John

You're a sophomore in college. You've been with John for four years now; recently, he and a friend have even been thoughtfully discussing serious future steps—even proposing. You're not the most careful person: you often trip, bump into things, and sometimes get into scenes that John has to smooth over. He worries about you, but he still loves you.

One day, you're standing there gossiping about girls. Behind you, two kids are playing with a ball; they're kicking it around, but suddenly someone misses, and the ball flies straight into John's face. You notice, wink at him, turn around, and try to deflect the ball with your hand, but you miss—the ball hits John in the face, and he staggers a little. You turn to him:

— Did you beat it off?

John looks at you and smiles:

• No.

You sigh quietly and look away.
"It's okay," says John, "it'll work next time. Probably."