«And if that's true, good Lord, then I'm new, too. The old Tom, Thomas, Tommy, Tomasino is left behind back there with the shed snakeskin.»
Her eyes opened and she listened and he finished. «So we're both brand-new. You're the new, beautiful woman I've been thinking about finding and loving in the last year. And I'm that man you were heading out to search for. Isn't that right? Isn't that true?»
There was the merest hesitation and then she gave the smallest, almost imperceptible nod.
«Mercy,» he called gently.
«That's not my name,» she said.
«It is now. New woman, new body, new name. So I picked one for you. Mercy?»
After a moment she said, «What does that make you?»
«Let me think.» He chewed his lip and smiled. «How about Frank? Frankly, my dear, I do give a damn.»
«Frank,» she murmured. «Frank and Mercy. Mercy and Frank.»
«It doesn't exactly ring, but it'll do. Mercy?»
«Yes?»
«Will you marry me?»
«What?»
«I said, will you marry me. Today. An hour from now. Noon?»
She turned at last to look down at him with a face all freshly tanned and washed.
«Oh, yes,» she said.
«And we'll run away and be maniacs again, for a little while―»
«No,» she said, «here is fine. Here is wonderful.»
«Come down, then,» he said, holding his hand up to her. «We have another nine years before another change. Come down and finish your wedding breakfast. Mercy?»
She came down the steps and took his hand and smiled.
«Where's the champagne?» she said.