Because I’m nothing if not fascinated by death and mortality, I ask him for a lock of his hair one morning while we’re in bed. Without explanation.

“Are you working on a spell? You’re not going to use it to enslave my heart, are you?” He pretends to be alarmed, but his lips curl with amusement.

“Perhaps. I could wait until you’re asleep and snip a small section from the back. You’d never miss it.” With my fingers, I make the motion of scissors opening and closing.

“Am I going to have to tie you up while you sleep?” His voice lowers to a sexy growl.

My eyes bug with surprise and my pulse quickens. “Is that something you want to do? Are you into that?”

“No, no. Definitely not. Unless you are. Are you? I can’t tell if you’re horrified or excited.” He dances around several responses at once.

I shrug. “Probably not on a Sunday morning, but I wouldn’t rule it out. A lock of hair for some light bondage seems like a fair trade.”

This time his eyes are the ones to widen. “Okay.”

I clamor off of the bed and dash into our bathroom to retrieve the scissors in his grooming kit. If they’re good enough to trim eyebrow and nose hairs, they’ll work on the other hair on his head.

“Don’t run with scissors,” he reminds me.

“Has anyone died from doing that?” I slowly cross the room with extra caution.

“People die all of the time from inconsequential actions and poor decisions.” He shifts so he’s sitting upright against the headboard.

I turn the conversation back to my mission. “This is probably why Victorians liked to save a lock of their beloved’s hair in a piece of mourning jewelry. I thought it would be cool to do something similar with both of our hair tied together. Too much?”

“A momento mori, a reminder we’ll both die someday?” he asks, twisting the end of my long hair.

I wrinkle my nose. “Not as depressing. More of a together forever and ever. You belong to me and I belong to you. Not even death shall us part.”

Squinting at him, I make sure I haven’t gone too far into the deep end of my feelings, enough to scare him away.

I’m worried he’s going to bolt but will break up with me in his typical overly polite, well-bred way. His manners are unflappable. I should know. I’ve tried for two years to ruffle his decorum.

He stares back at me with a blank expression. “At least you’re not asking for a vial of my blood to wear around your neck.”

I stick out my tongue. “Gross. No bodily fluids, thank you.”

Reluctantly, he eventually agrees as long I keep the origin of my weird hair jewelry to myself. I give him a kiss of thanks before snipping off a thin curl near the back of his ear. I trim a similar size piece from my own hair.

Twisting my hair with his, I tie them together with a white ribbon before coiling the combined lock beneath the glass. “Wow. You can’t tell the difference between mine and yours.”

“I love when the line between you and me is blurred.” He studies the locket before closing it and releasing the chain. The gold is cool against my skin where it rests just above my breasts. “I never want to exist without you.”

His words melt my cynical heart. “Careful what you wish for. When I’m one hundred and two, with my boobs tucked into the waistband of my comfort trousers, you may want to trade me in for a perkier model.”

He laughs in that way that means he’s indulging me. “As long as you promise not to make fun of the way I walk to avoid my balls hitting my knees, we’ll still be my favorite couple.”

“We can have scooter races in the old folks’ home and cheat at corn hole.” I climb into his lap and straddle his thighs. “Demand Wednesday lunch be clothing optional.”

“Old people are always cold. Not sure that idea will fly with our fellow octogenarians.” He peppers my mouth with soft kisses.

“We’ll demand the heat be cranked up to a hundred and provide blanket-sized bibs to avoid soup burns.” I scrape his scalp with my nails, earning the Geoffrey version of a purr.

He stares into my eyes. “I love that you’ve planned out every detail of our future.”

“I can’t wait to be old and saggy with you. Did I mention I think we’ll be one of those couples who wears matching outfits, too? We’ll be adorable.” I kiss him and feel him laugh against my lips.

“Why wait until then? Why should only the old get to be eccentric?”

“It’s impossible not to love you.” It’s not an exaggeration. My heart was made to hold his.

“However, it is impossible to kiss you while you’re talking.” He presses his index finger to my mouth.

I nip the tip with my teeth before sucking softly. Geoffrey’s eyes dilate and become hooded.

Ah, the best way to flap the unflappable is also my favorite. I pull my shirt over my head and drop it to the floor behind me.

“Should I get one of your ties from the closet?” I whisper against his ear.

Those bastard grave robbers stole my locket and sold it to an unsuspecting antiques dealer on Charles Street.

I don’t blame the shop owner for buying my necklace and displaying it in the front window. Beyond the purely sentimental reasons, the locket is gorgeous with the floral engraving and sweeping A on the front. Timeless and elegant. At least someone bought it and kept it safe all these years.

At least I assume I was buried with my favorite locket. It’s possible one of my family members sold it off with the rest of my belongings. I can’t imagine Geoffrey selling it, but the early days of life after death aren’t clear in my memory.

Too much sadness and pain.

I couldn’t bear to be anywhere where he might be or where our shared memories dwelled.

My beautiful Geoffrey.

He’s turned into a handsome man, but at twenty-one he was perfection with his angular cheekbones, rower’s body, and a jaw you could cut steak with if suddenly all steak knives disappeared and you were too proper to gnaw meat off of the bone.

Watching him grow up, transforming from teenage boy to man has been fascinating. Fascinating and heartbreaking all over again.

It’s not fair that my heart still aches. It’s not fair he’s alone. It’s not fair he doesn’t know I’m still here with him.

This is the cruelest twist of fate.

He thinks I’ve been gone for over a decade when every day I’m right here.

Invisibility blows.