~ Maddi and Elijah in the surf's edge ~<br/><br/>"You........ you want to  m......marry me?"  Maddi said, the world still spinning it seemed, there was no mistaking his meaning this time, he sounded so raw and so full of truth it rocked her.  She leant away from him,  her hands cupping his face, looking into his eyes, the moonlight bright enough to see them but not he depth she wished for, "Oh Elijah....." she still couldn't absorb it, he had done such a good job of making her feel it was all a joke..... that he'd been forced into trying to placate her, that he'd been embarrassed by her declaration she suddenly felt she had champagne fizzing in her veins.  "Oh Elijah..... I thought........  I thought you were trying to fob me off.......... of course I will marry you.... I love you more than I can ever put into words."<br/><br/>She kissed him softly, again and again, lifting her head for a moment to say softly, "Best friend," and then "You are my dream," she punctuated each kiss with her words, "Always.... Always.....  I'll love you.... Always...."