To say her answer didn't catch me off guard would have been a lie.
I was completely stunned.
The name Heaven might have suggested innocence, but I had never imagined she was still a virgin. It was difficult to reconcile that revelation with the confident, graceful woman sitting across from me.
Could it really be true? As the surprise settled in, another thought quietly followed.
If she were telling the truth, then the man she eventually chose to give herself to would be deeply honored. The idea that I might one day be that man filled me with a sense of pride I struggled to hide.
For the first time that evening, I found myself looking at her differently—not with desire alone, but with a newfound respect for the quiet conviction behind her words.
"You don't believe me?" she inquired, mistrust in her eyes, obstructing the flow of my thought.
"I don't really know what to say," I disclosed.
"I was joking," she giggled softly. It sounded like a church bell from a mile away.
