“I awoke and you were gone.”
“I went to see Vince to explain that I didn’t abandon him.”
“You should have told me.”
“And wake you up in the middle of the night?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I kissed him, trying to soothe the anxiety he was clearly having about my absence, but that wasn’t going to be enough. This was something that needed to be addressed again, apparently.
Cupping his cheeks, I said, “You were asleep. I wasn’t going to wake you up for something trivial.” When he started to talk, I kissed him again. “No, Mindy. I can go places without telling you. I was perfectly safe. I went to see Vince. I’m allowed to have friends.”
“You are. But I need to keep you close.”
“Why?”
“I’m scared of losing you.”
Waking up and thinking I was dead had to be traumatic. I understood that, but I was fairly certain this wasn’t about that. “Are you afraid of me dying or me leaving you?”
Serlotminden looked away, but his tail thrashed.
There it was. That was the issue. He didn’t believe that I was going to stay, no matter how many times I’d told him. His needing us to be husbands, his clinginess, and his quick claiming of me in front of Vince were all in line with that. He didn’t actually trust that I was choosing him and this life. I could’ve felt insulted, but I didn’t. I saw the fear in his eyes and knew the struggles he had with feeling forgotten or abandoned. Trust was a tricky thing and it took time. Mindy trusted me with his heart and his life, but he didn’t trust me to stay.
I caught his chin. “You’re mine.”
“I am,” he replied instantly, making me smile. I would have never guessed I’d be possessive, but here we were.
“I’m yours.”
He did not respond.
I gripped his chin. “I am yours, Serlotminden.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Youwantto go home, Bartholomew. You cannot lie to me. I saw it when I told you Vince could go back. You chose me before you knew there were other options. You’re staying because you feel obligated.”
“I did choose you before I knew about the possibility of returning.”
His head ducked.
I wrapped my arms around him, and he nuzzled my chest. I said, “I did choose you before I knew everything. But,” I lifted his chin, “I’m choosing you again after I know everything. I want you, Serlotminden. Over everything. I pick you. I want you. I need you. I love you. Not your body. Not what you offer as a prince. Not your career. But you. Your bounding from place to place, your noises, your humor, your laughter, your caring, your possessiveness. I choose you.”
His eyes grew wet.
“I’m not going to lie. I do miss Earth and my family. I wish I could bring them here to be with me, but I’d never leave you, Honey. Not for any reason. I can’t even imagine doing that. You make me happy, and we belong together. So you are stuck with me through thick and thin and until I am a crabby old man.”
“I love you so much,” he warbled, squishing me to his chest. “I’m terrified you’re going to change your mind. I don’t want you to have to sacrifice Earth, but I cannot surrender you. I will never change my mind about you. You are my soul. My apologies for doubting you.”
“Don’t apologize. In the future, tell me if you're nervous. I’m more than happy to tell you that I’m choosing you or staying or whatever you need as many times as you need until you believe it. I love you, and I never want to go anywhere without you. You are well and truly stuck with me.”
“Good. I don’t want to be anywhere else in this universe. I shall stay right beside you, keeping you safe, and making it so you can sit and smell the flowers. I promise.”
I held my husband’s cheeks as I stared at his green eyes that I loved and was happy. Utterly and completely happy. Maybe Serlotminden hadn’t been so bad at this rescue thing after all, and maybe I wasn’t either, because we had truly saved each other and would continue doing so for the rest of our lives.
