Noble smiled, although it was sad around the edges. If the timing had been better — if he had given up on his intense desire to fix things earlier, as he now had — then it probably would have worked out for them. They would have been desperately poor, but they would have been happy.

He was not sure if Daff would be happier than she was now. Noble knew he would be.

"Well," he said, pushing a hand through his hair, "I suppose I'm glad I'm one of the first."