It startles her to hear it given voice, to hear the word said out loud.

But it's true. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't thinking the very same thing right now. Or if the idea hadn't crossed her mind every other time she'd said--promised--that she'd be right here.

"Yes." She doesn't qualify it, doesn't try to mitigate it with anything like if I can or if you want. Don't they both understand that by now? Neither of them is doing of allowing anything they don't both want.

"Forever."