The door opens, and Arthur peeks his head into the room. “There you are. I thought, for a moment, I might have lost you.”
“Never that,” I assure him.
His smile is fond as he steps fully into the bath, closing the door behind him. It’s dark out, the candle on the sill the only light by which I can see him and him me. He watches as I set the water swirling again.
“What are you seeing, my dear?”
“Gravity,” I try to explain, stars traveling in the vortex of water. Planets, too, caught in the spin. Forces so grand, so vast, I’m unsure if we’ll ever fully understand them.
Arthur lowers himself beside the tub, his fingers combing the knots from my hair. It doesn’t take long, short as the strands are. “Perhaps it’s time.”
“Time for what?” I ask curiously.
His lips quirk, the secrets there as vast and familiar as the universe. “186,000 miles.”
My heart leaps as it does any time those words are spoken. I pull the stopper hastily from the tub, and Arthur chuckles, stepping back to grab me a towel.
Once dressed, we climb the spiraling staircase to the third floor. The observatory is cool tonight, the first of the year’s snow melting against the glass. I come to this room often, but my favorite are the times I come here with Arthur.
Arthur takes a moment to light candles around the periphery of the room, creating a soft glow that feels romantic in the dark with only the stars to watch us. He spreads a blanket on the floor once done, but before I can lie down, he grabs hold of my hand and spins me into his arms.
I let out a soft laugh, Arthur’s smile warming me through. “What are we doing?”
“A dance.”
“Is that so?”
“Mm.”
I wait as we stand perfectly still. “Arthur… Should we not be moving?”
His eyes shine bright, that mischievous glint I love so dearly present. “Whenever you are ready, my love.”
My breath stutters as I realize Arthur is waiting for me to lead. Slowly, I shift my hand from his shoulder to his lower back. He follows me as I take a step and then another. We move in a slow waltz in the center of the observatory, flames flickering around us in a symphony all their own.
Not for the first time, I’m hit with the overwhelming, bone-deep knowledge that this man sees me for all I am. Somehow, some way, he sees me. And accepts me. Encourages me. Loves me.
I’m beyond fortunate to have found my husband in this life. To have a man like Arthur Kane to call my own.
When our dance comes to a close, Arthur bows low before walking me over to the blanket. We lie down side by side, the stars glittering overhead through the glass, their light coming from so very long ago.
“Arthur?”
“Yes, Charlie dear?”
“Will you make me a promise?”
He turns his head, a furrow in his brow. He’s so handsome I ache with it. “Of course. What is it?”
I wrap my hand around his, holding tight. “Even when we’re old and gray, bring me here? Bring me to the stars?”
Arthur lifts our joined hands to brush a kiss against my knuckles, his lips familiar and so very warm. His voice, when he speaks, is full of a devotion I can feel in every beat of my heart. “My husband. My love. One day, you and I will dance amongst them. Just you wait and see.”
I blink my eyes open, the stars in my vision clearing, dark night giving way to a dimly lit hall and a familiar, concerned face staring down at me. Lee brushes my hair back, my head resting in his lap, my chest so tight it feels as if I’m bound.
“Okay?”
I offer him a shaky smile. “Yeah,” I answer, clearing my throat. “Would you come with me to look at the stars?”
