The car stopped, and Kate got out holding Bastien’s hand. They walked through a craft fair by the sea. Whatever caught Kate’s eye, Bastien bought it, and Lucca carried it. One thing caught her special attention: a small coral keychain. It was a matching set—one black and one white—that joined together to form a single piece.

—"Look, Bastien. How pretty," she said.

Bastien didn’t hesitate. He bought it, immediately clipped the black one to the car keys, and handed the white one to Kate.

—"I suppose the black one is me, right?"

—"Bastien, don’t see yourself that way. You’re not a monster."

—"Not even a despicable man?" he asked.

—"Bastien…"

He pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead, burying his face in her neck and breathing in her scent.

—"Am I no longer despicable to you?"

—"No. Not anymore. Please don’t think like that."

—"Alright."

They kept walking hand in hand through the fair until she accidentally bumped into a woman.

—"Oh, sorry! I was distracted."

—"No worries. I have t