Marcello squeezed her back, burying her head against Niabheara's shoulder again. "I want everything to go away," she said. "Can't we just...have peace and quiet? And be together this time. I had too much peace and quiet with Meg and not enough with you."

"I fear I lead a quarrelsome existence. You'll ne'er have any peace with me." She stroked Marcello's back. "It will get better. I'll make it better. I promise."

Marcello sighed. "Don't, love. Don't make it your burden. It's just...I don't want you to feel like you have to fix it. It'll be all right. It's just not right now."

She rubbed Marcello's hands between hers. "I didn't say I could make it right," she said. "Only that I would try to make it better. My poor love. Nothing's been easy for you since you came to me."

"That's not true," Marcello said, and she kissed Niabheara's cheeks, fondly. "I am more in love than I have ever been in my life, with the sweetest, most darling lady. That has been easy; it would be difficult not to love you."

She put her arms back around Marcello's neck and rested the point of her chin on her shoulder. "Let's just get married. As soon as possible. I'd say as soon as you changed back, but for our families."

Marcello nuzzled her nose against Niabheara's forehead. "I thought that was the plan as it was," she answered softly. "I'd marry you this minute, if I could," she whispered. "Without changing back, if I could."

Her mouth turned down. "I miss you. I want you back. I want everything back as it was. And I can't understand why . . . what is so wrong about that, that I can't have it."

Marcello touched her cheek. "I'm right here," she said. "I know what you mean, but I'm right here, and I don't want you to miss me. It makes me sad when you say that, like there's something I should be able to do for it."

"No." She dug her fingers into Marcello's upper arms. "You know what I mean. I miss you. That's all." She let go and slumped down at the foot of the bed again. "I want a baby. And aye, I know, it's the moons talking, it will pass, but I can't stop."