Bound to Happen

"Clara, that was amazing. YOU are amazing." I told her.

She looked up at me, a dazzling smile on her tired face.

"You're not so bad yourself," A pause, "for an old guy!" The wicked grin lit up her features.

"You cheeky mare!" I laughed back, tapping her on the rump. "Seriously though, you are absolutely awesome, but now I want you to take your awesomeness and get into the shower."

"Are you coming too?" She asked, trying not to yawn.

"After you." I said firmly. "And then we'll sleep. Tomorrow we'll talk."

"Talk? About what?"

"About us. What we're going to do, to say."

"I told you; I don't care what other people say, I only care about us." She said fiercely.

"I know that, but we need options. And it can wait until tomorrow. Now go and wash that lovely body of yours." A little grumpily she went. I tidied up the room and changed the bed linen. Clara came back, freshly scrubbed and smelling sweeter than ever. I motioned her into the bed before I went to shower myself. By the time I returned Clara was fast asleep. I climbed in beside her, careful not to disturb her as I wrapped myself around her sleeping form. Now I wanted to protect her even more, but in a different way. If things went wrong, I wanted the blame to fall on me. I hoped I could make her see that. I had managed to overcome most of my worries, though there were still some lingering doubts that this was the right thing to do, mainly about what others would think. I wasn't worried about Clara and I anymore, as long as we were together the rest of the world could go hang itself. She had made it so that it was bound to happen. I wondered what I had done to deserve such a beautiful vibrant young woman. Thinking happy thoughts and holding the soft body of the woman I loved close, I drifted off to sleep.