of this will you?" I elbow him.

"Nah. I just forgot what she gets like at the store. That's why it was always so fun to mess with her. Remember?"

"Don't you dare!" I warn. If he cuts into any more of my possible alone time with her, I may punch him.

"Fine," Quil says pretending innocence.

"Quil…" I warn. "I already told on Jake today. You think I won't throw you under the bus, too? How much pie are you gonna get then?"

Quil gasps. "Dude. That is a low blow. You wouldn't."

"I would."

"Boys!" Bella calls and interrupts our very deep discussion. "Important question: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top?"

"BOTH!" we shout in unison.

So she sends us off to retrieve that as well.

Bella POV

It's 9:30 by the time we finally get back to Sam's with all the supplies. Happily Leah and Victor come out to help us unload, so it goes quickly. And then I put everyone to work mixing up pie crusts while I preheat the oven and start on fillings.

"What do you mean the pastry has to rest first?" Leah asks after we've mixed all the dough we'll need for pie crusts.

"It needs a spa day, baby. A nice little massage, maybe," Victor jokes.

I roll my eyes while mixing the mock cherry pie mixture from Embry's family recipe. "We just need to wrap the dough in plastic and then let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes. It keeps the butter at a workable temperature and keeps the dough from getting too tough."

"After you put all the dough in there, can you guys hack those pumpkins in half for me please and then scoop out the seeds? I'll bake them first thing tomorrow morning, but it would be nice to prep them tonight. Here, put the seeds in this colander so I can rinse them off and roast them later!"

"Chum, that is IT! I'm am calling Alex right now!"

"Why?"

"He needs to see that your crazy energy can be put to awesome use! We are totally harnessing this for the rest of the semester! No more dragging us off to belly dance classes!"

Victor facetimes Alex and then points the phone at me.

"Hey, Little Sister! What are you up to?"

"She's turned us into her culinary slaves!" Victor shouts, pointing the phone back at himself. "Seriously, man, all that crazy is transformed into awesome deliciousness if she has a kitchen! We need an off-campus apartment with a kitchen STAT!"

"How about instead I just study and write my papers and concentrate on getting good grades for the rest of the semester?" I interrupt.

Victor looks at Alex on the phone and then at the same time they both reply, "Nah!"

I laugh. It's nice to feel like Alex is here, too. "I wish you were here, Alex! I miss you!"

"Promise me that you two will bring me some food when you come back. I need to taste this supposed deliciousness."

"I don't know if it will be safe in the car ride!" Leah calls from the table where she and Embry are sitting.

"Hey, Leah!" Alex calls out. Victor points the phone at the table. "Embry! Good to see you, man!"

"Hey, Alex," Embry waves with the hand holding the knife for halving the pumpkins. "No promises that there will be any leftovers for you. Oh!" he looks at me, "You promised me food!"

I laugh, wash my hands, and pull the covered plate leftover from dinner out of the fridge. "I wondered how long it would take you to remember!"

He takes the plate and leans in to kiss my cheek and whispers, "You were distracting me before with other delicious things."

I blush and turn to see everyone else in the room, including Alex's face on the screen of the phone, looking at the two of us with big, happy, "I-knew-it!" grins.

I clap my hands. "Back to work everyone! I have to get Embry home by midnight and we have pies to bake!"

Embry grins at me while eating his dinner. Alex calls out an "Love you, Bella! See you guys Sunday!"

This is the family I choose. What was I ever thinking imagining being part of the Cullen family?

Leah and Victor take off for Forks after I get the last of the apple pies into the oven. The pecan and cranberry ones are cooling on the counter and look fantastic if I do say so myself!

Embry comes up behind me as I'm washing dishes and puts his arms around my waist. I lean back into him. Even with all the help, doing that much baking is tiring. "Bella, let me do this. You go sit."

I turn and hug him. "Actually, if you don't mind, I'll go take a shower. I feel like I'm covered in flour still. Who knew that one cup of flour could make such a mess!" Leah had misjudged her own strength when I'd asked her to "lightly sprinkle the counter with flour" so we could roll out the pie crusts, she ended up pretty much flinging the entire cup of flour across the counter and on to me. I might have thought she did it on purpose except she looked completely mortified.

I chuckled into Embry's chest.

"Imagining the look on Leah's face again?" he asked, smiling.

"That was awesome!" I laugh. "Except for the part where I am still covered in flour."

"You are beautiful covered in flour," he says and if it weren't for the look in his eyes, I'd think it was the cheesiest line ever. He leans down and kisses me and forget everything else for a moment except for the way he feels pressed up against me. His lips are so soft against mine.

I admit that it takes me by surprise when I feel her tongue flick out and lick against my lips. My kissing experience has been minimal. I just didn't get noticed that much by girls with Jake and Quil always around. There had been stupid games of spin the bottle when we were going to our first girl/boy parties in middle school. But those were fleeting, giggling, close mouthed pecks.

