As she leaned into me, and whispered in my ear, I became lost in the fantasy. It was a fantasy like a sailor's life; always at sea and waiting for those brief moments of passion which highlighted the long months at sea. It was a pleasant fiction. I remember whispering back. "And I supposed that once in a long while, she would come with me, to Bora Bora or Casablanca, and we would have second and third honeymoons, under other stars, but mostly she would keep a light burning for me in our little sea side cottage."

It hurt a little, to be honest, to think about these things. With my sister living in one fixed location, family was not something I had. Her pleasant fantasy was just that, a fantasy. I could not imagine finding such a situation, or a family, for myself. The world had thrown other dice for me, and long time before. First my parents died, and then my uncle. Someday it could be my sister, and then there would only be me. I figured that it was what fate had decided for me long ago, and it felt foolish and selfish to ask any woman to buy into my ill fated existence. Maybe I had done something in another life to deserve this, or maybe God hate me? Either way, any woman who truly understood how my world worked would run, rather than walk away. I was sure of it.

I remember sitting there, with her head against my shoulder and my arm around her, for at least a half hour or so. It was the most human contact I had had in months, possibly years, and I soaked it up like a sponge. Little did I know that there were some prying eyes from the kitchen doorway, or I would have jumped up at once. I certainly would never have wanted to cause Alice any trouble. It was good that I did not know at the time, because I needed that time with her, like a flower needs the sun. In a moment of weakness, I turned my head and kissed the top of her's, lingering for a moment against her hair. "Thank you for the story. It was a real fairy tale, but pleasant none the less."