Marti stepped out of the shower when there was a knock on the separating door. She wrapped her big, fluffy towel around her body and padded across the room, opening the door for just a crack.

Julian leaned against the door frame, a take-out bag in hand. "Room service?"

"Right on time. Come on in." She fully opened the door, letting him in. "I'll just put on something a little more comfortable."

His gaze traveled down her towel-clad body to her naked legs and blue-nailpolished feet. "No need on my account."

She glanced over her shoulder as she rummaged through her bag. "But on the account of your little girl sleeping in the next room." She slipped into her underwear and a pair of cut-off sweatpants. After a little more rummaging, she produced a washed-out Motörhead t-shirt. "And aside from that little episode of public exposure in the pool, I don't enjoy running naked as much as you'd think."

"That's...," he paused, searching for the right word, "consoling."

Marti picked up on the strange tone of this voice. "You're not still pissed about that guy, are you?"

With a sigh, he sat down on the edge of the king size bed. "That he called my... you... a prostitute? Excuse me if I can't just shrug it off just like that." More to himself than to her, he added. "If that's what it going to be like..."

"If you are already having second thoughts, you might as well leave this room right now."

He looked at her, taken aback by the harshness of her words.

Her shoulders sagged. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I just really don't care about... the age difference or any of that." She stood in front of him, hands running up his collar. "And I wish you wouldn't either."

He looked up at her and she could see the apology in his eyes, yet it went unspoken. "I brought you fries." he offered after a moment.

She couldn't help but smile. However was she supposed to hold a grudge against him when he said things like that. "That's better." She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "You almost called me your girlfriend just now, didn't you?"

He matched her grin. "Is that a problem? Too early?"

Marti hesitated, enjoying to see him squirm with anticipation. "No." She kissed him again. "Let's eat."

#

They put the food between them, cheeseburgers and fries, and apart from the occasional smalltalk about their upcoming last stretch of their trip, they ate in silence.

Washing down the last bite of her burger with a sip from her coke, Marti flopped on her back, stretching out on the bed. "You know... it's funny that after I go swimming, I'm always starving."

Julian rose from the bed to toss the paper bags and cartons into the trash. "Even though we didn't exactly swim?"

She laughed. "Probably even more so." She watched him go to the bathroom and wash his hands. "Can I ask you something?"

He didn't reply right away but slowly dried off his hands, then to returned to the bed, sitting down with his back turned to her. He drew in a long before he spoke. "Acute leukemia."

Marti stared at his back, at his uneasily shifting shoulders. "How did you..."

He laughed wryly. "It's the first thing anyone ever asks."

She sat up again, the comfort of the moment burst like a bubble. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

He glanced over his shoulder. "It's alright. Talking about it, it's... it helps." Exhaling slowly, he kicked off his shoes and stretched out next to her, one arm behind his head, the other hand playing haphazardly with the buttons of his shirt.

Unsure what to do, Marti lay down on her side, her head propped on her hand. Even though she wanted to know, she felt uncomfortable for bringing it up. And for him knowing exactly what she wanted to know even before she had asked.

"I gave up my practice when we found out. When she got the diagnosis, the doctors gave her six months." He licked his lips as his voice started to become heavy. "She barely made it to three."

"What was her name?" Marti asked when he didn't continue.

"Katherine." He smiled, remembering. "Kate."

"That's a beautiful name."

His smile spread a little. "She was, too." He looked at her. "I'm sorry."

Marti shook her head. "Maybe you can show me a photo sometime?"

He reached out and let his fingers run down her arm until they met hers, entwining with them. He held on to her as he continued but didn't look at her. Instead, his gaze was fixed on a spot just over her shoulder. "We made all the arrangements but... all that time, all I could think of was... how do we tell Nikki."

Again, he paused and this time, Marti remained quiet.