I wonder if Bella can tell that I have no idea what I'm doing. She's always joking about how inexperienced she is, but I'm the real novice here. It feels so right doing this with her. I like the fact that my first real kiss is with someone I am in love with and not just for fun. And it is for thoughts just like that, that I keep my mind as locked down as possible while in wolf form. Even Seth has more experience with girls than I do! The rest of the pack would all tease me mercilessly if they knew.

She tastes like the apple filling she just put in the pies. Apples and sugar and cinnamon. Apple pie might be my new favorite dessert. She licks my lips again and I open them a little to feel her tongue dart through into my mouth. And that is apparently where my restraint ends. Before I even realize what I'm doing, I lift her up off the ground into my arms. She squeaks in surprise and shivers at my growling. She likes it!

His lips and teeth and tongue are everywhere and I don't ever want this to stop! Everywhere he touches my skin it feels like a delicious fire. And then I feel the moment when he is no longer in control. He gets grabbier, pulls harder, presses more forcefully. I love him and his wolf, but right now I need him to be human. Especially if we're going to get him home by his curfew. My guess is that his wolf doesn't give a damn about curfew.

I pull away from his lips and just hold him for a minute while we both catch our breath.

"Bella, I'm so-" he starts to apologize.

"Shhh. It's okay. I'm going to go take a shower. Then we can take out the pies and head back to your house."

He nods, but looks sad.

"Hey," I catch his chin and look into his eyes. "I love you. And I really liked this, too," I say, kissing him softly once more on his slightly swollen lips.

Then I head to the shower before I can change my mind and stay right there with him.

Embry POV

I watch her walk away and grab onto the counter to keep myself from following her. It's moments like this I hate being a wolf. If it were up to him, we really would just mount her and make her ours. I hate that I even have thoughts like that about her.

I turn back to the sink and wash the dishes willing my mind to go blank and my body to relax. I want her so much. All the time. Is this how it is for everybody or am I some kind of freak?

I smell her before I see her, but I don't turn around. She steps behind me and circles my waist with her arms, just like I did to her a few minutes ago. "Hey, thanks for doing these dishes," she mumbles, her face pressed into my back. I sigh.

"Embry?"

But before I can say anything, the timer goes off telling us that the pies are done. Bella startles and slides her arms off of me, grabs the hot pads and pulls out the beautiful pies. She sets them on top of the stove to cool, turns off the oven, and turns to look at me.

"Embry," she sounds timid, "are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" She's not looking at me.

She thinks I'm mad at HER? I close the distance between us and grab her into my arms, "Oh, Bella, no! I'm not mad at you! I was upset with myself for losing control for a minute with you. I thought I'd scared you away. I don't want you to think that I'm one of those guys. I've never done any of this before and my wolf is pushing me a lot, so I'm trying to be really careful. I just forgot for a moment because everything felt so...good." I duck my head a little as I say it, kind of embarrassed.

"Really?" she looks at me, still unsure.

"I'm so sorry you thought that I was mad. I'm not very good at any of this"

She chuckles dryly. "Me, neither." She hugs me tightly. "C'mon. Let's get you home before curfew. What are the rules for tonight?"

"We can sleep in my bed as long as the door stays open. Kissing is okay, but clothes need to stay on," I say, blushing at that last part.

She squeezes my hand and looks at me in sympathy. She understands embarrassment better than anyone. "Your Mom is remarkably cool about all this. My Dad would have you sleep in the next county if you were coming for a sleepover."

"My Mom trusts you. You're the very responsible daughter of the police chief. And you had a horrible break-up a year ago and still managed to score a scholarship to a fancy college. And are friends with everyone on the rez. You're basically the perfect girl for me to bring home."

"Even though I'm the palest of palefaces?"

"At least you're not blonde," I tease and she pretend punches me. "There will be some who will say things, but my Mom isn't one of them. Most of the people on this rez treated her badly for a long time because she was from an 'enemy tribe'. And you know nobody in the pack thinks less of you for being white."

She seems uncomfortable, but I decide to wait until we get to my house to talk more. "Are you ready?"

She nods and grabs her bag, turns out the lights and we head out the door. We have to hustle to get to my house before midnight, but we make it and are very quiet about going into my room.

I've never had a girl in my room before. I picked up this afternoon just in case she came over again. And my bed is made with clean sheets. I'm sure my Mom did that after our chat. I will definitely need to thank her for her thoughtfulness.

"Do you want the bathroom?" I whisper.

She shakes her head. "I brushed my teeth back at the house. I just need to change, but I can do that in here while you go get ready."

"Do you promise to not fall asleep while I'm gone? Because we still need to talk," I ask, reaching out to cup her cheek in my hand. She leans into my hand and tells me to hurry, then pulls back the blankets and climbs into my bed.

"What's that smile on your face for?"

I stare in wonder for another beat. "I was just wishing that I could take a picture of this moment and send it back in time to myself a year ago promising that 'It Gets Better'. Because this right here?" I point to her in my bed, "This is a dream come true."

