McKenna reached the cabin after dark. She noticed that the cabin's exterior was due for another coat of paint. Her flowers had died from the previous winter. The wrap-around porch needed to be weatherized, too.

The oil lamps were lit, and the fire was burning in the fireplace. Each time McKenna came to Mosquito Lake and walked the path to the cabin, a fear would clutch her heart that these signs of him would not be there. She caught herself holding her breath until she rounded the bend and could see the lights through the trees.

Each year, as they agreed, she would visit the cabin only on her birthday. Dane refused to deny McKenna a life in the real world. He was afraid she would resent him in time if that were to happen. McKenna argued fiercely with him. She didn’t want to only see him once a year. She needed him all the time.

But in the end, common sense won out. McKenna knew she had to support herself. She had to have a place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat. She didn’t like it, but she agreed to Dane’s wishes and only came to the cabin once a year. It was during these weekends that she and Dane fixed up the cabin.

This year was no different. It wasn't until she saw the lights of the cabin that McKenna exhaled a relieving breath. The front door was open, and Dane stood on the threshold waiting for her. A smile lit up his face when he saw her approach.

"Hello, McKenna!" he said excitedly. "I've been waiting for you."

"Hello, Dane," she said shyly. Once more, she felt they were starting over. It would take her some time to get used to things again.

The fire inside was warm and inviting. The weather had turned unusually cool for this time of year. It made McKenna's bones ache.

"Happy birthday, McKenna," Dane said, his eyes sparkling from the light of the fire. "I wish I could buy you presents. Just saying 'Happy Birthday' doesn't seem to be enough anymore."

She smiled at him as she sat down wearily on the couch. It would take her a few minutes to catch her breath. Once she did, she said. "You can even for-go the 'Happy Birthdays' if you want, Dane. I've seen too many of them now, and I'm just getting older."

Dane sat down next to her on the couch and placed a gentle arm around her shoulders. "Have you ever wondered, McKenna, why I'm still here?" he asked.

She thought about his question for a moment. "I guess sometimes I have. I know every year I come. I'm so afraid you'll be gone. It's a terrible feeling. We don't really know why you're here or for how long. But we’ve had many years together."

Dane nodded. He rested his head on hers. "It still won't be enough," he said softly. "I need an eternity with you, McKenna."

Burning tears filled her eyes. It was the same for her. But an eternity she didn't have. She was already sixty-four years old, and the doctor told her that her heart was in terrible shape. She’d been taking medication, but it would only prolong her life for a short time. She wasn't sure how she could tell Dane.

Her eyes felt heavy as she relaxed in his arms. She felt his lips kiss the top of her head, and she smiled. She’d loved him a lifetime. Her lifetime. She didn't know what would happen to him when she was gone.

"I love you, Dane," she whispered. "I've loved you all my life. I'm so tired now."

"McKenna?"

"I need to sleep, Dane. We can talk more when I wake up. I'm so tired," she lay down on the couch and closed her eyes.

She heard him call her name, but it seemed to come from a great distance. Her eyes felt leaden, and she couldn't open them. She felt as if she were floating.

"McKenna!" Dane's voice was filled with panic as he rose from the couch. He lay her head gently down and touched her face. "McKenna!" he cried. "No, you can't! Please, McKenna, please wake up!" He kissed her brow. It was cool.

His tears fell on her face, and he wiped them away with his thumb. He wrapped her in his arms and rocked back and forth with her. "Don't leave me," he cried. "Please don't leave me."

He felt a hand stroke his hair, and he froze. "I won't leave you, Dane." The voice was very soft.

Dane turned and wiped at the tears with the back of his hand.

"I'm not there anymore," she said quietly. "I'm here now, with you."

He lay McKenna's body down on the couch and stood up. His eyes drank her in.

She was seventeen again, the age when they’d first discovered each other. The long red hair was no longer gray but shining with a renewed vitality. Her green eyes sparkled with humor at Dane’s stunned expression. The wrinkles were gone from her face.

"You said we couldn't choose where we went when we died. But you were wrong. I chose to be here with you. Now, we do have an eternity."

"McKenna." His mouth curved into a smile as he wrapped her in his arms. She felt more real to him than ever before. He knew what she said was true. "Now we'll be together, forever," he whispered as he kissed her.

"Yes, my love." She answered his kiss. "Always."

The End

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