Around the same time she got the receptionist’s job, she met Henry. They were both eating alone at the bar of the Red Onion. She was reading the Aspen Tribune, an article on the new tourist information booth, and Henry leaned over and said, “I designed that.” Later, when she got to know him better, she would think back with surprise at how forward he’d been. That wasn’t like him at all. He was shy, humble. It made her realize the kind of effect she’d had on him, that he simply had to get her attention. She was genuinely impressed as he explained it was his first gig out of school; a friend of a friend’s father needed some quick, cheap labor. Henry tricked the place out without going over budget. Reclaimed wood, rock floors, an air purification system created by a plant wall. His talent and potential were immediately clear to her. Three months later, she was the one who first mentioned marriage. She knew he had a gift and in the right situation could achieve greatness. She could help him get there—help them get there. Faster. It always felt like her life wasn’t moving fast enough. She wanted more, now. What was so virtuous about patience? That maxim made no sense, especially if you abided by that other one about life being short. She said they should forget a big wedding and go straight down to the county clerk’s office on East Main Street. Henry wasn’t so sure. Didn’t she want a fancy ceremony and a big ring? Yes. Of course. But she knew greater opulence was in store. What mattered most was locking him in. When she knew, she knew. And she wanted him. Assured him that he’d get her a big fat ring in a few years. When he was rich and famous for his designs. “You will be famous,” she told Henry. Eventually he did get her a ring: 3.02 karats.

In her opinion, Henry was underused and underappreciated at his job. It was a small but respected commercial design firm that did uninteresting projects. During this crunch time, before her real estate licensing test, Henry was crucial. Taking care of anything logistical—the bills, the shopping, the cleaning—so she could be laser focused. It was the only time in their relationship when their own house wasn’t the picture of order. He was going through a model building phase; she was always looking for a pen. They were young, and the excitement of knowing the next part of life was about to start, that everything was ahead of them, made working that hard easy.