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As they stood together, Matthew knew he couldn’t let Katherine go. All this time wanting to be with her, to be close to her, he couldn’t let her put their past, or any uncertainties, in the way of what they could have.

“Look, we can’t dwell on things like this but we can work through it together when it’s necessary and then we have to let it go. We’ve done nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I guess that’s true.” Katherine shrugged. “We did honor our vows as best as we could.”

“Yes, we did,” Matthew agreed, relieved that vows, promises, and truth were as important to her as they were to him.

“I think I’m ready to brush now,” Katherine said, trying to pull away. But Matthew wasn’t ready to let her go.

“Promise me, Katie, that we can get through these things together.”

Katherine smiled. “I promise.”

“Good.” Matthew smiled back, taking the toothbrush from Katherine’s hand and tossing it into the trash. Then he threw out the other pink ones before handing Katherine a teal-colored toothbrush. “Fresh start?”

“Yeah… fresh start.”

By the time she had finished getting ready for bed and left the bathroom, Matthew was under the covers reading a book.

“Wow, you look great,” he said, seeing her in his pajamas. “I’ve never seen your hair down before.”

“Really?” She smiled, touching her cascading brown curls.

“Trust me, I would’ve noticed.”

Placing her folded clothes in a neat stack near the dresser, Katherine tried to stifle a yawn while her back was turned.

“You must be ready for sleep?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Not really.” He held up his book. “I thought reading would help me wind down, but I think my nap was too long.”

As Katherine sat on the bed next to Matthew, he set his book aside and reached for her hands, studying how small and delicate they were, and how nice they looked pressed against his.

“When we first met, I wondered how old you were.”

“Why is that?”

“I had a feeling you were younger than me,” she said, running a hand over his cheek. “Even with whiskers, your baby face gives you away.”

“Baby face?” Matthew chuckled. “I didn’t know I had a baby face.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Katherine said. “How oldareyou anyway?”

“Twenty-six.”

“I knew it,” she laughed.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Interesting.” Matthew smirked. “I’ve never made love to an older woman before.”

As a flush covered Katherine’s face, she looked lost for words.

“What made you want to be a police officer?” she finally blurted out, followed by a laugh that rumbled from deep inside Matthew’s chest.