"I do," Sam said, and there was no hesitation in that answer. "And... God, I'm not saying no, though I know it sounds like I am. I do want to marry you. I'm just..." She let out a long, shaky breath. She didn't have the feeling she'd had when Pete proposed, when she'd kept the ring in the box and dithered about it for a few weeks before finally saying yes, and that told her something very important.

"I want to say yes, but I don't want to get married right away. Is that okay?"