"Hmmm," he said, furrowing his brow in a show of deep concentration. "You know, come to think of it, maybe you should remind me of a couple." Helo put another kiss on his wife's lips before he felt her leading him across the room.

He watched Sharon retreat a little inside herself, the way she did after most of her bad days. Normally, his wife was a good soldier and a good pilot, liked hanging out at Joe's with her friends and being a mom to Hera. That was his favorite Sharon. And when she was furious at the world or frantic to protect their daughter, he understood that one, too. But the quiet, withdrawn Sharon was the one he hated to see.

Helo sat down on the edge of their bed and pulled Sharon to him until she stood between his knees, Helo's arms around the back of her legs. He looked up at her-- about as rare an occasion as it could get-- and fixed her with his most earnest gaze. "I do it because I have to... and because I want to. I'm not very complicated, when you get to know me."