Originally Posted by Steelsheen

He stared at her, panic rising with each drop of her tears that fell. He didnt mean for her to cry. Why is it that it seems that he keeps doing this unwittingly lately? Automatically he took a kleenex out and handed it to her, then folded his hands together, enclosing her other hand completely. The M word. She said it. Twice. The lawyers said it. Several times. Of course it was a lot more apathetic than how he's hearing it now. And at all times he could feel this sense of internal panic, the cold sweat breaking out, the struggled breathing, his stomach doing flip flops, the dizzying buzz in his head.

He stared at their folded hands together. "Lexi, I love you very, very much. And when I think of my future, I couldnt imagine it without you." he rasped in a loud whisper, his throat gone completely parched. "My entire time in New York, I wasnt just fighting for my own future, I was fighting for ours. I told them I will lead this family in my terms, not theirs." Then he looked into her eyes imploringly as he squeezed her hand "They know that my terms includes you-- will always include you."

And..... he couldnt say anymore. He seized the water goblet and started gulping it down his parched throat, the only thing thing keeping his stomach from lurching up completely.