A Life Earthbound by Katie Jennings

on for hours about how he wanted to climb Mount Everest, and shrugged off her insistent reminders of the dangers, difficulty, and years of preparation involved in such a task. He just smiled in that way he had and told her to stop worrying.
    Where he was a glass half full kind of person, she was constantly worrying over her half empty glass. She believed absolutely nothing she heard, and only half of what she saw, while Liam had an unwavering faith in others that she deemed blissfully ignorant. He rarely questioned anything, and she did nothing but question.
    And yet, despite how radically different they were, they found comfort with each other. It was as if they balanced their two extremes when they were together.
    During most days, especially when they were in class together, she acted like nothing had changed. But he couldn’t resist sending a smile in her direction, or watching her with his chin in his hand while he was supposed to be working on an assignment. More than once, Serendipity had scolded him for being distracted. Although, she thought he was simply daydreaming, not eyeing her oldest daughter.
    But any chance he got, Liam sought her out, sometimes in the kitchens or walking through the back gardens, and they would steal away to someplace private to be alone.
    The library was a favorite of hers, as she liked to read and was slowly but surely convincing him of the joys of literature. She loved to sit with him in the corner, surrounded by gigantic fluffy pillows, him laying on his back with her perched gracefully beside him, reading him passages from her favorite novels.
    And on this particular afternoon, that was exactly what they did.
    “This Emma girl sounds pretty full of herself,” Liam commented, grinning up at her, his hands tucked behind his head as he lay back against the pillows.
    Rhiannon glanced at him from behind the book. “She has her faults, certainly, but she also knows when she’s right.”
    “I can tell you right now, without even knowing the ending, that she’s wrong about this Mr. Martin guy.”
    Fighting back a grin, Rhiannon eyed him inquiringly. “And why do you say that?”
    “Because.” Liam sat up on one elbow, running his free hand carelessly through his hair. “He actually loves Harriet. Yeah, he’s goofy and poor, but he’s a good guy.”
    “But the point is that Emma sees that he is less than what Harriet should be looking for. Hence why she suggests Mr. Elton, who is wealthy, established in the community, and more than agreeable.”
    “Nah, he’s boring. I don’t get the sense that he actually cares about Harriet. He wants someone else.”
    Because Liam was surprisingly intuitive when it came to the motives of the characters, Rhiannon was impressed. Despite how much he goofed off in class, he had a surprisingly avid and quick mind that had an excellent grasp on human emotions.
    “Even if Mr. Elton doesn’t care for Harriet the way Mr. Martin does, Mr. Elton can still provide a better life for her, not to mention a better social standing that will benefit their children and grandchildren,” Rhiannon pointed out, earning a sardonic glance.
    “Yeah, but she won’t be as happy. She should stick to the guy she loves, not the one who’s rich.”
    “This may surprise your romantic heart, Liam,” Rhiannon began, smiling despite herself. “But marriage is not all about love. Many people get married for social or financial reasons.”
    “Why anyone would want to do that is beyond me.” He frowned, shaking his head. “Losing out on love just to marry for status?”
    “It may sound foolish to you, but it’s quite common.” Closing the book, she glanced at her watch. “I really should get going, my father is expecting me.”
    She started to rise to her feet, only to have him pull her down to the pillows with him. Startling even herself, she let out a quick giggle that she hadn’t even realized was inside of her.
    Liam’s heart swelled at the sound of it. He