“I like your muscles. I like your curves,” Linda said seriously. “And I’m glad you like them too. You’re naturally beautiful.” She dabbed wasabi on a slice of dragon roll. “Do you want some?”

Marissa told herself sternly not to cry, even though she was wounded all over again by the knowledge that some of Linda’s body wasn’t of her own choosing. “Sure—trade you some fish and salsa?”

“Yes, please. Scamming some of your dinner was actually my whole goal.”

“Greedy.”

“Yes,” Linda said, not looking at the food.

A hard swallow later, Marissa asked, “And you? Are you liking the body you have more than you did? I was aware, back then, that you were at times uncomfortable about it. I didn’t know why.”

Linda dabbed at a few fallen grains of rice with her finger. There was tension in her shoulders for a second, then Marissa could feel it leave her again.

Finally, Linda said, “I can’t change the past. This is the way I am now. That it wasn’t my choice is a big deal, sure. But going forward, keeping this body this way is my choice. Therefore, this is my body. And I like it.”

“So do I,” Marissa said sincerely. “And even more, I like the woman who will bash on a coconut for two hours.”

After a pause, Linda whispered, “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Say exactly the right thing.”

Marissa had no answer but she let her eyes try to speak. Whatever Linda saw in them deepened the tenderness evident in her own gaze. The people around us, Marissa thought, will need insulin shots if we keep this up.

Most of the food was gone before the conversation touched on the issues Marissa could still feel trembling between them.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Marissa said.

“Which one?”

“Do you want me to love you the way I did?”

“Yes. I mean, I want your love. Whether it’s the way you felt before or a brand new way, I don’t care. I know that you’ve changed. I can see it. I’ve changed too.”

“You made me feel like nobody ever had. And when you didn’t come back I really missed that feeling.” And I missed you, Marissa wanted to add. I missed hearing you laugh and watching you eat and making every minute an adventure. The truth of her feelings was pounding in her heart.

“And now?”

“I’ve learned how to get the awareness of myself, as you saw me—attractive, sexy, even—”

Linda leaned a little closer to whisper, “Hell, yes. You are so very sexy.”

“And you say I’m the one who knows just what to say.”

“I speak truth.”

Marissa wanted to lean forward three inches and kiss Linda for the next three hours. “I know that I can be interesting and intelligent and I’m worth being loved. It’s like I can all by myself finally get enough of the good stuff to make life worth living. I could be content. But when I’m with you . . .” She searched for words.