‘Yes, Jack. Yes, I’ll marry you.’ Jack sat up, leaned his clothed body of her naked one, and slid the ring onto her left hand. His heart jumped,... seeing it there, as if the future was finally certain. She was his, and she always would be. ‘I love you, Ally.’ Ally threw her arms around him and pulled him down for a kiss. They had had plenty of passionate kisses, mouths pressed together, tongues exploring feverishly, but it was nothing compared to kissing her in this moment. Her fingers buried. She said you were a hero and got hurt saving someone's life." Shawn said."To be honest Shawn, that is one of the things I forgot," I replied."Well, I don't think you have to remember, as long as we do," he said all serious."That sounds good, you can be my memory. If I ask you, do I like lasagna. Next time you can tell me whether I do or not." I suggested."I can do that," he said. "We are also going to have that fancy toast stuff." Cool," I said with no idea what he was talking about."Here this. Never, not ever, would she feel alone. I’d always be there for her, and hell, I was a strong woman; if I could fill the role of a mother, I could damn well fill the role of a father too. What was there to it? Teach your kid how to throw a ball? Talk about how shitty boys were? Teach her how to change a tire?I could do all that.I didn’t need a man.But I wanted one. I wanted Wes.He just wasn’t mine anymore.Sometimes I’d lie awake at night, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if he thought of me. The body turns to me and I feel an arm over my chest and a warm body creeps close to me. As a protective wing I put my arm over her and stroking her back repeatedly until she stops talking, so the silence returns in the bedroom.Her arm across my chest feels warm and I follow with a finger the vertical and horizontal scars on her wrists. Fading wounds of an earlier life, an unhappy life. Although these physical scars fade some wounds remain open. Even if she seek professional help, it takes time.