When Vanessa finally stirred from the bed, the smell of mango wafted through the air. A small smile formed on her face as she remembered her conversation with Talon on one of their many dates over the last two weeks. "Mango candles are my favorite." Vanessa had told him, daydreaming about what her future home would smell like when she was finally secure enough to buy a house. Talon had listened intently to every detail, wondering and dreaming with her.

Vanessa looked around the room. The stack of coffee books on the side table and the watch sprawled across the surface told her she wasn't home. Vanessa had once again fallen asleep at Talon's. This was growing more and more normal for the pair, and Vanessa was even getting used to waking up in a room she didn't recognize.

Vanessa took a breath, feeling refreshed from a good night's rest. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept that well. The dreams didn't fill her night with terrors, pulling her into uncomfortable situations. Instead, it was peaceful, and her mind stayed dark. Vanessa was eager that things were getting better. She pulled out her phone, which she noticed Talon had plugged in for her when he got up for work that morning. She went to her calendar and marked the day with a fluffy cloud emoji.

"Wow, one day this entire week without a nightmare." Vanessa muttered to herself, noting the days filled with storm cloud emojis. Some doubled up when she really couldn't sleep.

Vanessa looked at the clock on the top of her screen, clearing out some notifications, before stopping on a text from Talon.

'I'll be home soon. I've got a surprise for you. Mindy will be there with my mother, so please don't worry about trying to help or anything. Just enjoy the wax warmer I left on for you. See you soon.'

A huge smile formed on Vanessa's face. She could feel it in her bones that today was going to be a good day. After making her notes in her phone on her nightmare log, Vanessa did another thirty minutes of mindlessly scrolling before she finally peeled herself out of bed. She grabbed her extra clothes she had left at Talon's house when she started spending more nights and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Voices echoed from the living room with little fits of laughter. Maybe even Talon's mother was having a good day?

"What do you think of that girl Talon has been bringing around?" Sherry's recognizable voice drifted through the air. Vanessa stopped, turning so she could listen.

"Vanessa? I think she's really nice. She's a little quiet, but I guess if that's what Talon needs, then I'm happy for him." Mindy's sing-song voice followed.

A pit formed in Vanessa's stomach. She knew she shouldn't be listening, but the intrusive thoughts in the back of her mind told her to stay. She shook her head, prying herself out of her curiosity.

"What other people say about me is none of my business." Vanessa reminded herself, as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

"Vanessa."

Vanessa turned to look behind her. The mirror on the wall taunted her. A reminder that she was standing here alone. Goose bumps started to form on her arms, sending chills along her skin. Vanessa knew that voice all too well. 

"Hey Vanessa, I have a very important question for you." Talon muttered. The sun dipped behind a cloud, casting a gray hue over the surrounding trees. Mindy had agreed to stay for lunch so that Talon could take Vanessa on a quick little date. Little flutters formed in Vanessa's chest as her mind grew more curious about what this question could be.

"So we've been dating for a while, and my mother's words have gotten to me. I just want to let you know that I'm really interested in you, and I've loved all the time we've spent together. So I hope you feel the same way and would agree to make things more official with me. Vanessa, will you be my girlfriend?"

Vanessa sat for a moment, allowing the grass to dig into her skin that wasn't protected by the blanket they were sitting on. She wasn't sure how to answer this. Things felt complicated and the way they were going now was only working because she was making it. Talon couldn't ever sleep at her place, not with his mother around and sick the way she is. But it wasn't like Vanessa could really sleep without being tortured, anyway. Vanessa would always have to give more until his mother either passed away or he placed her in a home. That felt heartless to Vanessa, and she didn't want to be a burden on Talon as well.

How was she supposed to explain what happened the next time she woke up in the middle of the room? Or the man in her dreams that she couldn't remember what he looked like, but knew she knew him from somewhere. For something so lucid, why couldn't she remember?

Talon couldn't handle having two sick women on his hands. Vanessa knew he was barely surviving now, but if they made things official and that meant hanging out more and getting even closer, how would things work out? They would never work, and Vanessa wasn't ready to open herself up. When she opened up, everything got worse.

"No." Vanessa finally muttered after what felt like hours of pondering. Thoughts rushed through her mind, like a million voices all trying to speak at once. Talon's lower lip dropped and quivered for a breath.

"What do you mean, no? I thought we were getting along so well and things were heading in the right direction?"

