"Not entirely." He sounds tired as he turns back to her. "You had every reason to expect the worse - that she is evidence that sometimes the worse doesn't have to come to pass is no reason to throw out the existing evidence. Besides. You told me at the beginning that you were barren - she's clearly from a world where you are not, so who knows what else is different."

He shakes his head. "My parents fought until they drove each other apart, despite being desperately in love. I won't make that mistake."