The children were sipping and scooping their floats, and so was Niles. They had the photo books spread out on the coffee table and were being careful to keep the floats away from them. They pointed out photos to each other, laughing at people's outfits, feeling sad for the people who were clearly poor. Gracie seemed to be really fascinated by the photos of London. They all looked up as Fran and Max came back into the room.

"These pictures are fantastic," Maggie said. The others chimed in in agreement.

"Would you two like an ice cream float? I thought we would celebrate with the children, and ice cream seemed appropriate."

Fran looked at Max, "You wanna share one? I don't think I need a whole one, especially if I decide to go pig out some more in a while."

"Sure, that sounds good. Yes, Niles. I think we would like to join in the celebration, but just one for us to share."

"Very good, sir! I'll be right back!" Niles took what remained of his own float and rushed back into the kitchen. Fran and Max went back to the chair they sat in before and squished into it together. Max draped his arm over her shoulder and held her hands with his other hand. They were both so happy, it was easy to forget about her health issues and just enjoy things in the moment.

"Fran, did you get to talk to them? To your parents and Val?" Maggie asked. Fran snapped back out of her trance.

"Yeah, I did. Val wants to come to the appointment friday, but she's not sure if she can take friday and Monday off, so she'll let me know. I told Ma and Daddy about the engagement and they were really happy. Ma said Daddy ran off to find his good cigars, but she said she thinks she threw them out a long time ago. So he didn't hear what I needed to tell them about the surgery, so Ma has to talk to him about that later. And Val was really happy, really positive about things. I told her I want her to be my Maid of Honor, so she was pretty thrilled about that. So I guess it went pretty good, I just have to see if Ma can make Daddy come to the appointment on Friday. And I need to try to go see him soon, if he doesn't come over here." Fran looked sad and Maggie noticed.

"Your dad has a hard time with these kinds of things, doesn't he? I think your mom knows how to talk to him, though- she knows when it's time to be gentle and when it's time to be tough. She'll get him to come around, don't worry."

"Thank you, Maggie. Yeah, I think Ma will figure something out. If she doesn't, then I'll just have to tie him up and drag him to the hospital!" She laughed with Maggie a moment and Max stroked the back of her shoulder. God, she wanted to be alone with him.

"Hey B- did you get to look at those pictures of Queens yet?" Fran asked.

"Yeah, they're really good. You know, I bet we could find a lot of those places if they haven't been torn down. And we need to show your parents to see if they recognize anyone or anything there. Maybe if they do, we could go back there and find them and take new pictures. That might be a cool project." Fran smiled at him. She knew he would get it.

"Daddy, did you look at this London one yet? There are mudlarks in here, and they look like they're my age! They're all filthy and covered in mud!" Max smiled at her.

"I'll have to look at it. I bet there are a lot of things in there that I'll recognize."

"Hey, then you can send me over there to take new pictures…" Brighton grinned.

"Hey, maybe you could save your money from all the photos you sell and you could pay for your own trip over there," Max raised his eyebrows at Brighton, poking fun at him. "I'd throw a pillow at you, but I don't want to knock over a float and mess up those books."

"Yeah, don't do that," Brighton scolded. Fran hugged Max and smiled at the two of them. She loved seeing their good-hearted ribbing of each other. Just then Niles rushed back in with their float and handed it to Fran. It had two scoops of vanilla and a lot of yummy foam, with two straws and a single, long-handled spoon. They both took sips from the straws at the same time, then Fran used the spoon to scoop up some of the foam. She took some for herself, then fed Max some.

"Oh Niles, I talked to C.C., she might call you to give you messages for me, and she said she would be sending some things over possibly tomorrow, so we need to watch for them. She also said there might be a big delivery of scripts next week, so I may have to figure out what to do with them. She may not have time to look at any of them."

"Yes, sir. Well, if I can be of any assistance, let me know. And even with the scripts, if you just need more eyes to read them, you know, to give you a synopsis, I'd be willing to help you with that."

