I’m getting it now, but I want her to say the words anyway.
“And what would I use it for?”
She lets out a frustrated noise and squirms closer.
“It’s symbolic, James. The whole time we were together we were counting down minutes. I’m giving you all of my minutes now—”
I don’t let her finish. I press my lips to hers and kiss her so deeply that I can’t tell the difference between her breathing and my own. When we finally come up for air, she smiles up at me.
“I love you,” she whispers. “I should have said it a million times.”
I stand up from the bench and hold up the calling card between two fingers.
“Now you have unlimited time to say it,” I tell her, and she grins up at me.
I hold out my hand to her, “Would you like to have dinner at Nina and Leo’s with me?”
She puts her hand in mine and I tug her up off the bench.
“Every night,” she says as I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.
I hold her like that, shielding her from the wind, until where and when become meaningless, and only who remains.
