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He lowered his newspaper

“What card?”

“The one that didn’t survive my loss of temper”

He pretended to search his memory

“Oh, that card”

She rolled her eyes “Yes, that card”

He folded the newspaper and put it aside “Do you really want to know?”

“Of course”

“But you tore it up”

She gave hiave me”

“I did” He s an ass”

“That was nice,” she prompted “What did you say?”

“I called you my Beatrice and said that I’d wished for you h I was convinced that you were a hallucination I said that now that I’d found you, I’d fight to make you mine”

Julia sht have been poetry”

She looked over at hiht have been?”

“Shakespeare’s twenty-ninth sonnet Do you know it?

“‘When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look uponme like to one more rich in hope,

Featured like hi this man’s art, and that man’s scope,

With what I hts ,

Haply I think on thee, and then

Froate;

For thy sweet love ree s’”

Julia pressed her hand over her heart “That’s beautiful, Gabriel Thank you”

“What’s even more beautiful is the fact that I don’t have to content myself with memories anymore I have you”

Julia quickly turned off the burner and ?” Gabriel appeared puzzled

She tossed the spatula aside

“We’re having ripped-up-note-revealed sex I’ve been waiting for this forever” She grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the hall “Come on”