Gah. Had to leave a comment because, well, no substantial comments on this seems to me a bit criminal. This is brilliant, heart-wrenching, beautiful... The glimpse of how they could have been, without their pasts to weigh them down is just, well, warm and perfect (Emma's snark, their gorgeous daughter, their playful, unburdened banter), and it's just staggering how keenly you make us feel both the idyll of the illusion and the heartbreak of the reality. And *of course* Emma would deny herself a real shot at happiness and perceive that denial as sacrifice. I loved the way you prefaced it -- an encapsulation of your understanding of their relationship -- and it was just amazing to have each word ring especially true from there on out.

All your work just blows me away. I swear I've never been so captivated, so invested in the dynamics between two characters, and I know a lot of us say this, so I hope you realize just how rare and wonderful a thing you've created. Thank you, thank you, thank you.