Vanessa wasn't sure what to do. Talon leaned into his elbow on the blanket, before falling to his back to stare at the clouds. It'd been a few weeks since Vanessa had first met Talon's mother, and since then it's been nothing but staying at his house. She knew when he took her out on dates, he paid extra money for a handler to be with his mother. Vanessa didn't feel right making him do that, but she wanted more adventure than just sitting on the couch watching movies for every single date.

Talon was tied to his mother in a way that no other twenty-six-year-old man was, at least none that she had ever met before.

"It's just too much right now." Vanessa muttered. She picked a piece of grass and slowly pulled it apart strand by strand.

"What do you mean, it's too much? I'm so confused. I'm sorry, but that was not the answer I was expecting at all, and now I'm not sure what to do." Talon covered his face with his hands.

"Do you really see all of this working out?" Vanessa added. What would happen in a month from now when Vanessa was sick and tired of eating the same pizza, and tired of watching the same type of movie? Would Talon ever be able to go on a trip away from home? Vanessa wanted to see the world. Explore the country. Before Talon, the only thing holding her back was her lack of sleep.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have asked the question if I didn't." Talon groaned. Vanessa noticed she had put him in a hard spot, and her chest tightened at the thought of hurting him. Children laughed in the background, adding a comforting wave of emotion to Vanessa.

"I have no clue what you see in me." Vanessa whispered. She pulled another strand of grass before changing her mind, tossed it to the side, and laid down next to Talon. She placed her hand in his and turned to look at his features.

"Vanessa, there is so much that I see in you. Truly. I couldn't imagine not having you in my life now that I've had you, even for just a moment. Since the first day I saw you in the coffee shop, it's been nothing but you on my mind."

"That's just not true." Vanessa cut him off.

"Yes, it is." Talon said more firmly.

"No, it's not, and that's not possible. You've been dealing with so much taking care of your mother. When I'm not around and you are home with her, you are thinking about her and taking care of her. I've seen the way you make breakfast for her every morning, and how you treat her handlers. You are so sweet and nice to them. You're so selfless, and if your thoughts are wrapped around me all day, that wouldn't be possible. You'd be too busy to think about others." Vanessa wasn't sure what she was trying to say, but the words just flew from her mouth like a rushing river.

"When I make breakfast in the morning, I'm thinking about how I'd love to do that for my wife one day. Taking care of my mother is just practice for all of that. Maybe if you were willing to ask questions about it, instead of just acting like she's not there, I'd be able to explain that she is getting worse, and soon I'll have to find her some different care option. Essentially, my mother needs to go to a home, and then what. What the hell am I supposed to do with my life? I've never been able to do anything for myself, because my father died, and then my mother got sick. That left me floating with responsibility that I wasn't ready for. When do I finally get to do something for myself?"

"That's another reason I should say no." Vanessa couldn't help but feel like Talon needed some space to figure out what he truly wanted in life. There was no way he could do that with her around. He'd be too distracted and yet again living for another person.

"I just don't agree with that."

"Well, why not?"

"God Dammit! Because I'm in love with you, and if I did things for myself; was selfish just this one time. I'd lock you in my basement and keep you to myself forever. When you leave, I don't like it. I don't want to be away from you. I've loved the nights you've spent at my house, and don't think I haven't noticed your sleep tracking on your calendar. I know most nights you don't sleep, but I've also noticed that it's gotten better the longer you've been around. I think I'm good for you too. If you say no and stick to that, then I'll drop it. I will take you home and you will never have to deal with me again, but Vanessa, that is not what I want."

"Do you really mean that?" Vanessa was shocked. Talon had so much passion in his voice, so much feeling that she could sense it coursing through her very own bones.

"Of course I do. These last few months have been the best of my life, and finally I felt like I had a purpose. It's okay to just want to take care of someone. That's who I am. I love having someone to look after and spoil. One day, I'm going to make an amazing husband and I know it. I was just hoping that the girl that would stand by my side would be you. I mean it when I say I'm in love with you. I've been thinking about it for a while, but too scared to scare you away if I said it."

"Talon..." Vanessa said, trying to get him to pay attention to her once again.

"What?" He asked, his green eyes meeting hers.

"Let's give it a shot, then."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't know if I can say I love you back yet, but I do know you are right. All the fears I have are valid, and who knows, it may not work out, but I think that's something we might need to just take a chance at." Vanessa paused for a moment. "I'm changing my answer. If you'll still have me as your girlfriend, then my answer is yes. We may not be perfect, but you are so right; my life is better with you in it than it is without."