The Sunspire love your ground

Rannoch had deserved the smack to the chest, and he knew it. Although he didn't often make off-colored jokes, Rannoch occasionally snuck them in when he was feeling feisty. "I'm the definition of father-of-the-year," he insisted with a laugh and kept the witticism going for just a moment more. 

Rannoch watched his wife, and as he did, his expression softened. "You have no idea how excited I am to start this new chapter of our life together," he said, feeling suddenly sentimental. Although the weight of his grief had lifted, it had been replaced with a specific liveliness that he had not felt in months— he felt rejuvenated and ready to take on this new opportunity with his wife and best friend.