"What's wrong?" she asked as she played with the food that she wouldn't be eating.
"Who said anything was wrong?" I asked as I played with my dinner for entirely different reasons.
Looking at what I was doing, she said. "You're practically screaming it out. Now what's wrong?"
Looking into her hazel eyes I said. "I imagined how we might split up over the years, but it was never like this."
"We're not splitting up," she said with a shake of her head. "I just need to disappear for awhile because of your nosey old neighbor. Six months, a year at most and I can be back. By then she should be gone or have forgotten me."
Sadly I shook my head and said." If it would work out that way."
Arching an eyebrow she asked. "Are you planning on replacing me in that time?"
With the first smile of the evening I said. "I couldn't replace you in a hundred years, let alone one."
"If you're afraid that I will find a new beau in that time, forget about it," she said with a slow smile. "You're all I could want."
"That's not it either," I said as I finally put some food in my mouth. After swallowing I asked. "So how was your day?"
"You've already asked me that," she said. "You know you're not going to change the subject that easily. Does this have any thing to do with your recent dizzy spells?"
"Yeah, in part," I said quietly.
After several long minutes of us both playing with our food, she asked. "Well, are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?"
Not knowing any better way to say it, I blurted out. "I'm dying."
"What?" she asked as she dropped her fork.
"I'm dying," I said a bit more calmly now that I had gotten it out. "I could be dead in a couple months, let alone six."
"How? Why?" she asked, stunned.
"I have an inoperable, an untreatable brain tumor. I've known about it for years, but the doctor told me that I would be okay unless it grew or spread," I said. "The tests I took recently shows that it has grown."
"You've known about the tumor for years?" she asked as she tried to regain her composure. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"It never seemed to be the right time, and I could never think of the right way," I said. "After all could you see me asking about your day, who you drank from, and then dropping that bombshell?"
Laughing in spite of herself, Heather said. "You still should have told me."
"I have been racking my brain trying to find a way to tell you for the last two years," I said. "I figured that you needed to know, but I couldn't figure out how to tell you."
Frowning she said. "I don't remember you having any medical tests two years ago."
"I didn't. I've known about it for five years," I said.
"Then two years?" she asked.
"Yeah, two years ago. The first night we were um, together, I wanted to tell you, but," I said.
Lowering her eyes and twisting her hair, Heather said. "I remember that night. That was the first time I had ever made love."
"Same here, and you were fantastic," I said as I also lowered my eyes.
"Really?" she asked as she looked up. "It took all that I had not to bite you right then and ...."
"And what?" I asked as I looked up feeling perplexed.
"And turned you," Heather said in a rush. "I can't believe I didn't think about it."
"I can't believe that you never mentioned it," I said with a frown.
"That's also something that doesn't come out in casual conversation," she said with a grin.
"Oh," I said lamely.
"But maybe we should talk about it," she said with a grin. "Could you see yourself as a night only type of guy?"
"You could do that? You could turn me?" I stammered, unsure I had heard her right.
"There are some risks, but yes I could," Heather said.
"What type of risks?" I asked beginning to feel hope.
"It's not as simple as I made it sound," Heather warned me as she put a finger to my lips. "And with the tumor I could kill you before you turn. If that happened and you did come back anyways, I would have to destroy it."
"I could die before I turn," I said. "Check."
"Don't forget that I would have to destroy what came back," she said again. "What came back would be a mindless beast. Also if I did turn you, you'd have to leave your life and go away with me at least till you got used to it."
"I couldn't think of any place that I would rather be than with you," I said.
"Hold that thought," she said as she took out her phone. Dialing a number, she waited a moment and said into it, "Andre, can the plans be changed to include one more?"
"You knew?" she asked after listening for a few seconds.
After another few moments she said. "He JUST told me."
"I'm gonna make sure right now," Heather said, then she looked at me and said. "Now is the time to back out if you have ANY doubts. Once it's done there is no turning back."
"I want to be with you forever. No doubts, and no reservations," I said. "And it's not the tumor talking."
Smiling she said into the phone. "I will call you when it's done."
"I do have a question though," I said as she hung up her phone and threw it on the couch. "Who is Andre, and what did I just tell you?"
"That's two questions hon," she said as she sat down and patted the cushion beside her. "Andre is the vampire in charge of making our disappearances believable; he is also your doctor's aid. That's how he knew about your tumor, Now come here and let's neck."
