She'd never be bored with Steve around, not to tears anyway. There would always be something to talk about, some new part of him to discover, another way to enjoy his company. She had a feeling that she could sit with Steve for hours, neither of them saying a thing, and still be perfectly at peace.

There was something in the way he pulled her to him that didn't fit with what they'd been talking about, and her brow furrowed in worry. Was he thinking about the past again, about the people he'd lost who wouldn't be there to share the day with him? Loss and grief was something she knew intimately, but in this case she felt slightly out of depth. She wanted to help him, but all she could think to do was just make sure he knew he wasn't alone.

Her heart stopped at those words that were so quiet she almost thought she'd dreamed them. Had he really just said he loved her? Tears blurred her vision and her breath hitched slightly, but she managed a mostly steady voice when she answered, "Only if it's too early to tell you I love you too."