"Marry me."

Two words I'd never imagined would ever come out of his mouth, and he's saying them to me.

One problem. He isn't proposing so much as proposing a solution to a problem. A big one I never knew existed that'll take both of us to fix.

Pragmatically proposed or not, imagining a life with him is as easy as breathing. We were lifelong friends, after all—until we weren't. He went away without explanation. Now he's back.

The thing is, it takes more than a slowly rekindling friendship to sustain a marriage.

And with each passing day he wears me down, I'm starting to think he's known that all along.

Previously published as Curve Wife (c) 2016 with revisions throughout, newly added content, and an extended ending.