Okay. He won't even say it aloud, because she told him to shut up and kiss her and that's something he can do. The baby still snug in his arm, he kisses Beth's forehead.

Then he kisses each eye -- each perfectly peridot eye -- in turn, and then traces her scar with his lips.

And then, finally, his mouth meets hers in a really nice kiss, an almost-satisfying kiss, a kiss that, when it's done, leaves the door open with the promise of more later.

"Kind of like that?"

He could do this all day.