1 "I don't want to see you ever again."

"I don't want to see you ever again."

I stood there in shock after the words left her mouth.

Slowly I turn around to face them. They have that damned determined stance they had when I had first met her.

"What?"

"I don't ever want to see you again…"

Slowly I turn my face away from them and begin walking away.

"I don't ever want to see you do that to yourself again."

I stop in my tracks processing what I was being told.

"I never want to see you continually put yourself in this situation."

Quietly I ask, "What?"

"I'm sick of seeing you put everyone else above yourself."

I stay quiet.

"You deserve the universe and then more."

They stay silent for a minute then say, "Hell, you deserve everything you've ever wanted Astrid/"

As the words left her mouth I could feel my mouth go dry.

No one has ever said something similar to this before.

I once again turn around to face them and whisper, "You never cease to surprise me."

She cracks one of her famous crooked smiles and rubs the back of her neck with her right hand.

Her left hand extends towards me.

I gladly take it.