"We were at the hospital for the last month and one afternoon, Kate send me out to get her a soda. But I knew she wanted to talk to Nikki." He drew in a long breath. "I watched them through the window but I couldn't hear what she was saying. And Nikki just sat there with her. And she... nodded. And then she hugged her. When I went back in, she came rushing to me and... clung to my leg." A little smile played around his lips. "And she looked up at him and said: I'll take care of you now, daddy.'"

He closed his eyes as tears threatened to roll down his cheeks. Even though he tried to hide them, they drenched his words when he continued. "A three year old girl... and she didn't cry. Not once."

Marti looked at him and realized something. People may have asked about his wife before but she was the first to ever hear the full story.

Not knowing what to say, she didn't say anything, only shifted closer to him and wrapped her arm around him, resting her head on his chest. She felt him stiffen beneath her but then he gave in to her and returned her embrace.

Marti listened to his heartbeat, her fingers tracing nonsense patterns on his chest. And as they lay there in silence, she realized something else. Something that scared her a little, something she had been subconsciously aware of the minute she had left him standing in the street that morning.

"Can I ask you something?" This time it was Julian asking, and he shifted to look at her.

"Sure."

He seemed to try and find the right words, studying her face before he spoke. "When you left that morning...," he began and she wondered if she had thought out loud. "You said that you were this close to..."

"...fall for you?" she finished for him.

Julian looked at her, mouth opening with words he didn't say. The only thing he managed after a long pause was: "Yes."

A slow smile crooked her mouth. "I did." The moment she said it, she felt her heart skip a beat and a rush down her nerves. As if he felt it, too, his grip around her shoulders tightened.

"That's good," he said then, his tone a little hollow, insecure. "Because I... I'm..."

She laid her fingers on his mouth, anything to shut him and keep him from stammering helplessly. "I know."

He pulled out of her grip, brow furrowed. "You do?"

Marti shrugged. "Well, I was never a math genius but I figured you showing up at Nationals," she held up her index finger, "plus you planning on introducing me to Nikki," middle finger, "plus you telling me about your wife," ring finger paired a little sigh, "plus you calling me your girlfriend," pinkie finger, "equals..."

"I guess it does." Julian let this fingers slide between hers, gently squeezing her hand. "I might not... be able to say it yet. Is that... alright?"

She answered him with a kiss, slow and sweet.

When she pulled back, his mouth was curved into a smile. "Does that mean you're giving this... us... another chance?"

Grinning, she nodded. "I guess it does." Her mood sobered a little when she sat up, pulling her legs beneath her. "There is one condition, though."

Julian's eyebrows went up. "Which is?"

She brushed her hair behind her ears, steepling her fingers in her lap. "When we get back... I want you to date me."

At that, his eyebrows went in the opposite direction. "Excuse me?"

"We got this all backwards. I mean... I'm no prude or a desperate defender of old, traditional relationships but...I want to get this right."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"That you will take me out." She shrugged with one shoulder. "Dinner... movies... dancing. And if you need a babysitter, I'm sure Savannah is happy to help. She's always short for cash." Marti reconsidered for a moment. "Although I am not quite sure if I want to expose Nikki to that amount of pep."

He laughed. "Alright. I'll date you."

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

He reached for her shirt and wanted to kiss her but she put her hand against his chest, keeping the distance. "What?"

"Actually, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave now."

"That's part of the deal?"

"I'm afraid so." She gave him a quick peck for consolation. "You should go back to your daughter, in case she wakes up."

He nodded, making get up from the look very tough. "Will you at least walk me to the door?"

"What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't?"

Marti leaned against the frame when he had opened the door to his room, looking up at him. On her bare feet, she felt him towering over her even more than usual.

For a long moment, he just looked at her, the tiniest smile curving his lips. Then he leaned down and kissed her and it felt like a first.

"Thank you," she whispered as they pulled apart, careful not to disturb the little girl buried beneath the thick comforter of one of the beds.

"What for?"

"For telling me."

He nodded quietly, then stepped into his room.

"Good night, Miss Perkins."

She smiled at their almost-trademark farewell. "Good night, Julian."