A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews! I truly appreciate them so please keep them coming. It's time for the ladies to have lunch with Erica. Hope you enjoy this latest update!

/

Bianca had arrived at the Yacht Club ten minutes early. She gave her name to the maître d' and was seated immediately at the very best table. Nothing but the best for Erica Kane, naturally. The brunette chuckled to herself and shook her head. The text she had received from Marissa when she pulled up to the valet station at the restaurant told her that her girlfriend was on her way and should be there any minute. A waiter appeared the moment she had gotten settled and took her drink order. Bianca had gotten a second wind, but she felt she could still use the jolt of caffeine she would get from the iced tea. Her mind drifted to her memories of last night, and a grin spread across her face as remembered every touch and feeling the couple shared.

"I'm not late, am I?" Marissa whispered into her girlfriend's ear, sending shivers through the brunette.

Bianca grinned as she turned to gaze into the hazel eyes that she loved so much. "No, you're right on time."

Marissa gave her a quick kiss and took the seat next to her. "Good. I know it's like a mortal sin to keep Erica waiting." The redhead smirked.

Bianca laughed. "I don't know if it's that bad, but it's definitely frowned upon."

"So, what were you thinking about just now?" Marissa gave her a mischievous grin.

"You know exactly what I was thinking about."

"You're right. I do. It's crossed my mind several times today. You make it really hard to concentrate on work sometimes." Marissa ordered iced tea as well when the waiter reappeared.

Bianca was about to respond when the sound of her mother's voice interrupted her train of thought. The pair turned in time to see Erica enter the restaurant. Let it be said that Erica Kane had never met a grand entrance she didn't like, and today was certainly no exception. Bianca smiled as she watched her mother make her way through the gauntlet of wait staff and customers, all seeking favor with the iconic Erica Kane. Her mother soaked up the attention, basked in it. There were many times while growing up that Bianca had wished her mom would simply be just that, her mom, and allowed them to live a normal, quiet and drama free life. That was not to be, however. Erica was Erica, and as Bianca had gotten older, she accepted that as a fact of life. She knew her mom loved her and accepted her, and Bianca did the same of her. Her mother might make small concessions along the way, but by and large, Erica would remain the force of nature that she always was. Bianca accepted that this was something that would never change, and now, could not imagine her mother any differently. As for herself, Bianca was more than happy to keep her appearances in the spotlight to a minimum and focus on what was the most important to her, her family. Having Marissa and the kids, she had everything.

Marissa found the whole scene highly entertaining as she watched Erica wade through the many admirers hoping for a glance or smile from the living legend, some form of acknowledgement by her of their existence. It reminded the redhead of a scene from the musical 'Hello, Dolly'. All that was missing was the title song with Erica's name replacing Dolly's. Erica actually seemed to become larger than life the moment she set foot in the spotlight. It was truly a sight to behold. Marissa glanced at Bianca and saw her smile at her mother. As much as Erica craved the spotlight, her youngest daughter shied away from it. When it was necessary, she would step into it, but it was always for causes close to her heart such as the Miranda Center. This was just fine with Marissa. She didn't need the attention of an adoring public to be happy. As long she had Bianca and their kids, she was more than happy. She finally had the family she had been waiting for all of her life. She turned back to watch Erica and the show she was putting on. She had only taken a few steps towards their table when the cell phones and cameras appeared and began to snap her picture followed by requests for autographs.

Bianca glanced over at Marissa, seeing the amused look on her face. She wasn't put off by Erica's appearance the least little bit. In fact, the brunette swore she heard her girlfriend humming. "Rissa, are you humming 'Hello, Dolly'?"

Marissa blushed slightly not realizing what she had done and gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. It's actually 'Hello, Erica'. I'm just replacing the names. I thought it kind of fit here."

Bianca laughed and gave the redhead a quick kiss. "You know, you're right. It really does. I never thought of her entrances that way, but from now on though, I'll never see them any other way again. Sorry, they can be a little over the top."

"Hey, the public loves her, and she's just giving them what they want, what they expect. I have the feeling that she loves it as much as they do."

"She definitely does. It's not too much for you, is it?"

"Nope, not at all. It's just something I've come to expect from her. It's actually quite entertaining. My mom would've gotten a kick out of it, but …"

"But?"

"I'm really glad you're not like that."

