[ Despite the content of her words and all of his stumbling when it comes to finding the right words for her, Ferdinand hears in Manuela's voice something akin to pleading, that she wants to be proven wrong. Of course, there is plenty that she says that is a perfectly salient point. Even in his short time at the resort, he's already experienced things he hadn't planned on experiencing until he was, at the very least, properly courting someone, if not married. And the very idea of monogamy in a place like this seems, even to him, utterly unrealistic.
But as he looks into Manuela's eyes, he doesn't see the thorny, overgrown rose who's well past her prime that she might think he would see. Nor does he see the idealized version of himself that he all but worshipped as a young man. He sees her for her vulnerability, her vices, her strengths, her triumphs and regrets — and, whether she cares to admit it or not, the wisdom that only a woman of her experiences could truly possess.
He strokes the back of her hand with his thumb as he holds it, and the other hand pulls her in gently but firmly by the waist. He'll not accept putting any more space between them now, not when he needs her to understand just how much he means every word. ]
Love is a unique thing, Manuela. The more of it you give, the more you find you have. It changes and grows, as do the people who feel it.
[ His gaze locks with hers, and though his heart races at how daunting a prospect it is, he says words that he never dreamed he would actually say to her, at least not in so direct a method. ]
I love you, Manuela. That love has also changed and grown over time just as I have. Even when I was just a boy, I accepted when I was a young man that some other lucky suitor would likely sweep you off of your feet, but so long as you were happy, that was enough for me. Yet now, I see myself in a fortunate position I could only have imagined.
[ There's a maturity in his voice that's, perhaps, a lot more introspective than what she might have expected from him. She's seldom seen him at anything but his most boisterous and confident, but there's a vulnerability he's sharing with her, just as she's shared hers with him. ]
I know the nature of this place makes commitment... troublesome. I am not asking you to only share yourself with me. Your world is every bit as open now as mine. But I am asking you to believe me — that no matter how much my world grows, your place in it and the affection I have for you will only grow as well.
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But as he looks into Manuela's eyes, he doesn't see the thorny, overgrown rose who's well past her prime that she might think he would see. Nor does he see the idealized version of himself that he all but worshipped as a young man. He sees her for her vulnerability, her vices, her strengths, her triumphs and regrets — and, whether she cares to admit it or not, the wisdom that only a woman of her experiences could truly possess.
He strokes the back of her hand with his thumb as he holds it, and the other hand pulls her in gently but firmly by the waist. He'll not accept putting any more space between them now, not when he needs her to understand just how much he means every word. ]
Love is a unique thing, Manuela. The more of it you give, the more you find you have. It changes and grows, as do the people who feel it.
[ His gaze locks with hers, and though his heart races at how daunting a prospect it is, he says words that he never dreamed he would actually say to her, at least not in so direct a method. ]
I love you, Manuela. That love has also changed and grown over time just as I have. Even when I was just a boy, I accepted when I was a young man that some other lucky suitor would likely sweep you off of your feet, but so long as you were happy, that was enough for me. Yet now, I see myself in a fortunate position I could only have imagined.
[ There's a maturity in his voice that's, perhaps, a lot more introspective than what she might have expected from him. She's seldom seen him at anything but his most boisterous and confident, but there's a vulnerability he's sharing with her, just as she's shared hers with him. ]
I know the nature of this place makes commitment... troublesome. I am not asking you to only share yourself with me. Your world is every bit as open now as mine. But I am asking you to believe me — that no matter how much my world grows, your place in it and the affection I have for you will only grow as well.