It had to end, of course. He was to find Mrs. Potts to take care of the wrist she had so foolishly injured, but she didn't want him to step away. Didn't want this moment to fade into memory. She wanted it to be real, in a way it wouldn't be when her thoughts started to creep back in. "Okay." The word was a whisper, a question, as she bit the inside of her lip nervously.

She had to bring herself back to reality, had to remind herself that it wasn't real. But Alvin's gaze, the air between them, the soft exhale of air, and the look in his eyes made her doubt her own surety that it wasn't real.