The nurse unbuckled the leather harness. "Now don't move about, the doctor's on his way, he'll remove the tube in a few minutes. Your fiancée's outside. Pretty little thing. Shall I send her in?"

Lisa, my angel of mercy. I nodded an emphatic "yes," my heart pounding with joy.

I had met Lisa Belaski during my first year at FAU, she, an undergrad struggling to make it as a biology major; me, the school's youngest associate professor. By day, we pretended not to know each other as I dazzled her and seventy-five other underclassmen at the lectern; by night, we were in bed together, her slender, tan legs wrapped around my waist, her hazel-green eyes glassy with infatuation and lust.

It wasn't long before Lisa was talking about marriage, her sorority wanting to throw her a candle-lighting ceremony or some other nonsense upon our engagement, how she wanted to start a family as soon as she graduated, and live in a gated community with good schools. I told her a family would be fine, as long as she was prepared to do most of the parenting while I worked.

Feeling pressured, I finally proposed on Thanksgiving Day, but refused to set a date until after returning from my voyage.

Now I was back, and my latest near-death experience had given me a whole new perspective on what was really important. I couldn't wait to hug Lisa, to tell her how much I needed her. I'd set aside my career, help her with the wedding plans. I'd accept the tenured position the university was offering me, just so we could stay in south Florida. Hell, I'd even start picking out baby names. Let's see… how about Drew Wallace? Or Michael? Mike Wallace… nah, sounded too 60 Minutes-ish.

"Gosh, Zack, you look awful."

Not quite the tearful greeting I had anticipated.

"They said you saved that cameraman. They also said you drowned. Did you know you were actually dead? That's got to be a bit freaky, huh? But hey, you're doing better now, right?"

Better than dead? Okay, so she wasn't the swiftest fish in the sea, but she was my fish.

I reached out for her, squeezing her hand. "Risa, rye rove roo."

She squeezed me back, then pulled away. "Maybe you shouldn't talk with that thing in your mouth. In fact, it might be better you just listen. See, while you were away, I was doing some serious thinking, and—"

Uh-oh …

"I realize this probably isn't a good time for you, but I'm going away tomorrow on winter break, and before I leave, I wanted to tell you that… well, I think we should postpone the wedding. Indefinitely."

"Rhat?"

She was breaking up now? Now! Wasn't there some kind of mandatory non-breaking-up grace period after one's fiancé came back from the dead?

"Risa, rye?"

"Face it, Zack, you don't really need me, in fact, you don't need anybody, and me… I'm someone who needs to feel needed."