Bliss! I woke that morning with Lucilla beside me, my arms wrapped around her while she snuggled inside me as if I were her blanket. The warmth of her skin was like a small fire aglow; for she was a hearth unmarried men yearn for. Her snore was a silent purr, her luxuriant hair silken. It was as if I died and heaven met me halfway. I wondered many times why I hadn’t married sooner. It might have been a conscious choice. But if it was, I realized that the simplest experience like now is heaven described.

I kissed her head, then her neck, gently snuggling my nose towards the back of her ear, whispering to her how much I loved her and that I was the happiest man alive. I know she did not hear my declarations of devotion, but I also knew that her unconscious must have picked up what I said and deposited my every word in a repository of amorous expression somewhere in her brain. She stirred but ever so slightly, only while I counted each strand of hair tumbling onto the soft and silken bed.

I decided to open the shade and look out the huge windows, out towards the Place de la Concorde. It was indeed glorious; a story to tell that could make anyone envious and jealous. That was Lucilla’s intent, not mine. But it was indeed wonderful to be in this city of love with someone I love; watching the day slowly come alive, people in their smart costumes strutting towards wherever they were heading.