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"But," pressed Jake, "you don't feel it will do any good."

"What difference does it make what I think?" she exclaimed.

"It matters," he replied quietly.

"It's three in the morning and we have to be at church in a few hours," said Abby. "Can't we finish this discussion, tomorrow?"

"Please," Jake begged her.

"What do you want from me?" cried Abby, jumping out of bed.

"I want agreement," he answered. "Real agreement."

"We've been talking for hours about this, and we still disagree," replied Abby.

"Could you put something else on?" requested Jake, suddenly looking down at the floor, for she was only dressed in her nightgown.

Abby put on her robe and went to the kitchen as Jake followed her down the hall. She grabbed a spoon and opened the freezer.

"Where's the chocolate fudge ripple?" she asked, searching the freezer for her favorite ice cream.

"It's behind the frozen lima beans," replied Jake. "You're not really going to eat ice cream at a time like this, are you?"

"I sure am," asserted Abby, opening the lid and sinking her spoon into the thick, sweet ice cream. "There's enough here for two," she offered, taking the entire carton to the living room. Abby settled onto the couch with her legs folded snugly beneath her. Not wanting to be left out, Jake picked up a spoon and sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "You're not getting any of my ice cream way over there!" she laughed.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked with half a smile.

"Because I can!" laughed Abby. "Either get a longer spoon, or move closer." Reluctantly, Jake moved close enough to reach the carton of ice cream Abby was eating from. "I don't even want to know how many calories this will add to my weight," she sighed.

Jake smiled wistfully and retrieved another spoonful of ice cream.

"What were you thinking just now?" she inquired.

"Nothing much," shrugged Jake.

"I saw that look on your face," she laughed. "Tell me! What were you thinking?"

"I was just thinking what a good time I was having," he replied.

"You've got to be kidding!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "It's nearly four in the morning, we're having the longest argument we've ever had, and you're having a good time?!"

"Well," he hesitated, "not all of it was good, but right now isn't so bad, is it?"

"Except for the fact that I'm gaining weight as we speak, I suppose it isn't," she conceded. "You're really weird, Jake. You find contentment in the most ordinary things."

"Abby," he asked, "tell me that it's not all for nothing-- even if you don't really mean it."

"Oh, Jake," she sighed. "What happened to your 'real agreement'?"

"Please, Abby," he begged her. "Tell me!"

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