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She doesn't startle. "You're home early."

"Slow day. That doesn't look gray."

"It's greige." She climbs down the ladder and steps back to look at the wall. "Gray and beige."

"That's not a real word."

"It is." But she's frowning now, tilting her head. "Is it purple?"

"Little bit."

She sighs and sets the roller in the tray. There's paint on her hands, her arms, a smear across her collarbone. "I should've waited for you to look at it."

"It's not bad."

"But it's not what I wanted."

I walk over and stand next to her. In certain light it does look gray. In other light it's definitely purple. "We can repaint if you want."

"I spent three hours picking out this color."

"So we keep it."

She looks at me. "You're humoring me."

"Little bit."

She throws a paint-covered rag at me. It hits my chest and leaves a mark on my uniform shirt. "If you say purple one more time I'm making you repaint the whole thing yourself."

I pick up the rag and toss it back. "What's this room for anyway?"

"I told you. A studio. Somewhere I can work without the kitchen table being covered in samples." She walks over to the corner where she's got stuff piled up. Her laptop, a printer, portfolios, fabric swatches. "And you said you wanted space for woodworking, so we could share it."

"Woodworking in a purple room."

"Kieran."

I pull her to me and she comes easily, getting paint on my shirt. "It looks good. Really."

"You're just saying that."

"I'm saying we'll get used to it. And if we don't we'll repaint next month." I kiss the top of her head. "It's just a wall."

She leans into me. "You're being very reasonable about this."

"I'm always reasonable."

"You're really not."

The wedding ring on her finger catches the light, simple gold that matches mine. We got married six months ago at the courthouse with Emma and Ethan and Mae as witnesses, then had dinner at the diner where half the town showed up. Mae cried. Ray gave a toast. Someone brought a cake.

It was perfect because it was ours.

"What?" she asks, and I realize I've been staring.

"Nothing."

"You've got that face."