“Did you really go through that?” Bette said caressing my stomach. We were lying in bed in our underwear, too tired to put on pajamas. My head was throbbing from my injury, but Bette was highly adept at first aid, so there was no need for a hospital. Bette was lying on her stomach, ;leaning up on one elbow so that we were at eye level.

I hesitated for a moment before answering. I looked down at her soft hand drawing lazy circles on my stomach then I moved my hand to her face, “yes.”

Bette’s eyes became laced with tears as she said, “it was so horrible.”

“I know,” I said, “when I saw your eyes lose that light they always have, I knew how you felt too when you looked into mine. It was…”

“I know,” Bette whispered when I trailed off to choke back my tears.

“You wouldn’t have become heartless,” I said breaking the comfortable silence that had settled in our dark bedroom.

“How do you know?” she said her voice laced with insecurity. She wrapped her right leg around my left leg, laying her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arm around my waist.

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders needing her closer to me, “because we have connected hearts.”

“What does that mean?” Bette asked softly.

I sighed, enjoying the vibrations her low voice sent through my chest. “When I was on the verge of losing my heart, you gave me yours, and that’s only because of the connection they have.”

“When you’re sad, I’m sad,” Bette said, “when you cry, I cry. When you’re happy, I’m happy. When you laugh, I laugh.”

“That’s what you wrote on the card of the very first flowers you sent me!” I cried.

“I can’t believe you remember that, it was almost 15 years ago,” Bette smiled.

“I can never forget,” I said, “just so you know, I would have given my heart to you too if we hadn’t found that antidote.”

“I don’t have it now?” Bette said raising her head with a playful smile.

My heart skipped a beat and I smiled broadly. God, I loved that smile. She didn’t need much to make me melt.

“You always have it Bette,” I said curving my smile into a smirk, “do I need to remind you?”