He was silent for a long time, and I nearly fell asleep.

“Twyla. You don’t need to marry me.”

That woke me up quick.

Nikos caressed my cheek reassuringly with a single thumb. “But I love you. Surely that counts for something.”

“You…you love me?” I sighed, nestled back in. “I love you too.”

“Then come live with me. We’ll see what develops.”

“I guess I can handle that. Whatever develops?”

“Yes.”

I kissed him sleepily, and knew that was enough. Because I had remembered a lot of my past, and who I really was. And I remembered my photography classes.

In film, what developed was only the picture that had been there all along.

Mary Hughes is a computer consultant, professional musician, and writer. At various points in her life she has taught Taekwondo, worked in the insurance industry, and studied religion. She is intensely interested in the origins of the universe. She has a wonderful husband (though happily-ever-after takes a lot of hard work) and two great kids. But she thinks that with all the advances in modern medicine, childbirth should be a lot less messy.

To learn more about Mary Hughes, please visit www.maryhughesbooks.com.