"...what's going on," is the first thing out of his mouth, when he sees the looks on his parents' faces. Maybe he should already know, but — he doesn't.
"I think the best way for me to take care of you is to finish camp, tell my parents I tried my best, and get my GED and go to trade school and have you live with me."
Lev intertwines his fingers with Marlo's.
"That sounds wonderful. And I can try to finish up high school and get in a good college anyway and then I can take care of you."
"I'd love to have that with you." He'd dreamed, or thought he'd dreamed, of a house and a family for most of his life, but the image is — different, when instead of a nameless faceless wife he imagines Lev.
He laughs and falls backwards against the ground and lets himself be kissed, kisses Lev back.
"I love you!"
"I love you," he says, and kisses Lev's forehead and then sits up so Lev is in his lap.
No matter how much she tries to make the time drag out, the end of step three is sooner than it should be.
Asher wakes her up.
"Let's go. I want to see you when you look like you."
She gets up and gets dressed-enough as fast as she can.
There's no point in being subtle; she stays by Asher's side.
"Once I get home we can send emails," she says quietly. "And I can try to come up to New York, it won't be often or anything but there are trains —"
"I love you." She's clinging. "I love you — I have two email addresses, the one you know is the one my parents don't, I'm good at hiding things you can send me anything you want —"
"I love you. If you decide you want to run I'll figure something out to take care of you."