He had agreed to take the step back, but he could not help but say, "In my mind, in my heart, you are my wife." After everything they had been through, he could not change that.
Then, he started to bring up his initial realization, but the words died in his mouth when she nuzzled his chest and looked up at him with a definite promise in her eyes. What she did next wrung a gasp out of him, and when she began to move, he was torn between whether to wait and see what she would do, or grab and kiss her well. Deciding on the latter, he reached to pull her up.