how should it be

Ducky found Xander at the kitchen table, peeling limes. He was getting ready to juice the limes for limeade.

Ducky could imagine Xander with surgeon hands. He wondered now, how long Xander had been manicuring hands and feet.

He thought of the time, of watching Xander from a distance at the mall where Xander worked. Xander was bent over, washing some old woman's feet, but he'd been as happy to see this customer as he was to see a girl still in rollers, getting ready for prom.

Why did Xander have to be so nice?

And now his face was like an open book. He missed Josie and Henry.

"You, should be happy for them." Ducky found himself telling Xander that it was all a part of life. Everything evolved.

Ducky cleared his throat. Not sure if he should say it or not.

"Lets get a house." As if that would take care of their troubles.

Xander looked at him, as if that was a pipe dream.

"A house?" Xander winced. "What would we do with a house?"

"You know, what you'd do with a house." He sighed. Certain, Xander would go to great lengths to help Joey. It was a reality, Ducky couldn't deny.

Xander shook his head and went on with getting the limes into the juicer. Ducky watched the process.  Soon Xander poured the lime juice into the sugar syrup he'd made earlier from boiling water after he made coffee from the coffee dripper Su-Ra had brought him.

Naturally, Ducky got the first glass of limeade. He smiled.

"We could do it. We could." Ducky was straight lipped. "But..but I want us. I want you..I want to marry you."

That would be the start of everything.