"Careful, Niles, because I may take you up on that."

"Hey, if I run out of things to read or TV shows to watch, I can read some scripts too. That might even be fun." Max looked at her, then at Niles, then back at her.

"We'll see how the week goes, maybe that could be a thing." Max smiled and she gave him another spoonful of ice cream.

"Oh, sir," Niles stepped closer. "Might I ask- did you tell Ms. Babcock about-"

"About our engagement? Oh, no I didn't. I thought you might want to find a way to handle that. I did tell her that Fran and I are together, so I'm sure she's stewing on some level. But just be kind. Maybe mention it in passing."

"Yes, sir!" Niles was positively beaming. Fran thought she could almost hear the gears in his head turning, trying to come up with a plan.

Brighton shut the book he had been looking through and reached for his float, chugging the last of it.

"I think I'm gonna go upstairs and work on a few things, and write up that note to Tommy's dad. I might try to call Tommy too, if I remember. See if his dad is home. Then I need to do a little review before I go to bed."

"Oh, Brighton, I want to see some of that stuff too, is that okay?" Maggie said.

"Sure, you can come up. I'll do that first."

"What about me? I want to see," Grace said, feeling left out.

"Gracie, how about you go get ready for bed when you finish your float, and while you wait for Brighton to get it ready, you can go through your review sheets and get that out of the way. Then when they decide on a picture for you to see, they can come get you. Would that be alright?" Fran asked.

"Yeah, okay, come get me when it's ready, okay?" She asked Brighton and Maggie.

"Sure, Grace, I'll come get you. But only one image, okay?" Maggie said.

"Yes, I know, only one." She closed the photo book she was looking at and stacked it back on the one Brighton had. Then Maggie did the same and they all got up. Grace finished her float and licked off her spoon and straw. Maggie was still nursing hers.

"Niles, is it okay if I take this upstairs? I'll bring it back down and put it in the dishwasher when I'm done." Maggie said.

"Of course, just don't spill anything. That's not easy to clean out of things like carpeting or upholstery. Or computer keyboards." Niles said.

"Yeah, don't put it by my computer," Brighton warned.

"I won't."

"Hey, give us hugs before you go up, in case we don't see you later." Fran said. She and Max stood up to hug them goodnight.

"You guys aren't getting ready for bed yet?" Grace asked.

"Not yet. Remember, your daddy had a long nap this afternoon, and I had a ton of caffeine from that Thai tea, so we're wide awake." Grace came over to hug Fran and her father.

"Goodnight Fran, and Daddy. I'm really glad you guys are getting married!" She looked at Fran's rings again and hugged Fran tight. They were both beaming.

"Goodnight, darling," Max said.

"Goodnight, angel. Remember not to stay up late. I want you kicking some butt on those tests tomorrow."

"Oh, believe me, I will!" Grace said, heading for the kitchen.

Maggie hugged them next, holding her float away so she didn't get any on them. "Congratulations. I'm really happy you guys are together. And you guys look really happy together." Maggie looked at Fran's rings again. "You have got to take me to that jewelry store, these rings are stinkin' pretty!" Maggie admired the rings again.

"Yeah, they are. And hey, maybe if there's time, maybe we could do that before Monday comes."

"I'd like that, but only if you're up for it." Maggie hugged her father and headed for the kitchen, too.

"Goodnight, Maggie," Max said.

Then Brighton fidgeted with the books, like he wanted to say something to them. Max picked up on his awkwardness.

"Niles?" Max asked. "Could you do a huge favor and get that box of cameras for Brighton? I believe it's a white box, it should say cameras on it, and there should be a big case or two inside it that the cameras are in. If you could bring the whole thing out for him to look at. It should be in the attic."

"Yes sir, I'll go look for it right now," Niles said, and headed for the stairs. Brighton glanced back to see that Niles was gone, then he walked around the coffee table towards Fran and his father.

"You doing okay B?" Fran asked, reaching a hand out to him.

