Seeing her, feeling her, knowing what was happening, was more than enough to pitch me over the edge I'd been waiting so long for. I clutched her close and let out a yell as I came inside her. The feeling juddered through me like current, and I held her tight until it ebbed away.

For a moment, I just sat there, Coraline on my lap, still... around me, our arms around each other, as we gasped for breath.

"Gods," I whispered.