It really was his fault—egregiously so. Just moments ago, he had treated the very person he wanted to cherish with such coldness and rigidity.
Perhaps it was because his emotional life had been empty for far too long. Bert felt as though he had forgotten how to love.
Fortunately, it took only this once for him to understand where his problem lay. He gently stroked her cheek, his voice low and steady as he gave his promise.
"It won't happen again."
In response to his apology and assurance, Catherine simply smiled faintly and let it go.
When two people are together, whether in temperament or daily habits, compatibility is something that has to be worked toward. And they had officially been together for barely a day—it was all the more reason they needed time to adjust to one another.