"Yeah, I think so. Just a lot to absorb I guess, but I think it's all sinking in. I'm starting to get some ideas for plans. But it helps that you guys are engaged now. I mean, like Maggie said, I'm glad you guys are together. You need each other. I know everybody's happy about it." He smiled shyly, then stepped towards Fran to hug her. He gave her an extra long hug, which neither of them was used to. Max watched, wondering what was going through Brighton's mind.

"We love you B, you know we worry about you, too. I know this has been hard, so please come talk to us, anytime, it doesn't have to be about any of this, it can be about school, or friends, or anything, if you just want to talk. And even Maggie, it seems like she's making an effort to watch out for you, too." Fran rubbed his arms after they parted from the hug. Brighton nodded his head.

"I know, it's weird, I mean usually I'd be the one making smart remarks, trying to play it off so things didn't get too serious. But it's not funny. I know it's one of those things that can happen in life, but it's not fair it happened to you. But we're all here for you, you aren't alone in this. And if anything good can come out of it, well, we should focus on that, right? I mean, you and Dad being together, that's a good thing. That happened. So, that helps. Now we work on getting you better, and I'll work on trying to understand the medical side. Maybe some good will come of that. That's what I should focus on now." Max found himself getting choked up, and he pulled Brighton to him for a hug.

"I know I don't say it, Brighton, I've spent far too much time focusing on the negative with you, threatening to send you to military school and all that, but I am really proud of you. The character you've shown us with all of this going on, it just really amazes me. You should be proud of yourself, too. You're handling a difficult situation, and you aren't just sitting there, frozen in fear, you got up and did something, not just to help others, but it's something that really helps you, too. You are really turning into a fine young man. I know your mother would be proud, too."

Now they were all getting teary eyed.

"Jeez dad, you had to go there, didn't you?" Max laughed and hugged him again, then Fran grabbed him back for a hug.

"You are a very special young man, B. I'm glad I know you. And I can't wait to see what things you do in the future," Fran patted his back with both hands and kissed him on the cheek. "Now go show your sisters the images, but don't stay up late and make sure you do the review sheets before you go to sleep, okay?" She tussled his hair and then smoothed it back.

Brighton cleared his throat and nodded.

"Goodnight, and congratulations," he said, waving behind him as he headed for the kitchen.

"Goodnight, B."

"Goodnight, son," Max said.

They watched him walk away and then turned to each other. "These kids!" Fran said, wiping a tear away.

"I know, right? My chest hurts. But in a good way," Max said. Fran squeezed him and buried her face in his chest.

"Let's finish that float on the couch, fiancé," Fran said. Max reached over to pick up the float from the end table and they moved to sit on the couch. Max got comfortable and Fran curled up against him, with her knees over his lap. He sipped the float and handed it to her.

"Mmm, that is a pretty good thing to celebrate an engagement with," Max said, looking at Fran.

"It sure is," she agreed, then they leaned towards each other and kissed, letting their tongues lick off the ice cream and soda from each other's lips.

Niles came down the front stairs, interrupting their kisses. He came into the living room.

"Is there anything else you may need tonight? I thought I would head into the kitchen and clean up for the night," Niles said.

"Oh, Niles, I hate to be a pain," Fran said, "But this ice cream float is filling me up pretty good. I don't think I'll be having any soup later tonight, so if you want to get that put away. I'm sure I'll have some tomorrow though."

"That's perfectly alright, I'll get it cooled off and back into the fridge. Will there be anything else?"

"Oh, we aren't setting an alarm tomorrow morning, so we aren't sure if we'll make it to breakfast with everyone else, is that alright?" Max said.

"No problem at all, sir."

Fran finished the last bit of the float and held the glass out for Niles to take.

"Thank you, Niles! All done. I am so full, it's wonderful!" Niles took the glass from her and said goodnight to them and headed for the kitchen.

"So, fiancée," Max said. "Do you want to hang out down here for a while, or what?"

