Laura took a deep breath again, her arms wrapping around his neck as her next question came, grounded in reality.

“Because the hardest part starts now, Nego,” she said. “There are two broken people trying to begin again.” She paused briefly. “There’s an ex-wife. A daughter.” Her voice faltered. “And there’s the fact that I always wanted to be a mother... and now you know that will never be possible.”

Laura rested her forehead against his.

“I know happy endings only exist in fairy tales. And thi