"You're just saying that because you have too." Dahlia's voice broke as she tried to brush his hands away from her face to hide her eyes. But instead his hands captured her chin, forcing her watery eyes to look up at him. "Of course I did." She declared stubbornly. It was, after all, their first birthday since they'd been married. And he deserved every delight she could think of.

"You are not!" Dahlia was resolute in this. Quin, while yes much older than her, was no where near the grizzled old men she considered when she thought of old. He was nothing like Professor Valenderius or even Professor Ruskin. As far as she could tell he didn't even have a gray hair - and she'd looked!

"I don't care how many birthdays you've had Quin! I wanted this one to be perfect."