“I knew it immediately then, accepting the fact without faltering. Whatever happened with us now from here on out, it would all be worth it for this moment. To see her so thrilled as she ran down the street, looking like she was laughing as she did so. To know that I was able to make her feel this way, even just once. A hint of this realization had come when we went to the movies, when I’d looked over at her and found her snorting at the scary movie that literally gave me nightmares. But now, I knew it for a fact. Someone write it on a stone tablet. Whatever Gemma Settler wanted, I was in it for the long haul. And whatever would happen, it would be worth it. Just for this moment.”