She smiled. "I was thinking of heading upstairs and getting out those CDs we got from the cafe, maybe get the fireplace going…"

"Mmmmm… we might be able to do that. We should bring some more of your things into the bedroom, too, if there is anything else you need, maybe some clothes for the next few days. Maybe tomorrow we can do even more reorganizing to get more of your stuff moved over."

"Yeah, we can do that."

Max reached a hand up and pushed her hair back from her face. He let his wrist feel her neck to see if she might be getting warm from a fever, but she felt fine. Then he was more obvious about it and put the back of his hand on her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

She took hold of his hand and kissed it, then wrapped it back on the side of her neck. "I don't feel like I have a fever at all, if that's what you're wondering. But we need to take my temperature when we go up. We need to get in that habit for a little while."

"Yes," he stroked her neck. "Everything else feel okay?"

"Mmm hmm…" she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hand on her neck. "That feels good," she whispered. He smiled, and traced her jawline with his thumb. He looked at her as she had her eyes closed, let his other hand run across her belly to her side. He leaned over to her and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Let's go upstairs," he whispered into her ear. She opened her eyes and grabbed his hands, then jumped up from the couch and pulled him up with her. She turned around and wrapped his hands around her waist from behind, then he leaned his head over her shoulder and kissed her neck. He moved to her side and wrapped an arm over her shoulder and she wrapped an arm around his waist. They walked quietly over to the stairs, turned off the light, and headed up, the both of them smiling. They retrieved several days of clothing from her old room and brought them into the closet of the master bedroom. Max shut and locked the bedroom door and turned on the fireplace. The bedroom was a bit chilly so he turned it up to a higher setting. Fran went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. Max got out the CDs they bought at the cafe and picked one out, then turned on his small stereo and put the CD in the player, then adjusted the volume as the first song began to play. When Fran came out, they traded places and Max went to brush his teeth and put on pajamas. He felt his stubble and decided to shave again, too. Then he freshened his cologne and headed back out into the bedroom. Fran had pulled the covers on the bed down and rearranged the pillows, removing the extra ones and putting them on the chaise. Their eyes met and they smiled, and they walked towards each other, meeting in front of the bench at the foot of the bed. Max took her left hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed her new rings, then kissed her lips. She ran her hands up his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Max," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Fran." He rested his forehead against hers and exhaled a deep breath, then he kissed her forehead softly. "We need to get your temperature, darling. Let me go get the thermometer."

She let go of him and he hurried into the bathroom and came back out with the thermometer. He shook it out and placed it in her mouth, under her tongue. Then he surprised her by picking her up and carrying her to the bed. She laughed as she tried to keep the thermometer in her mouth. He laid her down and rested her head on a pillow, then went to turn off all the lights except for his bedside light. He climbed on the bed and crawled across to Fran, then lowered himself down to her belly. She watched him as he gently moved her shirt up to reveal her belly. He traced a finger across it and then kissed it. He dragged his lips across her, and then let his tongue trace circles on her skin. She arched her back and moaned, enjoying his touch. He kissed her belly again and then rested his head down on her. He slid his arms up along her sides and pulled her to him. She reached down and stroked his hair. They rested together like that while they waited until they could check the thermometer. Max clutched her sides and pressed his lips into her skin. She felt so good.

Fran took the thermometer out and checked it by the light of the bedside lamp.

"Sweetie, do you want to see the thermometer? It says my temp is normal."

Max raised his head and then took the thermometer from her. He held it up and checked the result. "That's good, sweetheart! That's good! You don't feel hot, either. I mean, you are hot, but not like that…" He smiled at her and handed her the thermometer, then she put it on the bedside table, and she turned out the light. The only light they had now came from the fireplace. He crawled up to her and she wrapped her arms over his shoulders. He looked over her face and nuzzled her nose with his. He gently kissed the corner of her mouth, then her lower lip, then her whole mouth. Their tongues met and traced across each other. Fran guided Max to rest on top of her. They continued to kiss each other deeply. Max moved to her neck and sucked on her gently, and ran his tongue over her skin. She moaned and turned her head, letting him kiss her neck all over.

