"You didn't scare me," she said. "I trust you."
He lifted his head and looked down at her. He opened his mouth to say something. She put her finger to his lips. She smiled up at him.
"We're friends, right Daniel?" she said.
"Yes," he said. "But-"
"We are friends with benefits," she said.
He looked at her in confusion.
"We are friends," she said, "but somewhat more than that."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"We can still kiss," she said.
He tried to keep the relief from showing on his face. She lifted her head and kissed him softly.
"I have never been with a man before," she said.
"I have never been with a woman," he said.
"Am I the first woman you have seen?" she asked.
He nodded. "For six years," he said.
She remembered that he had told her that he was fifteen when he came on the ship. "How did your family die?" she asked.
"Disease," he said. "I had gotten it, but God must not have wanted me in Heaven with my family."
"Selfishly, I'm glad," she said. "I don't know how I could be able to handle my situation without you."
"You have so much faith in me," he said. "Why?"
"I believe we're kindred souls," she said. "We know how each other feels."
He nodded in agreement. He buried his face back against her shoulder. She stroked his hair. They stayed that way for five minutes. Then came a knock on her door. He quickly got off of her. The door opened and Jim came in carrying a food tray. He set it on her bed.
"Your dinner," he said.
"Thank you," she said.
He nodded. He left. Daniel shut the door. She began eating the hot soup. She closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure.
"This is good," she said. "Want some?"
He shook his head. "I am not hungry," he said. He went over to the port hole. He looked out at the sky. The sun was setting.
She got up and went over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist. She laid her cheek against his back. "What is wrong, Daniel?" she asked. "Is it your family? I'm sorry I made you talk about them."
"You did not make me," he said. "I told you because I wanted to. No one understands my pain. I had to watch my strong father grow weak and helpless. He had seemed to age overnight. Everybody I love seems to die. I have no one."
She felt his hurt so much that it made her heart ache. She moved around to his front. She laid her head against his chest. "I know how you feel," she said. "My parents died when I was young. I raised my brother from when I was twelve. The pain never seems to ease."
He buried his face against her hair. "I miss them so much, angel," he said, his voice cracking.
"It's okay to cry, Daniel," she said. She stroked his chest. "I won't tell anybody."
They slipped to the floor. He had her in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her. His face was still buried in her hair. He rocked her gently as they cried together.
