Eternity's Ending (our version of events) - Book One

Vincent

"Did you know I actually only like the idea of surprises?" Xander says with a mouth full of toothpaste; her emphasis on the word 'idea'.

I look around because her question seems to come out of nowhere. They always do. In my early encounters with "Random Xander," I would ask her to retrace her randomness back to its source, determined to figure out how that brain of hers worked. It only took three occurrences of her trying to lead me down her path of logic to rid myself of that goal.

"Is that right?" I stifle a laugh.

She cups water into her hand and sips it. I sit on the edge of the bed waiting for her to finish swishing it around in her mouth and spit it in the sink so she can continue.

"Yep. I love surprises but I hate being out of the loop. The thought of someone ever being able to tell me something I don't know..." she uses her sleeve to wipe the remaining moisture from her face even though a hand towel is well within reach.

"What if it's a phenomenal surprise?"

"Doesn't matter," she says with a shoulder shrug, "knowledge is power, Vincent."

"Sounds like someone has control issues," I look away while pointing at her conspicuously.

"It is what it is."

"And there's no exception to that rule?"

"No exception."

"What about your engagement ring?"

"What about it?"

"That was a surprise. That didn't seem to bother you."

"Same rules apply. You lucked out by picking a fantastic ring. The good simply outweighed the bad."

"Interesting."

"What?"

"You. You are an interesting creature Xander Victoria soon to be Johnson," in an instant she has knocked me back onto the bed.

She perches herself on top of me.

"I am aren't I?"

"You are what? Interesting or Mrs. Soon to be Johnson?"

"Both, actually," she boasts.

"And not short on confidence, I might add."

"My grandma used to always say, 'it's a sad dog that can't wag its own tail.'"

"Wise words."

"Wise woman."

"That she is."

"You know she is in love with you, right?"

"Excuse me?" It's not the first time Xander has professed her grandmother's love for me but it's always strange to hear.

"My grandma is totally in love with you. I'd be concerned if she weren't happily married."

"You're funny."

"I'm so serious. She swears you hung the moon. Always going on and on about how talented and handsome you are. I'm like what am I, chopped liver?"

"No baby, you're perfect."

I can see her mouth forming the words.

"Don't even say it," not that I would disagree with the words itching to break free of her mouth.

She truly is perfect. Not because she is flawless, although, she is that too, but because she is so perfectly made for me, for this relationship, for this love. I don't know how she does it, especially after everything her soul had to endure. How have I managed to be loved by this being a second time?

Xander tears me from my inner dialogue.

"Say what?"

"I am aren't I?" I bring my voice up a few octaves to mimic hers. "Sometimes it's okay to let me wag your tail for you."

"But you don't wag it as good as I do. Anyway, that's not even what we are talking about."

"Pardon me. I'm all ears."

"Well, I forget now."

If our conversations have a prayer of seeing closure then it is absolutely necessary that I play the role of mental stenographer. Xander, bless her heart, has the ability to lose a thought midsentence. Taking notes and reminding her of where she was so she can figure out where she was going is the only way our conversations see any type of completion.

"You were saying you were both interesting and Soon to be Mrs. Johnson."

"That's it."

She turns to face me.

"Paint the picture for me."

"I want to make you my perfect 'Taboo' partner." She told me the night I proposed. "If I am going to marry you, you have to become my perfect "Taboo" partner."

"I'm not sure what that means."

I didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about. My mind immediately went in the direction of a million inappropriate things at the word "taboo".

"We play Taboo at all of my family functions. Have you heard of it? It's a game."

"I've seen it at the store but I've never played the game."

"It's pretty easy. Cassie and I are so good they don't let us play on the same team anymore. We pick up on each other's clues so well the other team doesn't have a shot in hell. Who came up with that anyway, a shot in hell, what does that even mean?"

"Xander, focus."

"Right. What I'm saying is Cassie knows me better than anyone on the planet. No matter what the card says or what the words are that we can't say, we can pretty much find a story or a hint to give one another that helps us guess the word. Our teammates just sit back and watch the magic happen. I want you to know me better than that. I want to tell you all of my secrets, all of my stories, everything."

"Ok," I say into the top of her head.

"Vincent...we're not partners if you don't tell me yours too."

"Then I'll tell you mine too."

"Good."

"We are going to dominate at 'Taboo' tomorrow," I whisper to Xander and then I paint her the picture of our wedding day.