Page 140 of Take This Heart
She giggles. “I feel like it’s a good sign that he came early. Like he’s telling us it’s all gonna be okay. It’ll all work out.”
“Yeah? Orion is prophetic?”
She nods. “I think so.”
I stare at the creature. “What say you, great oracle? Is it all going to work out?”
Orion does a little flip onto his stomach and then returns to his back, his little paws tucked up.
Goldie gapes at me. “See what I mean?”
“I do! Let’s ask him another question. Should Goldie be mine forever?”
Orion repeats his move and Goldie covers her mouth with her hands, barely covering her squeal. Her eyes are shining when she looks at me.
“Wow. I like this guy.”
“Isn’t he great? But you didn’t need to waste that question on our little oracle here. Don’t you know that I’m yours forever already?”
I grin. “I’ve hoped that you are. We talk about love a lot, but we haven’t talked about forever as much.”
“I’m yours forever.”
“I’m yours forever too.” I lean in and kiss her, and Orion lets out a long squeak.
We break apart laughing.
“Well, that wasn’t very nice,” I tell him. “You look like a wet slipper.”
“He’s majestic.”
“Smug.”
“Takes one to know one,” she says.
I poke her side and she jerks, too ticklish to be still.
“I’d be careful if I were you. Don’t judge. He remembers faces. Oh, and did you know otters hold hands when they sleep? I love that.”
I look at her. Sunlight streaks through her golden hair and her cheeks are pink from the chill. Her eyes are full of wonder. I love her.
“I hold your hand when we sleep,” I tell her.
“Hmm. Yeah, you do. I guess Iwillkeep you forever.”
Orion ducks under and disappears with a flick of his tail, and Goldie sighs.
“Come back soon,” she calls.
And then she gets up and holds up her hand, ready to pull me up.
“Now I can hug you properly,” she says.
“Will that be enough? It’s hard to follow an otter.”
She laughs. “Only if you kiss me too.”
We kiss until she’s melting into me, her hands tugging on the hair that’s grown out a lot.
