“You can’t change the world.” But she looked up into his eyes.

“Maybe not all of it,” he said. “There are parts of it we will never put right.” He slid his fingers down her wrist to her elbow. “I can’t promise you perfection. There is too much wrong. But there are also little things that will go right, and I can promise you those. There will be perfect sunsets. Perfect kittens.”


“Perfect sandwiches,” she put in.

“Perfect walks,” he told her. “Perfect arias at the opera.”

“Perfect bread.”

“This world will take a great deal of work,” he said. “But… We can start in on that together. And while we’re sorting through all the imperfections, we can find more little things to make perfect. Perfect strawberries, for instance.”

“Perfect…marriages?” She smiled tremulously up at him.

“Yes.” He slid his arm around her waist. “But before that, might I suggest perfect kisses?”

“Yes.” She stepped close to him and tilted her face up to his. “Yes. Please.”