We're going to need more than five minutes

Why don't you want to be together with me?

He held her hand to give her support as she set foot on the boat, a beautiful catamaran that she had reserved, just for them. All day they would cruise around the beautiful island of Maui, and well into the night to watch the stars from the sea. It was their last day here and they wanted to make it extra special. And like that, taking up her recommendation, that disturbing conversation with that woman by the pool had been good for something.

Also, they still had to finish what they had initially come here to do: figure things out. Her friends would be very disappointed and mad at her if they didn't. If all she had to show for it was one ‚I love you' from him... and not even that from herself.

When the beach villas of their resort were out of sight and they were sailing across the ocean, the crew served them a fruity, sparkly drink that already had a certain kick to it, and they lay down at the bow of the boat, taking in the sun.

After a swim in a breathtakingly beautiful bay of crystal clear water where there were just the two of them, they enjoyed some freshly grilled fish and seafood for lunch before continuing their tour around the island. When she saw that he was almost about to be rocked to sleep by the gently lapping waves, she squeezed a few drops of cold water from her hair onto his face which made him wince and reluctantly open his eyes with a blink, looking at her with a question mark.

„Don't fall asleep", she said with a smile, „There's still so much we need to do."

„Like what?"

„Talk."

She took his hands and pulled him up to a sitting position, then sat across from him to be able to properly look him in the eyes. „I don't know about you, but I would love to find out what this is between us... and what still to expect from it. Or not."

He nodded. „Absolutely. Me too. But... where do we even begin?"

„Let's do it this way", she reached for her purse and grabbed a coin, „Three questions. Anything goes. The other has to answer fully and honestly. The winner goes first."

Eventually, the coin toss decided that she would be the one to ask her three questions first.

„Alright...", she took another breath, this was tougher than she had initially expected, but it had to be done. She looked up again, looked him straight in the eyes and asked: „Do you want a real relationship with me?"

Without even a second of hesitation and a certainty that almost took her breath away he replied: „Yes."

„Why?", went her second question.

He sighed and shrugged. „I meant what I said the other night, no matter whether you say it back to me or not, or not yet. I love you, Lana. I want to be with you. I don't want to be with anybody else, I don't want you to be with anybody else. We belong together, no matter the age difference or whatever it is that may be unusual about us. I've never felt the way I feel when I'm with you before I met you. I just.... I would hate to never find out what we could have been."

She bit her bottom lip. She was already close to tears. But this was not yet the time to cry, they had just gotten started. She took another sip from her drink to steady her heavily beating heart in order to be able to ask her last question. „And what does that mean for you, being with me, being together? What would change?"

„Well, for starters, I would know for sure that we are in relationship together and I would be able to say this to others when they ask me. Or even when they don't. That you're my girlfriend", a proud and happy smile appeared on his lips at the mere sound of it, „I wouldn't have to wonder anymore or doubt what's happening between us. I would have certainty, and that would make me feel more at ease, give me comfort and would help me build trust in what we have. As for us together, it would mean that I would invite you into other parts of my life you haven't seen yet, introduce you to my friends and family, spend not just the special, fun moments with you, but also the bland and boring, the mundane, the sad and angry moments. And I would expect the same from you. Not just share a small part of your life, but all of it. See you at your best as well as at your worst. Make love to you, kiss you, hold you, make you laugh and make you smile, but also comfort you when you cry, listen to you vent when you need to vent. Argue with you when you're angry, talk about the weather, the news, politics, find a new favorite TV show to watch together, sing with you in the car and under the shower", he took her hand and squeezed it gently, „I could go on, but... you get the idea. Stuff like that."