Sarah and Kevin 20

"Sure," he said. She walked ahead of him, turning off the kitchen light. She sat down on the sofa and unbuckled her shoes, sighing. She pulled the comb from her hair and let it fall down her back. Leaning forward, she stared into the fire for a few moments and then began talking.

"David was a fireman. He died trying to save a little girl from a burning house. She had hidden in a closet and the house collapsed on both of them before he could get her out." Sarah took a deep breath.

"Mark and David were close. Their bond was almost like the one twins have. When David died, Mark was devastated. I was six months pregnant at the time. I think Mark was taking consolation in the fact that I was carrying David's child.

"Well, three days after the funeral, I miscarried. It was pretty bad and they ended up taking me into surgery. I had to have a partial hysterectomy and the baby died. It was a little boy." Her voice cracked. "We buried him next to David." Kevin watched a tear roll down her cheek. She ran her fingers through her hair. It hung halfway down her back. She leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

"Anyway, Mark was with me through it all. He stayed with me in the hospital and took care of me after they let me come home. He helped me sort out all the financial crap that you have to deal with after a spouse dies. He really was a godsend."

"Eventually, we ended up sleeping together. At first, it was OK. He kept telling me he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. But, I only wanted David back. Finally, about six months after David's death, I had to break it off with him.

"Don't get me wrong. Mark is a good man. He'll make a good husband for someone. Just not me. He's not what I want." She frowned.

"Do you know what you want?" Kevin asked.

She turned to face him and looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding slowly.

Kevin felt the hot blood rushing around in his veins. A shiver ran down his spine and his heart began thudding in his chest. He leaned forward, reached out and laced his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck. Gently, he pulled her toward him. She came willingly.