"It pays enough. I'm sure by the end of the year we can get the boat back. And-" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, "With this we can get back your engagement ring."
"My God, Alex!" She couldn't believe her eyes. Her brain just shut down at the sight of so much money and refused to comprehend, "How did you get that?"
"I just told them about our situation and they agreed to give me an advance." He said, still grinning, "Because, Mary, I love you. I love you more than anything. For so long I've just been so focused on all the negatives. Since we moved to the Mizuma Valley, everything seemed to go wrong. Nobody was hiring, and then when a job finally opened up, it was just so soul crushingly horrible. I didn't know if I could make this place my home. But Mary, I realized something. Anywhere where you are is my home, and I can't bear to be anywhere you are not."
"What are you saying?" She was becoming more and more confused. None of this was anything like she had imagined. Alex just appearing, healthy, loving her, and with money and a job. It was so like what she wanted, it was impossible to believe.
"I'm saying that I'm tired of waiting Mary. I want to do what we should have done years ago. Mary, let's get married. As soon as possible."
"Now?" Her mouth seemed to say without consulting her mind at all. "You want to marry me now?"
Mary's initial shock was wearing off, and in its place there was a growing suspicion. Alex had dodged every one of her questions. Instead, he gave her something she longed to hear from him every day for years. She couldn't help but think it was just another way of avoiding a real answer.
"Why not now?" He asked, grin faltering for the first time.
"You can't just decide to do these things on the spur of the moment. It takes planning. There's all the guests to invite, the dress, the cake, the band. All these things take planning. And money. Do you have enough money in that fist full of dollars to pay for all those things?"
"We could elope." He suggested, looking bewildered by her outburst.
"Elope? You want me to elope with you after waiting for seven years for a wedding? You want me to get married without telling my family and my friends? Alex, this is crazy. I don't even know where you've been for the last week, and you want me to marry you?"
"Why does it matter where I've been?" He was angry now, "I came back, and I did
"My God, Alex!" She couldn't believe her eyes. Her brain just shut down at the sight of so much money and refused to comprehend, "How did you get that?"
"I just told them about our situation and they agreed to give me an advance." He said, still grinning, "Because, Mary, I love you. I love you more than anything. For so long I've just been so focused on all the negatives. Since we moved to the Mizuma Valley, everything seemed to go wrong. Nobody was hiring, and then when a job finally opened up, it was just so soul crushingly horrible. I didn't know if I could make this place my home. But Mary, I realized something. Anywhere where you are is my home, and I can't bear to be anywhere you are not."
"What are you saying?" She was becoming more and more confused. None of this was anything like she had imagined. Alex just appearing, healthy, loving her, and with money and a job. It was so like what she wanted, it was impossible to believe.
"I'm saying that I'm tired of waiting Mary. I want to do what we should have done years ago. Mary, let's get married. As soon as possible."
"Now?" Her mouth seemed to say without consulting her mind at all. "You want to marry me now?"
Mary's initial shock was wearing off, and in its place there was a growing suspicion. Alex had dodged every one of her questions. Instead, he gave her something she longed to hear from him every day for years. She couldn't help but think it was just another way of avoiding a real answer.
"Why not now?" He asked, grin faltering for the first time.
"You can't just decide to do these things on the spur of the moment. It takes planning. There's all the guests to invite, the dress, the cake, the band. All these things take planning. And money. Do you have enough money in that fist full of dollars to pay for all those things?"
"We could elope." He suggested, looking bewildered by her outburst.
"Elope? You want me to elope with you after waiting for seven years for a wedding? You want me to get married without telling my family and my friends? Alex, this is crazy. I don't even know where you've been for the last week, and you want me to marry you?"
"Why does it matter where I've been?" He was angry now, "I came back, and I did
