Pete took her hands and stared earnestly into her eyes. She was more serious than he'd ever seen her as she gazed back at him.
"It's not the right way to live, Nancy. A man doesn't really live, in the real meaning of life. A man needs a woman, a wife he can come home to." He squeezed her hands gently. "Nancy, will you marry me?"
Her hands trembled in his grasp.
"I will, Pete—oh, Pete, I've been so hoping—and so afraid. But, Pete, your job...?"
He smiled reassuringly.
"I'm signed up for a trip, but it's only a short one—that planet of Proxima Centauri they just discovered is on the list for a complete survey. But I'll be back in—seven, eight years. Then we can really settle down."
She bent over the table and kissed him.
"I'll wait, Pete."
"No, Nancy. Now. We'll be married first; I'll still be here a couple of months, why waste them? I don't want to take any chances of losing you."
"I wanted to hear that, Pete." Her eyes were shining with happiness. "About getting married now, I mean—there's no chance of your losing me."