"Yeah, I really don't see me doing that. I couldn't pull it off like her. So, you don't have to worry about that."

"Good. My mother-in-law being like that is more than enough for me to handle."

Bianca blinked in shock, wondering if she had heard Marissa correctly. The smile on her girlfriend's face told her that she had, but she wanted to be sure. She had never heard Marissa refer to Erica that way. "Did you say mother-in-law?"

Marissa gave her a brilliant smile. "I did. That's pretty much how I see her now. We may not be married, but I don't need a piece of paper to define my commitment to you, our kids and our lives together which includes our functionally dysfunctional extended family with Erica at the top of that list. That being said, I think I'll hold off on calling her 'mom' for a while. In the meantime, you'll have to continue to brazenly 'live in sin' with me, if that's alright with you." Marissa wagged her eyebrows and flashed a wicked grin.

Bianca gave the redhead the grin she loved in return. This wasn't the first time the subject of their getting married had come up between the two, but it was the first time it had been brought up in public. The subject was first broached between the two of them was when they had gone away to New York. Both had been nervous at first but were quickly assured they were on the same page. Their lives were meant to be spent together, and it was a simple truth that they knew in the bottom of their souls. Marissa had been just as right then as she was now when she said they didn't need a piece of paper to define the level of their commitment. It still wasn't legal for them to get married in Pennsylvania, and neither was quite sure how they felt about the institution of marriage anyway. They had both been burned badly by their previous marriages and were gun shy about walking down the aisle again. This had absolutely nothing to do about their relationship and everything to do with the bad taste left in their mouths from their past ones. The one thing that Bianca was positive about was that if they ever did decide to get married, she planned on being the one down on bended knee and sweeping Marissa off her feet because she deserved no less. Until that day, Bianca would happily settle for sweeping her girlfriend off her feet every chance she got. "That's more than alright with me."

"What's more than alright with you, sweetheart?"

The couple turned their heads to see that Erica had finally made her way to the table. The maître d' pulled the chair out for her and took her drink order, and she settled in across from them. Erica took note that they were holding hands and both had smiles that lit up the entire room.

I swear my family has the absolute worst timing, ever. Well, this is a conversation I'm not sharing with anyone other than Marissa. "Oh, we were just talking about something to do with house."

Nice cover, Bianca. I'm not quite sure she's going to buy that, but hopefully, your mom will let the subject drop. "Yeah, we were just talking about a decorating idea. It's good to see you, Erica. How are you?"

Erica saw the look the couple had shared and didn't believe them for one minute, but judging by the smiles on their faces, it was not something she needed to worry about so she would let it pass. "I'm fine, Marissa dear. It's good to see you too. I'm glad you were able to join us. From what Bianca and Jack tell me, you've been very busy lately and are building up quite a good reputation at the firm."

"I always make time for my family, no matter how busy I am. They will always come first." Marissa answered earnestly.

Erica nodded and smiled, pleased with that response. She glanced at her daughter who seemed to be glowing from her happiness. "Bianca sweetheart, how are you today?"

The young brunette smiled. "I'm great, mom. You look fantastic, and I'm really glad you're home. I know Uncle Jack is."

"Come to think of it, Jack has been smiling a lot more than usual this past week, when he's been in the office."

Erica cleared her throat, and the couple could swear they detected the very slightest of blushes. "Yes, it is nice to be home and to spend some time with Jack. We've discussed his joining me on my trip to Los Angeles so we can spend some more time together."

"I think that's a great idea, mom. You both deserve to get away and have some more time to enjoy being together."

"Thank you, sweetheart. How are the children? I heard there was some unpleasantness with another child trying to bully our sweet Miranda. Who was it? Do I need to get involved, make some phone calls?"

"The kids are great, and yes, a girl named Amber was bullying Miranda a couple of months ago."

"That name's familiar. She was bullying her before, wasn't she? She has that nasty woman for a mother. What's her name? I'll be more than happy to take care of her."

"While I appreciate it and know that you're more than willing to take care this, the truth is that you don't have to, mom. We handled it. Actually, Marissa handled it."

"You did? What did you do?"

"Your daughter was right the first time. We handled it. After AJ and Miranda told us what was happening …"

"Was AJ being bullied as well?"

Bianca shook her head. "Not really. The other girl was using him as another way to get to Miranda. AJ knew something more was being said and he was doing everything he could to protect her. They both were protecting each other. We've never been prouder of them."

