He found Nadia in the kitchen, making tea. "I see you're still alive," she teased. "How did it go?" He didn't answer so she turned to face him and saw the raw emotion in his eyes.

"Are you all right? What happened?" She took a deep breath, wondering what could have gone wrong.

"I just didn't expect..." Sayid sat down at the table and stared straight ahead. Then he looked at Nadia. "I've never felt this way before. This is a different sort of love, isn't it?" He shook his head. "How do you do it everyday?"

Nadia put a cup of tea in front of him and sat down with her own. "When she was a baby, I used to lie awake at night and watch her sleep for hours. I would even getup to make sure she was breathing," she smiled at the memory. "I still go in her room sometimes at night, just to be close to her."

"So this is normal?."

"Yes. You're just getting a late start," she reached across for his hand. "You are going to be good at this. I can see it. Give yourself time." She got up. "There's more tea, unless you have to go." She hoped he didn't think she was hinting for him to leave. She didn't want him to, she realized, wasn't clear what she wanted if he stayed.

"Just a little, thank you." He stretched his legs out under the table.

"Do you want to sit outside? It's more comfortable." She pushed open the back door and led the way to a tiny patio.

"I didn't see this before," he said. .

"It's easy to miss. The garden hides it from the house." Nadia sat in one of the low slung wooden chairs and swung her legs over the arm rest. He sat in the other, close beside her. They were quiet, drinking the strong tea and listening to the night sounds.

Finally, Nadia broke the silence, "What are you thinking?"

Sayid didn't answer for a moment, then she heard him take a deep breath.. "I don't want to leave," he said.

She waited, to see if there was more. When he didn't add anything, she said, "I don't want you to go, either."

He reached out and took her hand. She couldn't see his face for the shadows, but she heard him sigh. He pulled her hand gently and she went to him, sitting on the arm of the chair. He tugged again, and she slid off the arm into his lap. She looked into his eyes, so serious.

"You could sleep on the couch," she joked, needing to break the tension.

His eyes flashed, and he smiled, "That isn't exactly what I had in mind."

He kissed her then, hard on the mouth. She pulled back slightly, then returned the kiss, softer, sweeter, enjoying the play. His hands slid into her hair and he held her face close insisting on the kiss he had started.

After a few moments she broke away, breathless. She got up, taking his hand. She felt him following behind her as she walked into the house, through the kitchen, down the hall, past Yasmin's room, and into her own.

He stood behind her, his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. She closed her eyes, covering his hands with her own, and leaned into him. He kissed her shoulder, her neck, and whispered in her ear, his voice hoarse, "I couldn't forget. I tried, but I never stopped loving you."

She turned to face him, finding his eyes in the dark. "I didn't forget. I saw you everyday, every time I looked at her."

He kissed her again. She was hungry for him, his mouth, his hands, his skin against hers, the coming together that felt like coming home. She let all of the love for him she had hidden for so long surface and carry them both away.

Nadia lay with her head on his chest, listening as his heartbeat slowed. His breathing told her he was almost asleep. She was tired too, but she wanted to stay awake as long as she could, just to be with him. Every time he left, even though she knew he would be back, she felt more alone somehow. She could barely wait to see him again.

Sleep took her eventually, and she woke to find him propped on one elbow, watching her. "Good morning," she said, smiling.

"It's not quite morning yet," he pointed to the window, "See, still dark."

She stretched, catlike, and rolled onto her side facing him. "So we should go back to sleep?" she teased.

"I am not the least bit sleepy at the moment."

She made a show of peeking under the sheet. "So I see, " she faked a yawn, "I usually sleep in on Saturday."

"Maybe I can wake you up." He kissed her, and his hands moved the sheet away.

It was light outside when they woke again. Nadia looked at the clock. Sayid seemed to read her thoughts.

"When does she get up?" He asked.

"Not for a while yet."

"I should go. I'll take a shower at the motel and change clothes, then come back."

"I don't want to confuse her," Nadia said. "She doesn't need to know everything."

She pulled on a robe while he dressed quickly. When they walked past Yasmin's open door she was tangled in the covers, sound asleep. Nadia followed him onto the porch.

He pulled her close and kissed her once more, then stepped off the porch. "I'll be back in an hour or so, unless you want to call me when she gets up."

"She should be up by then. We go to the Farmer's Market on Saturdays."

"For take-out?" he joked.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I do keep food in the house."

He started back up onto the porch but she pointed her finger at him, "Go!"

"I'll be back."

I know. Nadia thought , wrapping her arms around herself.