They lay there, intertwined, panting after their intercourse. Their grief over their shared loss had brought them closer than ever before.

It was two months after the birth, and death that followed it so cruel fully quickly. Kaylee had lost her baby weight fairly quickly, but that was to be expected, but that was to be expected. After she lost Billy... she had hardly eaten anything at all, besides what Simon and Mal had forced her to eat. Billy’s death had hit everyone hard, River, Simon, and Kaylee especially. They all had relished the opportunity to welcome a new baby into the ‘verse.

He remembered when, days before, she had just… snapped. Right out of her grief. She had started to eat again, but she was still painfully thin and drawn. She was almost cheery again. Still hadn’t smiled yet…

And, a few hours ago, he had found her in the engine room, fiddling around with some parts on the floor. She looked up when she heard him come in. There were tears in her eyes. “Simon? Simon, I…I can’t feel no more. Please… make me feel again!” Tears started to run down her face.

He leaned over, and wiped the tears off her face. He took her in his arms. He didn’t know how, or when, but, somehow, they got down into their room, and into their bunk.

And, now, after hours of lovemaking, totally exhausted, they lay against each other, locked in a tight embrace, gently kissing. Simon took her left hand in both of his. He reverently kissed the tip of each finger, beginning and ending on her ring finger. He kissed along the length of it, finally ending on the ring. A sapphire set in a golden band. He pulled his face up and frowned at it.

Kaylee tensed. “Simon…what is it? What’s wrong?”

He looked at her. “This shouldn’t be here anymore. It should be on your right hand.”

“Simon, are you…”

“I am. Kaylee, will you marry me?”

For the first time in a long, long while, Kaylee smiled a real smile that came from her heart and lit up the room like a thousand suns and a trillion stars. Her fir