"Yeah, you're right. We have some amazing kids. When they finally told us what was happening, we went to principal and reported it. She determined what was going on, and the girl was punished. Things have gotten much better. Amber has been making progress, and the counselors are saying she's making great strides with changing her attitude. The same can't be said for her mother, unfortunately."

"She's downplaying her role in everything, mom. Marissa did all of the research that needed to be done so we could make sure that all of proper procedures were being followed. She also came up with an alternate plan in case Amber's mom didn't agree with the decision and punishment laid out. Best of all was how she handled Amber's mom. You would've been impressed, mom. That woman didn't know what hit her."

"Speaking of not knowing what hit her, you should've seen Bianca at the school fair. Amber's mom was in the dunking booth. She didn't think your daughter could knock her off. She couldn't have been more wrong. Bianca was a perfect 3 for 3. I'll never forget that woman's face the first time she hit the water. It was priceless. We'll have to show you the pictures."

"There are pictures?" Erica asked.

Marissa laughed. "Oh yeah, there are pictures. Kendall and Greenlee took them for us. They turned out great." The redhead turned to Bianca. "My personal favorite is the action shot they snapped of you."

"They have some good ones of you too. Your aim was perfect as well." Bianca smirked.

"Let's just say I was motivated to cool someone off. I don't know why she thought she could goad you like that, why she underestimated you. I don't know why anyone continues to do that. You'd think they'd know better by now. If she had seen you at the PTA meeting, she wouldn't have done it. I thought you were going to take her head off for a minute there."

"Trust me, I wanted to. The only reason I didn't was because Kendall and Greenlee stopped me. When I think of her going after you like she did, I still want to rip her head off. I can't get over how great you handled her. If the roles were reversed, I don't know that I could've done that."

"Yeah, you could've."

"How are you so sure about that?"

Marissa smiled brightly. "It's because I know you, and I don't think there's much that you can't do, especially when it comes to our family. You would've realized that while ripping her head off would've been really fun to do, it was much more satisfying exposing her true colors to everyone."

Erica watched the exchange between the couple, half amazed and half amused at how quickly they had forgotten about her even being there. She might have been insulted if she hadn't seen just how happy her daughter was. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Bianca smile like that, and from the adoring look in Marissa's eyes, she could see the redhead was just as happy. Erica recalled her conversation with Kendall and Zach from their lunch the other day. They had told her how the young couple managed to zone out everyone and everything else around them and not realize what they were doing.

/

"So, I need the two of you to be completely honest with me. How are Bianca and Marissa doing? I haven't had much of a chance to observe them for myself so I'm relying on your opinion until I have a chance myself."

"Mom, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I've been around them a lot, and I've never seen Bianca like this. Come to think of it, I didn't see Marissa like this either when she was with JR."

Zach shook his head as he thought of the other man. "Talk about a piece of work. I wish I had a few minutes alone with him before they carted him off to jail. I think he got off light for what he put the two of them through. I might just have to make that happen."

Kendall smiled at her husband as she saw the glint in his eyes. He was fiercely protective of her sister, and over this past year, he had become just as protective of Marissa. The redhead was family now, and no one crossed Zach's family. "There will be a long line if you can arrange that, with me right at the front of it." She turned to her mother. "As soon as you spend any time alone with them, mom, you'll see. It's pretty damn amazing because it's something you have to see with your own eyes, something you have to see and experience to believe."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating, Kendall dear. Bianca is not like that."

"I have to tell you, Erica, your daughter's right. I didn't believe Kendall at first either, but then, I saw it for myself. One minute, they're talking to you and fully engaged, and the next, as soon as they look at each other, they forget all about you."

"It's not like you can be mad about it either because they're both so happy. They have this glow about them, and it's like nothing can touch them. Look, I know as well as you how much Bianca's been hurt, but I honestly believe that we don't have to worry about that anymore, at least not where Red's concerned. That woman would do absolutely anything for Bianca."

"I suppose I'll see this for myself when I have lunch with them."

/

Erica cleared her throat drawing the attention of the couple. Both were clearly embarrassed by their lapse and forgetting about her. "So, the two of you were talking about the house when I arrived. How is it coming along?"

"It's coming along really well, mom. We're still on track to be in the week of Thanksgiving. We can't wait to get settled in there."

