Chapter 10: Untangling threads.

The next two days were more sedate. Unlike college students, us graduate students don't get summer vacation. Not the three-month we were used to in high school and college, at any rate. Maddie and I spent Wednesday night together--our first time alone since the day we met. She came over and I made us dinner, after which we relaxed on the couch, idly watching TV.

"So, what do you think of Morgan?" she asked lazily.

"Very intriguing. If you weren't around, I might be interested."

"You are interested, aren't you?"

"A little. You'd rather have me tell the truth, right?"

"Thank you." A quick kiss.

"You know her better than I do. Is she interested?" Hearing no response, I plunged on. "Emily thought so, and I think she's right."

"I... I'm not sure."

"You should ask her. As soon as possible."

"All right. After she comes back from helping you in lab tomorrow, and before we go out." A frown crossed her face. "Why is she helping you anyway? I thought she wasn't interested in science."

"Because her technique, even as a beginner, is good enough to make me beg my advisor to take her on during the school year. In a month, she'll have better technique than I do. But we're straying from the subject." I leaned over, cupped her face in my hands, and looked into her eyes. "No matter what, you're the one I want to know better, and the one I want to spend my time with. Until you tell me to go away."

She reached up and caressed my cheek. "What was Olivia like?"

"What brought this on?"

"When you mentioned Olivia before, I could tell that you had been passionately in love with her. What happened to change your mind? What did she do?"

"She didn't do anything. I thought she'd stay the same, and she didn't. After our first major break-up, we were off-and-on for six years until I finally broke it off in June last year. She wasn't the person I had fallen in love with anymore, and the person she became was a complete stranger to me."

"Where is she now?"

It took me a moment to respond softly, "She died in a car accident almost a year ago."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"It's water under the bridge."

"You still miss her."

"I'll always miss her, but it's been months since I've actively thought about her."

She leaned back against my chest, and both of us stayed quiet for a few minutes. She broke the silence first. "What will we do? If you and Emily are right about Morgan?"

"Let's wait until we have something to worry about."

"Okay. So," she said archly, "Why don't you convince me that I'm the one that you want?"

"I'll do more than that, little girl," I growled.

"I should get home."

"I'll walk you down."

As we headed out the door, she whispered, "Thank you... for not pushing."

I gently ruffled her hair. "Actually," I said lightly, "I had my own selfish reasons. You see, I wanted to be able to kiss you awake in the morning-"