She beams at me. "You have perfect words sometimes. I love you, Embry Call."

I grin. "Another dream come true."

We stare at each other smiling for another minute before I finally force myself to grab my towel and go into the bathroom to quickly get ready for bed. While I'm brushing my teeth I keep my eyes on the mirror. I'm not the girl magnet that her other two boyfriends were, but I'm not ugly either. She's always dated gorgeous guys. Does she feel like I'm a step down? I rinse my mouth out and close my eyes. No. In one day she's been more affectionate with me verbally, and physically that she ever was with them. I think. I mean I wasn't with them all the time, but she never gave Jake more than a peck if there were other people around.

What the hell am I doing in the bathroom when the girl of my dreams is waiting in my bed? I'm an idiot.

When I get back to my room I find her cuddled under the blankets and just the desk light on to illuminate the room. She peeks out from under the quilt and crooks her finger in a "come hither" motion. Seriously. Dreams are coming true left and right in the last 24 hours! I'm probably going to be hit by a bus tomorrow. The universe has never allowed this much happy into my life all at once.

I guess if I'm going to be hit by a bus, I might as well enjoy the time I have left, right? So, I turn out the light and climb under the blanket with her.

Bella POV

I immediately roll into his warmth and cuddle up to his side as he lays on his back with one arm wrapped around me. I'm ready to be brave and lay it all out for him. I can do this.

I can do this!

I am terrified.

What if we're not on the same page?

No. He loves me!

He also loves pizza.

What if he only loves me on the same level as he loves pizza?

"Your pulse is going crazy right now. What's got you so nervous?" he whispers, his arms pulling me closer to him.

Before I can stop myself I blurt, "When you say you love me, would you say that is more or less than you love pizza?" And then I hide my face from him because I sound like an idiot regardless of his feelings on the matter. Suddenly the blanket shifts, and I realize that Embry is stuffing part of it in his mouth to quiet his laughter.

Why is he laughing?

I prop my head up and begin to drum my fingers on his chest when he still hasn't stopped laughing after several seconds.

He finally manages some control, and smooths the quilt back down. He gets a good look at my face.

"Wait. Bella, are you serious?"

I say nothing, but something in my face must convey my seriousness because he flips us both over so I'm on my back and he is hovering over me. He presses his body to me just enough that I feel safe and secure, but not enough for me to be crushed by him.

His eyes are looking into mine again, so tenderly. "Bella, I love you with every good thing in my heart. It's you. You're everywhere and in everything. I can't get through five minutes without thinking about you." He kisses me as if it is the punctuation to each sentence he utters.

If I could stay right here like this for always, I would never be afraid of anything ever again. Now I kiss him. He pulls back for a moment and looks at me with a glint in his eyes. "For the record, I can go entire days without thinking about pizza." I giggle and pull him back to me.

After several minutes of getting to know one another better (I learn he likes it when I nibble his lower lip and then lightly lick the same spot in apology), I roll him over, so we can lay on our sides facing one another in the dark.

I am gratified to see that he looks dazed and doesn't seem to want to stop what we've been doing. But he complies and contents himself with watching his fingers as they play with my long hair which is probably a terrifying sight to behold right now. The braid I usually put it in before bed isn't just for show, it's so I don't wake up with a giant rat's nest on my head.

"So, here's the deal," I begin and he stills his fingers in my hair and looks at me. "I love you."

He smiles almost in relief.

"I love you enough to risk whatever might come. I could get hit by a car next week and die. You could be bitten by a vampire. We just don't know. But, I want you as long as I can have you, Embry. And I promise that if you do imprint, I won't stand in the way. I will respect that bond and give you the space you need to be with her. I will keep in touch with the pack, though, if that's what they want. I don't want them to ever feel like they have to take sides. I just don't know if I can react quite as well to your imprint as I did to Katie. It will hurt more, so I might need time and space, but you know I won't scream and carry on or make it difficult for either one of you."

"Bella," he says, "I don't have an imprint."

"But you might someday. And I need to have a plan in place for me to feel okay about it. Think of this as a wolfy pre-nup," I offer.

His eyes light up with mischief," Oh! A pre-nup! Are we getting married?"

I swat at him. He catches my hand and pulls me closer. I nuzzle into his chest. "It will really hurt, Embry, but I want this with you for as long as I can have it. I won't give up this time just because I'm afraid of something that may or may not happen. I love you too much."

He kisses the top of my head, "You are so much more than I deserve, Bella. Like I said, my wolf already thinks of you as his mate, so I don't see how I could ever imprint on anyone else-"

"Shh!," I put my hand over his mouth. "I don't want to talk about the possibility or not of it anymore. If it happens, we'll deal. If it doesn't, we'll also deal...but with more kissing."

And I push him onto his back as he pulls me up his chest and we continue to get to know one another better for a long time. Minutes or hours later we finally fall asleep with swollen lips, content smiles, and breathing gentle 'I love yous' as our last coherent words to one another.