ruined anyway." Grief for the pain she had caused her friends stabbed her. "If I could take it back--"
All at once, another memory flooded through her. "You said that same thing to me. Here. When I finally saw you."
"And you told me I couldn't take it back." He gave a soft laugh. "But then you changed your mind. You decided to give me a second chance. And every day, I watched you forget more and more of what had happened. I didn't want you to remember, not if it meant I'd lose you again, but Claire, I love you too much to lie to you any more."
"I'm not sad I remember now."
He sighed then kissed her hair. "It had been so long, and so many years of me watching you while your eyes slid by me like I didn't exist for you. I didn't realize what it would take to get you to see me again."
"You told me you'd gone swimming."
"I did. The water was high. I swam verra hard. But I got tired in the end."
The implication of what had happened during that swim hung between them. Claire waited for something. A bright light, a tunnel, a spectral voice telling her it was time to let go. All she heard was the beat of Malcolm's heart and the sound of his voice.
"The past is gone, Claire. It's like a sand castle washed away by the waves. We can remember what it looked like, but even if we build it again, it won't be the exactly the same."
"I'm glad you came back to me," she whispered.
"I'm glad you gave me a second chance," he whispered back.
Malcolm's arms around her were strong. He held her tightly. As he kissed her, Claire realized something bright and important and wonderful.
She wasn't cold any longer.
Some things change. And some things don't.
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About the author: I was born and then I lived a while and I did some stuff. Then I did some things and whatnot. Now, I mostly write books.
Connect with Me Online: Twitter: http://twitter.com/Megan_Hart website: http://www.meganhart.com blog: http://www.readinbed.net