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"You," she said, doing her best to point a finger at him, "Are a relentless flirt. What would locking me up accomplish? You know I'd just break out."
Lorey entertained the idea, imagining herself as a most dysfunctional princess. The prince, Richard, she was guessing, would come to an empty room as she waited at the bottom for him. The very image made her laugh.
"And what would you do then?"

At that, Lorey's face lost all its smile. She didn't look unhappy by any means, but rather shocked. Pleasantly, confusedly shocked.
"You'd... you'd really want to marry me?" she asked in that small way she did whenever something seemed intimidating to her. It all seemed too good to be true, and how she hoped this wasn't some part of the make-believe they had found themselves in.

"After everything calms down..." she repeated. There was a slight mist in her eyes, but it all was blinked away as she rose from her chair to him. Lorey didn't imagine he'd ever want to remarry, and had always thought she would forever be a girlfriend. But, with this little promise of sorts, she had a sudden hope that they might always be together.

She laughed at his red face as she sat on his knee and hugged him as tight as she could manage without hurting herself.
"Let's worry about finding jobs and a place of our own first. Let's just get everything squared away before we make something like that happen..."

"How could I forget?" She could hear the difference in his voice, that tightness like he was holding back. "You tell me every day, with or without words... and now you sound all tight-throated, love."
Lorey thought about his Rose, and what she might say to this. She thought about him, and if he ever imagined he could find love again, or marry once more. How hard it must be for him.

Lorey's own eyes misted up. She had never known Rose, but...
"I think... she would want you to be happy, instead of wandering around this big universe in a haze. I think she knows you will always love her, and you know she still loves you, so everything is alright." Finally her own tears came, because it was all too sad not to cry.
"And I will always love you. If it were me... I would want you to do whatever it takes to keep moving forward, to be happy. So if you feel that this is right, then I think she would think it's right, too."

Rose, Lorey thought up into the great beyond. I truly hope I'm right, Rose, and not for my own sake.

Save for the passed out man on the floor, it was a perfect moment.
"Any time..."
She took her fingertips across his face where he had a tear slip down before kissing it. There was hardly anything else to say... she loved him, he loved her, and they had each other in an insane world.
Lorey rested her head on his shoulder in the understanding quiet where she could breathe him in and think. Someday they would live together and try to be normal. but that wouldn't be for awhile.

Damian gave a sudden grumble. He'd no idea where he was. The alcohol hadn't completely left his system, but he had enough sense to stumble-stand upon his knees. Lorey watched him carefully, gauging Richard's reaction in the hopes she might be able to prevent another conflict. But, Damian simply stood, stumbled, and somehow found his way to the couch, where he fell asleep once again.

"I wish I knew how to help him," Lorey murmured.