"Mmmm… Max! That feels so good…" He kissed her throat gently, and worked his way back to her lips. They kissed slowly, carefully, then Fran reached for his face and clutched him. She held him still as she let their lips graze each other's, then they opened their eyes to look at each other. "Max…"

"Hmm?" He sighed. She caressed his cheeks with her thumbs, and he leaned back slightly to look over her face.

"Baby… I need to tell you- I want to thank you, for really taking care of me," she ran her fingers through his hair. "I can't even imagine how scary that must have been, and for it to have gone on for so long. I'm sorry that you had to go through that, and I just really want you to know how much it means to me that you were there for me. It scares me to think… what if it had happened even just last week, if I had been alone, and no one knew?"

"Darling, don't think about it like that! I know what you mean, and I'm so glad we were together and that I could watch out for you. So glad. I need to take care of you, Fran. I can't bear the thought of you suffering, not at all!" He clutched her close and kissed the side of her face, again and again.

"I'm so glad, too, Max! I'm so grateful to you! I love you so much, and I don't want you to ever suffer like that again, to be scared like that again. It hurts my heart that you went through that!" She was getting tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Fran! It hurts my heart that you went through it! We need to get you better, okay? All the way. As quickly as we can!" Fran kissed his cheek, then his lips.

"Yes… we have to! That's what I plan to do, okay? I want to get better as fast as I can. I don't want to do anything that might slow that down. I'll do what the doctors say. I'll rest, and eat right, and take care of myself, whatever they tell me to do…"

"And I'll take care of you, too, darling! We'll get you through this. I know it will go by quicker than you expect. Like when I had my surgery- you remember that, don't you? I was on my feet fairly quickly. Everything healed well, and I didn't have any more problems. Remember?"

Fran nodded, and wiped a tear from her eye. "Yes. And I wish I had been the one to take care of you back then. You needed somebody looking after you."

"Hey, things were different then. And Niles did a good job. I'll admit, it would have been nice to hang out with you in here, when I had to rest and take it easy. But back then, it would have been weird, you know? Especially after… you know- what happened at the hospital…" Fran couldn't help but laugh, and Max stuck out his bottom lip, pretending to be upset.

"I really was sorry about that! I couldn't have planned that if I tried! But at least Niles thought it was hilarious." Max laughed, and nuzzled back into her neck, then kissed her cheek. Fran wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he kissed his way across her cheek, then looked back into her eyes, lovingly.

"We sure do have some stories, don't we?" He smiled. Fran nodded, and smiled back.

"We do."

"And we'll have a whole lot more in the future. That's something we can look forward to. And maybe we'll have matching scars, too!" He whispered.

"Yeah…" Fran smiled, thinking about it.

Max grazed his nose around hers, then let his lips hover over hers. She couldn't stand the tension, so she kissed him, and pulled him down to her. She kissed him again and again, then they rolled over together on the bed. They both laughed. Fran crawled up over him, holding his face between her hands.

"I love you, baby!"

"I love you, sweetheart!"

"And you'll have to show me your scar sometime…"

"You want to see it? I don't mind showing it to you."

Fran looked at him, seriously. "Really? You don't mind?"

"Of course not, you're my fiancée. You can see my scars. And if it helps you, to get an idea of what yours might be like, then of course. You should have a look at it. It's not bad. Do you want to? Now?" Fran looked up at him, thinking about it. She moved off of him to the side, then looked down at his abdomen. Was she ready to see it? To see that part of him? Bare? Well, she thought, he had seen that part of her, bare. She looked back up at him.

"Well, if you're sure, then yes, I think I do want to see how it looks. As long as it's okay with you."

"Sure, darling. Now, do you want to look at it right here, like this? Or I could stand up, if that helps."

"Maybe, yeah, could you stand? Over here, by the fire, so I can see it better."

