"It's not cold," Merry informed me, her head beneath the stream as she rinsed the soap out of her hair. "It's lukewarm."
"After being outside in eighty-degree weather, it feels frigid," I complained, climbing out of the shower.
"Exactly. My skin is burning a little, so I thought a cool shower would help."
"Well, I'm going to take a warm one in the other bathroom."
Her laugh followed me as I stalked out.
Ten minutes later, I returned to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around my hips and found Merry dressed in a loose t-shirt, cotton shorts, and barefoot. She was drying her hair with a towel.
As I watched her, I realized this was exactly what I wanted, for the rest of my unnaturally long life. As fraught as the last few weeks had been, they were still the best I'd had since Macgrath turned me.
"Will you marry me, Merry?"
Her hands stopped scrubbing the towel over her hair and she looked up at me. "What?"
"Will you marry me?"
Her mouth fell open but she remained silent.
"Is that a no?" I asked.
She shook her head, closing her mouth with a click.
"So it's a yes?"
She shook her head again.
I cocked my head, trying to understand. "Then, what's your answer?"
"I don't know," she whispered. "This is...a little sudden."
I laughed. "You can accept and forgive that I lied by omission due to selfishness and absentmindedness, but a marriage proposal leaves you speechless?"
"Well, you never mentioned marriage...specifically. Just living together and maybe turning me into a vampire. Marriage is a big deal. I mean, I'm not sure what I really think about God, but if I'm going to make that kind of promise, I want to be positive that I won't change my mind in twenty or forty years. Or a hundred and fifty."
I walked over to her and touched her cheek. "I'll tell you what. I'll ask you again next month and we'll see if your answer is different."
"What if it's not?"
"Then, I'll just keep asking until you give a straight yes or no. I've waited lifetimes for you, Merry. I love you enough to wait a little longer."
"What if it's ten years before I decide?"
"Like I said, a little longer. Ten years is a blink when you're talking about eternity."
"I love you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head on my chest.
I returned her embrace. "I love you, too."
"Someday, I'll marry you," she said.
"See? You've already said yes." I squeezed her.
"Not officially."
I laughed. "Like I said, I'll keep asking until the answer's official."
"Good. I'll hold you to it."
I certainly hoped so.
