“Don't do that again! Not ever again!" I told him."I should say the same to you," he said. I could feel his breath, warm on my neck. "Promise me!" I demanded."I... I promise.""I can't lose you.”

“I can't promise you that I'll never be am asshole again. But I can promise you that I don't mean it. And I can't promise you that I won't ever make mistakes, but I can promise you that I'll learn from them and do whatever it takes to make it right with you again.”

“Don't ever put yourself in that position again, do you understand me?I can't promise that, I whispered quietly. I'd rather do it than lose you. Don't you understand how important you are to me?”

“Did you know,” he said, his breath warm on my cheek, “that that is the first time anyone has ever told me they loved me?” Startled, I did the only thing I could think of—I kissed him again. “You’d better get used to hearing it more often, because I plan on saying it to you an awful lot.”

“No Shep, I am serious. I need you to make me laugh again. I need us to be us. Shep and Lilly. Chocolate Muffin and Strawberry Shortcake. Us. Happy, silly, and free. Promise me you will make me laugh when all this is done,” I said and could hear the pleading in my voice. “I promise Lilly. I will make you laugh again. We will be us. We will be happy. Our son will be happy. He will laugh and be silly and free. I promise you,” he said before kissing the top of my head and I finally believed him. I believed in him”

“But, Luce, I need you to promise me something," he said, his face wrinkling. "If I ever mess things up again, whether it's a misunderstanding, or shit luck, or I just do what I was created to do and screw everything up," he paused, exhaling, "I want you to promise me you'll leave. Drop me like a bad habit and don't look back because god knows, it can't be me that walks away since I'm incapable of it.”