"You have so much more to offer than that, darling." Verity stops dancing to pull him into a hug. Not wearing a mask makes it easier for her to tuck her head against his shoulder. "I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Then you'd understand."

It's always good when he relaxes. "I've never been riding. But I know how to swim." A little. Enough to not drown. An important skill growing up on a small granite island. "Of course you'd be at home in your element. So is there a lot of swimming in our future?"