Mary asked as she intertwined her fingers with his over his bare stomach. The light of the full moon fell in through the window and turned everything a glittering shade of silver. She lay next to Charles, resisting sleep and the arrival of the harsh morning light. Their last night together had ended with parting tears, and even though he would remain beside her come dawn, she wasn’t ready to end this special time together. “Every day,” he admitted with a long exhale. She squeezed him tight, wanting to banish the bad memories like he’d tried to banish hers. “How did you fight it?” He shrugged. “By always continuing on. There was no other choice.” She admired his steadfastness and wanted to share in it. “And how will we continue on?” He placed a kiss on the top of her undone hair then drew her deeper into the curve of his shoulders. “First, we’ll plan a wedding in secret so no one is the wiser about it.
