I fell asleep replaying our time in the pool. I dreamt of Amelia swimming around me and thought of her still when I woke up. The way in which she consumed my thoughts couldn't be healthy, but who cared about my health at this point. Thinking about Amelia was inevitable.

       The more I thought of the all the beautiful moments I had shared with Amelia, the more my thoughts drifted to the future we could have had. I thought about college; about meeting up after class in dorm rooms. I thought about proposals and wondered who would have been the one to get down on one knee. I thought of marriage and the way Amelia would make for the most beautiful bride. I thought of the children we could have raised together. Children who would be full of joy and confidence. I could imagine Amelia wrapping our first child in unicorn blanket. She would probably even get a tattoo of a unicorn drawn by my hand. Until we were old and grey, she could have embarrassed me by telling strangers that we were unicorn chasers.

       Jaxson sat on the floor in front of me, where I was slouched across the couch. The TV was playing, but it was merely background noise. I couldn't have told you what was playing. The movie playing in my head was far more interesting.

      "You were so giddy last night," Jaxson noted. "What happened since?"

      "Do you ever think about the life you could have had with Lexi?" I asked, looking up at the ceiling.

       "All the time." There wasn't a beat of hesitation in his response.

      I groaned miserably. "Great."

      "I'm not here to lie to you. It wouldn't do you any good in the long run." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I think about what college would have looked like. I think about getting an apartment on campus with her and buying a lab that we would have named Cassie. I think about the way she would laugh at me for quoting her work and being her biggest fan. I think about how beautiful she would have looked in a white gown, walking towards me down the aisle that would seat our loved ones. I think of the minivan full of kids with brown hair and blue eyes, with hyphenated names."

      I saw in his animated glossy eyes, my own future. A future of fantasies. A future of what could have been.

      "I think about her future partner," he continued. "I think about the current man in her life that she's pretending doesn't interest her. I think about the guilt she's facing, and I hate that I like that man who will probably get to experience everything I wanted. I think about the moment we're reunited and hope to God it's not for a long time, no matter how much I miss her."

      I shot up and sat to face him with a horror-stricken face. "How is that going to work with the other guy in the afterlife?" He would have to forgive my interruption of his cute speech, because panic surged in my chest. The thought had never occurred to me. Amelia would always be my first and only love, but she was so young... she would love again. It was both reassuring and devastating. She deserved to love and be loved, but oh what a distressing thought that was.

      "Thank you!" Jaxson exclaimed. "Grandpa laughed at me for the thought. The idea sent me in a right spiral when I first brought it up, but he promises that it will all work out."

      I crinkled my nose in disbelief and Jaxson chuckled. "I can't imagine how," I said. "But I suppose we can only have faith that he's right... If he's wrong though, I have a near century to plan this next women's defeat."

      Jaxson threw his head back in laughter. "I like you more and more, every day."

      "I suppose you've grown on me too... I bet you already have your boxing gloves ready, just in case."

      "Damn right. Nothing's going to stop me from being with her."

      I had no doubt. Lexi was very lucky.

      Jaxson climbed onto the couch beside me and reached for the remote.

      "Enough of this." He flicked through a few channels before looking at me sideways. "I'm proud of you, Addie."

      I was startled by the change of topic but returned his gentle smile.

      "I'm kind of proud of me, too," I admitted with a soft chuckle. "I wouldn't have ever imagined this going as well as it has." To think, I had almost refused the offer.

       His grin grew wider as he chose my favorite show. "Can I show you something, tomorrow?"

      Uh, oh. He was buttering me up. I groaned, but agreed, nonetheless. Even if I tried to refuse, I knew that he would somehow convince me to change my mind. Determination was not something than Jaxson Scott lacked. As long as we weren't partaking in another replication of a Christmas Carol, whatever he had mind would be tolerable.