And my cold calculation about how to protect the future I’d expected.

I’d begun this marriage wanting to outsmart an old millionaire.

Arthur had begun it wanting to expose a gold digger.

Neither of us imagined we’d end up sharing operating reports.

Or arguing about vendor contracts.

Or laughing about a financial review after dinner.

I wasn’t going to describe our marriage as a perfect love story.

It wasn’t.

The age difference remained.

Arthur’s health continued to change.