He was hurt. You were hurt. He was old, you were young. Drastic differences between you two, and yet there was a bond. Even if neither of you realized it. A broken woman and a broken man. A man with few morals left and a woman with no more. He was more than a father figure. A man who cared deeply about you. He showered you with kindness, always thoughtful and loving because he had no one else to shower with affection. You, however, always pulled back, afraid because of past experiences. You didn't know what to do with the love you felt anymore. But he didn't mind. He'd let the entire relationship be one-sided if it meant he had someone to love and care for again. Ellie wasn't enough. She was like the daughter he needed, but you were like the wife he both needed and wanted. He just had to fight hard to get you comfortable to that point. Baby steps.

"Like it?" He asked as he presented yet another thoughtful gift to you. Something you had mentioned before that you wanted, just a simple pearl necklace. "Took a mighty effort to find."