As I lay here, the warmth of her body enveloping me, the comforting weight of her arm, thrown carelessly around my waist, her leg, intertwined with mine, I marvel that I existed for 43 years without this knowledge.

To know this state of benediction, to see in those glacial blue fathoms, all that I will ever know of salvation, all that I will ever need of grace, all that I will ever be granted of absolution. To think that the source of my redemption was to be found within the very gates of Hell had I but the courage to ransom her. To realize that if this journey had but one purpose, it was achieved in this woman lying here beside me. That to gain her, I would willingly yield everything I am or hoped to be.

How could I have lived this long and not been aware of the ideal beauty found in the perfect line of her back? The supple curve of hips tapering into an expanse of leg that goes beyond the scope of my vision, yet never beyond the reach of my touch. How could I not have known the scent of her skin, fresh and fragrant as the air of an autumn twilight, or the feel of that skin beneath my fingertips; skin like velvet and satin and cream? To not know these things seems as impossible now as willing this ship of metal and fire to leap across the broad expanse of heaven, to the safety of home.

She turns towards me in her sleep, her breath leaving her in a muted sigh. Her dreams must be pleasant for those ripe lips of coral are curved into the faintest image of a smile. If I bend my head I can feel the temperate flow of her breathing as it whispers across my face. Brushing my lips across hers with the softness of a memory, I can taste the exquisite flavor of her, the essence of life itself. The feel of her mouth against mine overwhelms my senses. Laden with the delicate flavor of the wind on a rainy afternoon, of sap just harvested from a maple tree, of apples, and honey, I know I could exist for all of eternity with only her kiss to sustain me.

Murmuring sweetly against my lips, I feel her arms enclose me as she pulls me tightly against her. I know that here, in this room, in this bed, in the circle of her arms, I have found the only shelter I will ever require. No citadel ever raised, no shields ever created were stauncher than these slender arms that even now embrace me. To know that with her I am invincible, that the ascendancy of her love will not be swayed by even death itself, is the most inestimable gift I shall ever receive.

Sliding my hands along that silken skin, I trace the line of her jaw with my lips, moving with delicate speed down the graceful curve of that lovely throat, hearing the murmurs and whispers of approval come breathlessly from those tantalizing lips. Moving along the length of her body, feeling and tasting the satin of skin and the fluid hardness of metal, I seek out that other flavor, that enticing elixir that moves like warm, liquid silk against my face, against my tongue. To think that I endured all those days, all those years never knowing this one, vital moment. That I existed never knowing the sensation of her hands tangled in my hair, her breath coming in ragged sobs between parted lips. Existed never knowing the wonder of her thighs soft around my head, muffling the sounds of her cries, as her body grows taut, and of that sweet sustenance, offering nourishment and knowledge and blessed release for us both.

As a scientist, I have studied countless phenomena, memorized a myriad of formulas and theorems. Yet, of all the lessons I have kept or squandered, none, save this one, has been worth remembering. I have learned how to love her, how to bring to her indigo eyes the light of laughter and joy. I have mapped every curve, encouraged every sigh, and branded on my mind and soul the memory of every radiant smile. Holding her now, her body still and solid in my arms, I brush back from her face a single strand of white blonde hair, tracing with deliberate care the star of burnished metal that reminds us both of her rebirth and my redemption.

I close my eyes, surrendering to sleep, knowing that the syncopated rhythm of our two hearts is the sweetest lullaby I will ever hear. Knowing that I have finally learned that the secret of life is simply to love her.