–Win me a prize.

(My request was unfair. He was not there, at the fair, and was unable to try to win me a prize.)

(Those contests are rigged, anyway. Or so I was taught, that those contests are rigged, and you end up spending more to win than you would if you went somewhere to buy the stuffed animal or other fair-type prize.)

–I’d love to win you a prize. Stuffed animal. Goldfish. Whatever you want.

–We’re probably not ready for a goldfish. Small steps.

(The irony of saying a goldfish is too much when children are involved was not lost on me, but what else do you say eight months in except that sharing a goldfish might be too much?)

(Maybe a plant. Maybe you suggest a plant. But plants don’t travel well, which means one person always ends up responsible for watering and feeding and protecting from sudden temperature changes.)

(Maybe the same is true for goldfish.)

–I adore you.

(Meaning I may have won the prize already.)