"Yeah, the kids are excited to see their rooms. Miranda's been great about sharing one with Gabby, and as much as she's told us that she's liked it, I'm sure she can't wait to have her own room again."

"Marissa, Bianca tells me that you came up with the idea of having the children design their rooms."

The redhead nodded. "My mom and dad let me when I was around AJ and Miranda's age. They said it was important that I got to decide since it was my room and I was going to be the one living in it, and I loved it. I thought our kids should be able to do the same thing that I did. I think it makes it more of a home for everyone when they're apart of the decision making process. After all, it is their home too. And yes, I know Gabby's a little on the young side, but we couldn't let the other two have a say on their rooms and not give her the same right. It's only fair, and it gives her an equal voice. We did have final say on what they came up, the right to veto if we thought what they came up with was too out there. It turns out that we didn't have to worry about that at all. We have some very creative kids."

Bianca smiled. "We do, and I have to say that I like Gabby's room the best and so did the decorator we hired. By the way, thank you for recommending her, mom."

"Oh, you decided to go with Trish? You're welcome, and I'm glad to help, sweetheart." Erica smiled.

"Yeah, we talked about it and realized it would be the best solution for us. Work's been crazy for both of us, and there was no way we'd be able to move in before Christmas otherwise. Trish has been great. She loves all three of the kids' rooms, but Gabby's is definitely her favorite. It didn't hurt that Marissa found the perfect stuffed monkey for it when she was in New York. She's doing her best to spoil them, mom."

"Oh, be quiet. You're one to talk. Besides, I don't think it's possible to spoil any of them. They're way too grounded. So, I guess I'll have to concentrate on spoiling you." Marissa grinned.

Bianca matched the redhead's grin. "You're off to a good start. You haven't seen the locket she bought me when she was in New York, have you, mom?"

Erica admired the locket around her daughter's neck and smiled when she saw the picture of the couple's family inside. It was tasteful and elegant at the same time. She could tell immediately it was purchased at Tiffany's and no expense was spared. She definitely approved. "I noticed it last week, but I didn't get a chance to ask you about it. You did a very good job with that, Marissa. I'm impressed. So, I take it you liked New York."

"I didn't get out that much. They kept me busy with all of the seminars and workshops. Besides, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did when I was there with Bianca earlier this year. I don't know that I could ever thank you enough for all of your help with that trip."

"It was my pleasure, dear. After all of the unpleasantness the two of you went through earlier this year, you deserved some time away."

"I wanted to thank you for something else, Erica, something you did last week. Brian told me about what you said to a couple of my co-workers, or I should say former co-workers. They turned in their resignations last Friday."

"Yes, Jack told me those two had resigned. You're welcome, but you really don't have to thank me, dear. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to tell you that I'm very pleased they decided to finally see reason and leave. They are nasty people who deserve everything they are going through right now. When I heard what they'd done, I'll just say they got off lightly. No one plays games with my family. I just won't have it. From what I hear, you did a very nice job of handling them yourself. Although, I think you should have gone to Jack about that distasteful bet."

"Marissa and I talked about it, mom. We thought it was better to keep things quiet at the firm. Those two could've made things very uncomfortable for her there. I didn't want that for her, and Marissa agreed to handle things quietly for me." Bianca smiled.

Erica nodded. She knew it must have been extremely unpleasant for Marissa to have to see those two every day and keep her temper in check, but she had done it for Bianca. Erica had to admit the redhead never ceased to surprise her in the best possible ways. "What else has been going on with the two of you?"

"Oh, how'd it go with Colleen?"

"It went okay, I suppose. She's still not ready to leave him, but she stayed and listened. She also asked a lot of questions. I know Joanna was hoping for more, but right now, Colleen's just not ready to admit everything that's going on."

"Is Colleen a new client, Marissa?" Erica asked.

"No, she isn't, at least not yet. She's my friend Joanna's sister. Joanna thinks that Colleen's husband is abusing her, and unfortunately, I think she's right. She's showing the classic signs of someone who's in an abusive relationship. I can only hope that I was able to get through to her somehow and that she'll ask for help soon before things escalate."

"I have every faith in you that you did just, Rissa."

"I hope so. Enough about that for now. So, did you get registered?"

Bianca nodded and smiled brightly. "I did. You are now looking at Pine Valley University's newest part-time student."

