He wasn’t laughing.

Krel didn’t understand why he wasn’t laughing at her. His face looked like she’d just punched him in the gut and he had eaten something awful. “Oh Edward,” she exclaimed as she realized that she had hurt his feelings. “I’m sorry!” Her laughter hadn’t been at his expense, but mostly at her own misgivings.

She walked back over, placed a hand on both sides of his face, tilted his head up, and gave him a big kiss. “I didn’t mean to laugh,” she said when she had back her face away from him enough to look him in the eye. “It just came out. It wasn’t at you,” She sighed as she released his face. “Maybe I’m having a mental break down,” she said putting a hand to her forehead as if to feel her temperature. She sat down next to him again, leaning back in an exhausted manner. Her sudden burst of energy that came with the laughing died like a sugar rush in a three year old. She leaned her head on his shoulder and slipped her hand around his upper arm. Everything lately had been too much. Edward, Ebberkurk, Uncle Ian’s arrival, dad…

“I thought you were going to break up with me,” she repeated softly. “Not ask me to be your girlfriend.” At least that’s what she thought his speech had meant. It had sure felt like that was what he was asking.