"How is your lady love faring in all this?" His expression shifted, betraying the smile of one happily besotted despite the circumstances. "I think she is as stunned as everyone else, but she is a very strong, capable woman." I couldn't resist the urge to tease a little. "Strong and capable? Flattering descriptions, but hardly warm enough to merit the soft look in your eyes." "She isn't a serpent, who wears her passions like jewelry and dances barefoot in the morning," Gerard answered. "She is an avian lady, serene and composed even when she is upset. Strong, and capable." More softly, he added, "She guards her heart and soul tightly unless she is around those she most trusts...so every little glimpse she allows me is like the silver moon rising over the sea." " ," I responded with newfound respect. "My best wishes to you both."