"Sure." She let Max sit up, then slide over to the side of the bed. She followed him and sat on the side of the bed as he stood up. He pulled up his shirt a little and tucked it under his arm, then slowly pushed his waistband down on the right side until it revealed his appendix scar. Fran was a little mesmerized- she was turned on by seeing more of his bare skin, but knew she was supposed to be paying attention to his scar. She looked over it, then over his body and how it appeared in relation to everything else. It really wasn't so bad, and it did look like it healed well. It seemed to be in a similar area where she might have her own scar, maybe just a little further out.

"Can I- can I touch it?" She asked.

"Yes." Fran looked from his face back down to his scar, then reached a finger towards the scar, then she gently traced over it with her fingertip. It gave Max a wave of goosebumps. She liked touching his skin, but was still sad that he had the scar. Aside from walking in on him in the shower, this was the only other time she saw this part of him. And she still loved him, this scar wouldn't make a difference. And now she understood how her scar wouldn't make a difference to him. She ran her thumb over it, pressing just a little harder.

"That's not so bad. It doesn't feel so bad. Doesn't look so bad. It is about the size mine might be." She looked back up at him, and he put his hand over hers.

"Matching scars," he smiled. She smiled back, then kissed the back of his hand. He moved his waistband back up and dropped his shirt down. He got to his knees in front of her and put his hands on her hips. "Do you feel better about it?" She ran her hands over his shoulders and nodded.

"Yes. Thank you." She rested her forehead against his. "Hey, come here. Let's get in the covers. And I want to kiss you a whole bunch!"

Max smiled. "Alright!" They pushed the covers down and crawled into them, and Max laid down so she could rest on top of him. She pulled the covers partway over them, crawled over his chest, and propped herself up on her elbows. Max wrapped his arms around her back and looked into her eyes. She smiled and kissed his chest through his shirt, then shifted closer to his face and looked into his eyes.

"Thank you, Max, for letting me see that. It does help. A lot. It feels different than I thought it might, and it doesn't look so bad. And I guess it's not a big price to pay for- well, for possibly saving my life." Max felt his insides crush, and he reached up to caress her cheek.

"Darling! No, it's not a big price to pay. I'll love you just the same, and you'll still be as beautiful as ever, and even healthier! And I'm sure they'll try to have it where it can be hidden. You should still be able to wear bikinis to the beach, and no one will ever know what you went through. Or better yet, just wear bikinis for me so I don't get so jealous, because everyone will be looking at you because you're so beautiful!" He kissed her softly.

"Aw! But I will wear a bikini just for you, and I won't notice if anyone else looks, because I'll have my eyes on you the whole time! And my hands on you the whole time… and we might not even make it to the beach…"

"Mmmm… I like the sound of that…" he ran his fingers through her hair and she smiled at him, then leaned down and softly kissed his lips. He let her take the lead, and followed her as she continued her gentle exploration. She gave every bit of his face and lips then most tender attention, kissing his cheeks, his jaw, his chin, then wandering across each lip. She nearly put him in a trance with her affection. She traced the tip of her nose and her lips across his cheek to his neck, and he turned to the side to let her go where she wanted. She gave him little kisses near his ear, then worked her way to his collarbone, then to his throat, and back to his ear, then kissed his neck passionately, taking his skin between her lips, sucking on it. He clutched at her body, but let her keep going. It felt so good. He tilted his head back and she went back to his throat, kissing it, letting her tongue tickle him, then she worked her way across to the other side of his neck, and gave it all the same attention. Slowly, maddeningly, she kissed her way back up his neck to his jaw, then over to his lips, hovered momentarily as she grazed her lips across his lower lip, then kissed him passionately. He gasped for a breath, then wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. He was so crazy for her, but he didn't want to make this about sex. He didn't want her to make this about sex. They were still just discovering each other- still learning to explore each other. And it was wonderful!

