Eternity

Lying in bed, we're holding each other when I say, "if we were a more traditional couple, I would tell you that I want you to be my wife, or I want you to be the mother of my children. Of course, we aren't a traditional couple, but what those things represent, the idea of eternity, I want that with you."

In a novel, I would go on to say that we fall asleep like that, in each other's arms, but we don't. We eventually roll over, each to our sides of the bed, and fall asleep, our feet barely touching under the sheets.

When I wake up, the room is still dark and I'm crying from a nightmare. She too wakes up and holds me. Telling me over and over that everything is good and that she loves me. My breathing slows down. My eyes eventually close. And again, I fall asleep.