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It doesn’t take David long to notice his wife’s touch aversion. It isn’t universal, not at all — quite the contrary, Susan is often very tactile. But she’s sensitive about the chest area especially, always startling and pulling away if he gets too near the heart.
He doesn’t ask about it, whether it’s an old injury or trauma or just a personal preference. She’ll tell him, he trusts, if or when she’s ready.
He’s right, as far as that goes; eventually, she does.
He’s surprised to learn that it isn’t touch aversion at all.
He’s more surprised by the actual explanation.
“I’m sorry,” Susan whispers, trying to stop crying. Her face is averted, afraid to meet David’s eyes; afraid to see what he thinks of her, after the confession she just made. She’s not sure she could bear it, to see rejection there. Grandfather left her behind for being too earthly; if David sends her away for being unearthly, who is left?
She hears his gulping swallow; daring to look at him, she sees the bobbing lump in his throat.
“I just wish,” he says, voice sounding choked, “you’d told me.”
“Well, I have now. You’re the only one.” She sniffs. “Even with Ian and Barbara, they never knew I had two hearts. Grandfather told me… he said that we must always pretend to be human on Earth, or else terrible things could happen to us.”
“I suppose,” David admits, “it’s good advice in general. There are a lot of xenophobes out there. But not me, Susan. You must know I wouldn’t be like that.”
“How could I know?” She shivers. “But David, it’s not only the hearts. There are… other differences, too. Biological differences.”
And lifespan differences. She doesn’t like to think about that part — but it’s not fair to keep it from him, is it? Besides, he’s bound to find out eventually, if they do stay together.
David takes a deep breath. She hears his long, careful exhale.
He takes her hand, then.
He lifts her left hand and kisses the wrist, the contact soft and tender, right on the place where her pulse throbs.
Then he takes her right hand and, very deliberately, does the same.
“It will be all right,” he promises. “Please, Susan, just tell me. Talk to me, and we’ll figure it out.”
She nods, meeting his eyes, and one of her hearts believes him.