"Did you say 'part-time student'? Are you going back to school?" Erica asked.

"I am. I'm going to take a class in the spring."

"We'll celebrate tonight, and you'll have to tell me all about it. I know you're bursting to tell me now, but I have to get back for my next meeting. The Regan's are coming in with Beth."

"They changed their minds and want you to represent Beth again?"

"It would appear so. I'll find out more when I see them and tell you what I can tonight."

"I knew they would come to their senses. Why settle for anything but the best kick-ass lawyer around."

Marissa laughed. "Thank you, and I'm with you on not settling for anything but the best. I know that's what I finally have with you."

Bianca's goofy grin spoke volumes, and Marissa gave her a quick kiss. The redhead turned to the older woman. "Erica, I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but duty calls. It was nice seeing you again and thank you for lunch. Maybe you can come over for dinner before you head out of town? Would you do me a favor and take care of our girl for me?"

Erica smiled seeing the sincerity behind both requests. "Of course I will, dear. It was nice seeing you again as well, and dinner sounds lovely. Thank you."

"Great! I'll let you work out the details with Bianca." Marissa leaned in for one more quick kiss from Bianca. "I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too."

Erica watched as her daughter's eyes followed Marissa out of the restaurant. This had indeed been an eye opening lunch for her. The redhead impressed her more and more each time they had spoken and today was no exception. "Bianca, tell me about your going back to school. What made you decide to go back, and what are you taking?"

"It's something I've thought about for a while now. It's only one class in psychology, and I won't start until next semester which begins in mid-January so we'll be settled into the new place by then."

"I see." Erica was mulling over what she would say next. She didn't want to discourage Bianca, but felt her daughter needed to proceed with caution. As her mother, Erica felt she needed to play devil's advocate.

"Is something wrong, mom? You're being awfully quiet."

"Do you think it's wise to go back to school at this point in time?"

"What, what do you mean?"

"You have a great deal going on right now. You're building a relationship with Marissa, and from all accounts, her career is taking off. The children are busy with school and their activities. Now, you have a new home to set up. You have all of that on top of your own career. I'm worried that you might be overextending yourself by taking this class."

"I know it's a lot, mom, but Marissa and I can handle it."

"That brings me to my next concern. What about Marissa?"

"What about her?"

"How does she feel about this?"

"She's all for it. She couldn't be more supportive."

"I see."

Bianca took a deep breath. Her mother could get under her skin like no one else. "What, mom? Spit it out."

"Well, are you sure she's really okay with this? She may say that she is, but it's clear that she would do anything for you. I'm just afraid that your being away from home and making her shoulder everything while you're at school will be a terrible strain for her and as a result, your relationship. I wouldn't want that to happen."

The happiness Bianca had felt earlier about registering for class began to diminish. Whether she meant to or not, Erica gave voice again to all of those doubts and fears she first had about doing this, the ones that she and Marissa had discussed. Now, she wondered if Marissa really was okay with this or if was only agreeing to it because she wanted Bianca to be happy. "You don't think I should do this, that I'm not capable of balancing everything."

"Oh, sweetheart, it's not that I doubt you. I just want you to be sure of what you're doing. I only ever want to see you happy. I only want what's best for you. I …" Erica was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. "Excuse me, sweetheart. I have to take this."

Bianca nodded numbly. She had been so excited about going back to school, but if it meant putting a strain on her relationship with Marissa, it wasn't worth it. She would drop the class without giving it a second thought.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I need to go. I need to take care of something. I can't begin to tell you how hard it is to get good help these days."

"That's fine, mom. I understand. I'll call you later to set up a good day for you and Uncle Jack to come over for dinner." Bianca got up and waited for mother to settle their bill, and the two headed out together.

"That sounds perfect." Erica hugged her daughter before starting to get into her car. She stopped and turned. "Bianca, I just want you to be cautious about this school thing. You're happy right now, and I want you to stay that way."

"I know, mom. I do too. I'll talk to you later."

Erica smiled as she got back in her car and drove away. She didn't notice that Bianca was still standing beside her car, lost in thought.

/

Marissa walked back into the bedroom and watched Bianca. The brunette had been quiet for a large chunk of the evening. Something had been on her mind, but Marissa wasn't able to question her because of the kids needing their attention. Now, the couple was finally alone, and she was determined to find out what was going on.