She let him roll her over on the bed, and this time he took the lead. He wanted to give her every bit of attention like she had given him, and then some. He loved her so much, but he had to slow himself down. He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. They seemed to twinkle at him- they were so filled with love. He hoped she could see the same thing in his eyes, for her. He smiled and looked over her face, trying to permanently etch it into his memory. This was his fiancée, and this was their engagement night. He never wanted to forget it. It got him choked up.

"Fran, would it change your opinion of me if I started to cry?" His voice almost cracked in the whisper.

Fran wrapped her arms over his shoulders. "Not a chance, because I might cry, too. I love you so much, Max!" She smiled, then stroked his hair gently.

"God, Fran, I love you so much, too! I'm so crazy about you!" They held each other for a while, and Max nuzzled into her neck. They both felt so good, so loved. Fran took a deep breath and exhaled, and a tear ran down the side of her face. She was so happy. Max felt her breathing, savored the warmth and softness of her skin against his face. He was still moderately aware of her tumor, and made sure he didn't put any undue pressure on that side of her body. He lifted his head back up, then kissed her neck, a little at a time. From one side of her neck to the other, he kissed every bit of flesh, then lightly sucked at her soft throat, tickled her collarbones with the tip of his tongue. Fran softly moaned from the pleasure. He kissed her breastbone through her shirt, then worked his way up the center of her throat, to her chin, then her lips again, and then kissed her deeply, passionately. He tried to say a thousand things to her with his kisses. He needed her to know the full extent of his love for her. She clutched him tightly and ran her hands up his back, and they continued their kiss. They were lost in each other. They clung to each other in the silence. He was so happy. The tears began to form in his eyes and he let them. He kissed her skin, then carefully settled down on top of her- his cheek resting on her chest. Neither of them wanted to move yet. They just wanted to rest with each other, there in the glow of the fireplace. The rising and falling of her chest as she breathed calmed him. He wondered if his breathing did the same for her.

Finally, he lifted his head off of her chest and crawled back up to kiss her on the lips. She hugged him to her and wiped the tears off his eyes. He kissed the remnants of the tear that ran down the side of her face. She rolled him over to lay beside her, and she cuddled up to him. He wrapped his arm around her, protectively, pulled the covers up over them, and held her close. He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes. It was still early, and she didn't think she would fall asleep, but she didn't want to let go of him. He wondered if he might fall asleep, too, but at the moment it wasn't important. He thought over the events of the last twenty-four hours and pulled her closer to him. He had been so scared during the night, afraid of what could happen, and now they were engaged. He knew where he wanted to spend the rest of his life- in her arms. He stroked her arm as it lay across his chest. He closed his eyes and nuzzled the top of her head. They were both so happy, and at peace.

They rested together for a while, but weren't tired enough to sleep. Too much had taken place and they were both running all of it through their minds. Fran grazed her fingers across his chest and inhaled his cologne. She smiled and kissed his neck softly.

He could still smell her perfume, and could smell the vanilla in her hair. He enjoyed the feel of her fingers on his chest, the feel of her in his arms. He squeezed her closer to him and she wrapped her arm around him.

"I love this," she whispered, "Being with you like this." He smiled.

"I love it, too. I love you, Fran."

"I love you, too, Max." She lifted herself up to look at him, then smiled and kissed his lips.

"Do you know how wonderful you are?" He kissed her again.

"Oh, Max, you're pretty wonderful yourself! I'm so in love with you, I just want to stay like this with you forever…"

"That sounds fantastic…"

"Do you want the fireplace off? I'll keep you warm in the covers," she said.

"Yes, that sounds nice." She rolled over and picked up the remote for the fireplace, then clicked it off and set the remote back down in the dark. Then she rolled back over to him and pulled the sheet and comforter up over them. He took her in his arms as she cuddled up against him. "I love you more than anything, Fran," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you more than that," she whispered back, then turned her face towards him. He turned to kiss her, and they kissed each other firmly, then nuzzled together and let themselves slowly fall to sleep.