"Whatever happened to keeping our dating a secret, so we don't risk your career?" asked Hart, full of admiration for Mrs Long's speech.

"You're not a school student, or even a uni student anymore. A thirty-six year old woman dating a twenty-one year old boy is not nearly as much of a cause for tongues to wag in the community, especially since most people don't know how long we've been together."

"But you told those girls."

"I wanted to make them consider their brash teasing of us."

"You were magnificent. It made me feel very special, to see you defending me without feeling ashamed of me."

"I was honoured by what you said too," said Mrs Long.

"Well they were poking fun at our ages, as well as my size."

"They may never be half as happy as we are," said Mrs Long.

After their swim, they had a picnic on the grass, and Mrs Long said to him, "Hart, you've continued to call me Mrs Long in all the years we've been dating. Wouldn’t you rather call me Christine?"

“No,” said Hart, “I’d rather call you Mrs Dale.”

"I love you more than I loved my husband Skipper, and he's been gone for a long time now. I'd like to be your bride, Hart, but it would need to be a long engagement."

For years they were engaged, with Mrs Long postponing their marriage indefinitely for reasons she couldn’t explain to Hart. When she was 44, she had the encounter in the nature gardens with Timothy, and ate him. It had been possible, because Timothy had thought once again of being eaten by Mrs Long. He had gone through high school, five years behind Hart in fact, and then eventually finished university and started work. Yet he had never found any girl for either a normal relationship or a shrinking and eating encounter. So his thoughts had returned to Mrs Long and facilitated the chance for her to find him in the nature gardens and eat him. Yet something still played on her mind.

In present day now, Mrs Long continued dancing with Timothy at her son’s wedding and concluded the narrative of the intervening years.

“I broke up with Hart, not forever, but indefinitely, because I realised that I was not ready to marry again. That’s why I’ve remained a widow all these years. There was something else that I couldn’t remove from my thoughts.”

“What was that?” asked Timothy.

“Eating you,” she said, “Every time I did it, I somehow felt that the experience wasn’t complete. I never really felt you becoming absorbed into my tummy, becoming part of my stomach forever. If only that would happen, then I could always have you there within me, as a part of me, and go on to remarry to Hart. He loves me very much, and I know he’s still waiting for me to resume our engagement. That’s why I shied away from your friendly kiss before, Timothy. I think you’re adorable, but I’m very much involved with Hart, and have been for a long time. I wanted you to know all this, because I know you’re the only one who can help me. I’m sure that it would work, if you went all the way down into my stomach willingly, instead of willing yourself out and back to normal size. Now that I’ve explained the principle, would you be willing to do it?”

Timothy was stunned. Her story had gripped him every step of the way, and he had not seen her request coming until the end.

"Alright, I'll think about it," said Timothy.

"Thank you. I’ve got to help with the packing up after we see the bride and groom off on their honeymoon. I'll see you in an hour," said Mrs Long, and returned to her work.

Leanne talked with Timothy, who briefly summarised Mrs Long’s narrative and her request.

"So you didn't say a definite no," said Leanne.

"I ... I think Mrs Long's very pretty. I was hoping that she was going to say that she'd like to be my girlfriend, instead of going ahead with the wedding to Hart. Then when she said she wanted to eat me in the way she described this time, I didn't know what to say. Do you think she’s right about her scientific conclusions about our encounters?"

"It’s more than likely."

"My goodness! So Mrs Long could really do this."

"Why don't you tell her how you feel?"

"I'd be embarrassed. It would take some audacity to confess a crush on an engaged woman."

"No more audacity than it took for an engaged woman to ask a boy for his permission to eat him."

"You're right. I'll tell her."

When Mrs Long came back, she offered her hand to Timothy, and walked around the garden outside.

"I can understand, if you refuse," said Mrs Long, "The proposed idea offers a lot of pleasure for me, but only a short experience for you."

"I know. It's just that ... "

"What?"

"I'm just a younger man, and I thought that you liked me, until you said you wanted to eat me."

"I do like you. You're a handsome boy. It's just that I'm looking forward to marrying my fiancé, and I thought you would be more enjoyable as meat in my stomach."

"I suppose there's no chance that you'd consider breaking off the engagement, and being my girlfriend instead."

"I'm sorry, Dear Timothy, but I can't."

"Then I suppose I must miss out on the happiness I hoped for."

"I guess this means you'd rather not give me that happiness that I had hoped to derive from eating you."

"I'm sorry too, Mrs Long. Your mouth looks very nice. It wouldn't be so bad being eaten by it again, but if I don’t escape, then I'd never get to kiss a beautiful lady."

"I understand," said Mrs Long, and they walked for a minute in silence.

"Timothy," said Mrs Long suddenly, "What if I took you out on a date on Monday, and gave you all the kisses you wanted? I'm not married yet, and my fiancé need not know. I’m not even seeing him at the moment. Besides, he could hardly be jealous of a boy who was going to be eaten. I could shrink you just by both of us thinking about it, and then call Hart and resume dating and set a definite date for the wedding. Leanne could look after you while I’m arranging that, visiting my house each day to feed you, and then I could come back on the Monday while I’ve got some time to myself, and eat you."

"I'd be giving up a lot of years of dating."

"I'm going to give you all that in one night."

"It sounds like a good deal. We would both get at least part of what we wanted."

"I'd have everything I want, and give you the best possible deal in the process."

"Alright, Mrs Long. I'll do it."

"Thank you," she said, and licked his cheek, "I was right. You are tasty even at full size."

"Where shall we start our date?"

"Let's meet in the city's park on Monday, have lunch, and then go to all the interesting places in the city. After that, we can have dinner, and take it from there."

"I'll be looking forward to that."

"You can change your mind up until Monday. After that, you'll have to complete your part of the bargain too, if you’re the honourable gentleman I expect you are. If you let me down, I shall never speak to you again."

*          *          *          *