"Bianca, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

Marissa sighed, grateful that her girlfriend couldn't hide the truth from her no matter how hard she tried. She sat down on the bed next to Bianca. "You know, you're a lousy liar. You'd think you would know by now that you can't hide anything from me. I know you all too well. You've been quiet, too quiet, all evening. I call tell you have something on your mind. You were in such a good mood at the Yacht Club. Did something happen at work to change that?"

Bianca shook her head. Marissa was right. She could never keep anything from her, and Bianca didn't even know why she tried.

"Did something happen with Erica?"

The brunette sighed and nodded.

Dammit. What the hell did Erica say? "What happened? Baby, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know. I've been thinking. I'm going to drop that class."

"Why? You were looking forward to it. I saw how happy you were just telling me you registered for it. What changed your mind?"

"Rissa, we have so much going on right now. I just don't see how I can spare the time to do it. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"It wouldn't be fair to me? What are you talking about? What did Erica say exactly?"

"She just made a few good points. Some things that I need to take into account."

"Okay, you lost me, B. We talked about this before. I thought we had everything settled. What points did Erica make that had you change your mind?"

"We have three kids, our careers and a new house along with trying to have a baby next year. I didn't tell her about that last part so she doesn't know about that. I just can't justify taking a class right now. It's too much for me to ask, too much for you to do by yourself. I can't …"

"Will you stop, please. We talked about all of this. You're just taking one class. We can get Susan to pick up the kids after school and watch them until I get home on the night you have class if I have to work late. Kendall's said she'd help too. We'll be in the new house before the semester starts for you. As for the baby, we were talking about starting that process in the spring, and after I get pregnant, it's still going to be nine months before the newest addition to our family makes their grand entrance. All of the appointments, we'll take everyone's schedule into account. There's plenty of time for you to take a class. So, what other points did your mom make?"

"Rissa, I don't want you to regret agreeing to this just because it makes me happy. I don't want you to discount your feelings on this, ignore the strain or stress this will put on you. I don't want you to hide your feelings or doubts about me doing this just to protect me. It's only been just under a year since we've gotten together. I don't want to lose you because of this. It's selfish of me."

"I won't have you talking about the love of my life like that. You don't have a selfish bone in your body. This is your dream, something you've wanted to do a long time. What kind of partner would I be if I didn't support you in that? I'm not going anywhere so you're not going to lose me. You're stuck with me. I'm yours for as long as you want me. As for hiding anything from you, let me just ask you this. Have I ever lied to you?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, you haven't."

"And I never will. If it gets to be too much for me to handle, I promise you that I'll let you know. I also know that if I need you for anything, you'll be there for me and the kids in a heartbeat without thinking twice about it."

"I will, you know. There's nothing more important to me than you and the kids."

"I know, and I feel the same way. I'm sure your mom means well, but this isn't about her. This is about the two of us and our family. Look, if you really want to do this, then I want you too. I'm with you all the way on this. I tell you what. Tomorrow, we'll map out everything and call Susan and make sure she can help out. What do you say?" I am so going to have to talk to Erica about this tomorrow. I don't think she knows how much this really means to Bianca. I'm going to have to set her straight on this. I won't have her putting Bianca through this kind of doubt or worry whether she means to or not.

Bianca smiled. "I say okay. I'll take the class. If things get too crazy though, I'm dropping it."

"Good! I'm glad that's settled." Marissa gave her a quick kiss and grinned. "You know, there is one big advantage to you going back to school."

"There is, huh? What would that be?" Bianca quirked an eyebrow.

"I get to help you study, and I have it on good authority that I'm an excellent tutor. I've got this great reward system in mind to help you study."

Bianca laughed. "You really are an excellent tutor, counselor. I never knew learning could be so much fun, and I can't wait to see what you have in mind for my reward for getting a question right. And just to make things clear for you, you're not going anywhere."

"I'm not, huh?" Marissa grinned.

"No, you're not. I'm not letting you. I want you right here with me for the rest of our lives. Remember, you promised me old and gray, and I intend to hold you to that. I love you."

Marissa's breath hitched. "There's no place else I want to be. You're my home. You're what I've been searching for my whole life. I love you."

The tender kiss between the two soon deepened. Bianca gently pushed Marissa back onto the bed, and they quickly became lost in each other.