He met her on a humid afternoon under a patchwork awning where the tea was always too sweet and conversation easier after three cups. He was a pharmacist’s apprentice, sleeves rolled, ledger open but fingers stained from mixing tinctures. He could quote verses from poets long dead and fix a fever with a handful of herbs. She laughed at his metaphors and called him sentimental. He answered with careful silence and an extra sugar cube in her tea.