It started out small; a tingling in his chest that he wasn't fully aware of when she introduced herself with a soft smile and gentle eyes. After the first few months of knowing her, it morphed into a strange feeling of warmth that only appeared when she stumbled into the room, hair disheveled and five minutes late. Years passed and it soon became gnawing and all-consuming, eating away at his logical barriers until the question was finally asked. And now, watching her bounce the young five-month old on her lap, his contented gurgles filling the otherwise silent room, he welcomes the warmth that arrives so surreptitiously in his heart.