"Maybe we should talk about something else," Chris didn't understand, or didn't want to understand. And he really didn't want to fight with her. Her upbringing was her upbringing, but it hurt for him to hear her say that joy wasn't something that factored in to living.

"But, since you are here, now, maybe give it some thought. You can try to be happy here, even if it's only for a little while. Joy and love shouldn't be something you have to bargain for. They're not luxuries. They're what make life worth living. I was brought up on duty too. It's not quite the same as yours but it's who I am. But you can do both."