Author's Note: Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

" The Boat Ride"

Anders and Renee could only stare at the wonder before their eyes. Before them was a room full of pleasures waiting for them to come. Gordando had overdone himself. There was a small table with a royal blue lace table cloth and gold embroidered napkins. There was china laid out, twelve forks and spoons to each set. A steaming kettle full of Tamerainian tea and slothful-bogs was set out for them to sip and joke over. There was a buffet of wonderful foods on a table adjacent to the one they would be dining at. And all were delicious earth foods Gordando had talked about.

There was a variety of seafoods the chef had prepared. There was coconut shrimp and regular kind too, and a lobster as big as Anders's head. There were catfish and salmon, clams and crawfish. There was even a blowfish set right in a bed! There was lemon juice and lemon butter, cocktail sauce and more. They ate as much as their young hearts desired, and even left room for dessert.

They talked and laughed and so and so, and even held hands, but the thing that really got Anders going was when she kissed him, it felt like she took that unbearable weight of that he had been carrying all this time. They looked into each others eyes and stood up, heading for the bedroom.

They sat down on the bed and got comfortable. They laid down and talked about all kinds of deep things, secrets they had never told anyone before. Finally Anders came out with the question that had been nagging at them both for a long time; steady or not?

"Hey Renee, you know that all Tameranians have to be married by age fifteen, and we're already fourteen, so I was wondering if you were thinking what I was and…."

"Yes. I've been wanting to talk to you about it for quite some time. And since you're the only person I've ever thought about marrying, ever, I just thought we'd….."

"Fit?"

"Exactly."

Anders stood up and started pacing.

The possibilities, think of all the possibilities. Oh don't forget the risks Anders, can't forget those risks. What would that oaf of a father of hers think? He'd probably strangle me. But remember, he likes you know, so does her mother. And mom's been waiting for us to be engaged for quite some time. She wants it, I want it… wait… do I want this? A life with Renee? She is my dream girl, but I have to think this over. This is so sudden and…..

"Anders? Um, what's wrong?"

"What?"

"You've been pacing like that for five minutes? Don't you want to be with me?"

"Yes, of course its just……I….."

"You feel like you've been rushed into making the most important dicision of your life?"

"Exactly. And…."

"And you feel as if you might be making a mistake?"

"Right."

She looked down at her hands.

"Same with me. Its not like I don't want to be with you, its just….."

"You want to think it over."

"Right again."

There was silence for a while before Renee jumped up and took Anders's hands.

"But I'm more than ready to take those chances. I love you Anders, and I know that I may be making a mistake."

She took a deep breath, then continued.

"But I'm willing to get through that with you. I know we're right for each other Anders, it makes sense."

He couldn't meet her eyes. He knew he loved her, but he wasn't sure if that would change or not. He finally took a glance into her eyes. She looked so determined, and so was he.

"Yes, we'll work all of it out, together."

She smiled and hugged him like she would never let go.

So they sailed back to shore and he walked her home, hand in hand all the way.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed it, sorry for the late update, next chapter coming in really soon.