"Does it matter?" Zeir asked in a serious voice, though his eyes were gentle. "There's no rule that says we can only be kind to someone after knowing them for years."
"Time is too short, after all," he added. "It would be such a waste to neglect someone we consider precious."
His words warmed her heart, and for a moment, Roxanna almost forgot how to breathe. "You really think I'm precious?" she asked.
"Of course," Zeir replied with a nod. "Not just because you're my wife, but because to me, you're far too precious to ever be called worthless."
Right then, old painful memories came back to her, memories of her ex-husband saying she was useless, even joking that he could sell her for five dollars.
So suddenly being called "precious" like this made Roxanna want to cry again. But no, she couldn't cry now because he didn't want to go back outside with swollen eyes!
