And it was very easy for Ted to see that gentleness inside Joan, even from the beginning. She's not kind in the same way Ted is kind, all effusive and friendly and joking. She doesn't need to be seen as kind. But it was still there in her choices, in the way she treated people. It's the thing that drew him to her in the first place.

"Good," he answers softly, looking at her fondly. "I'm doing pretty good too," he adds, playfully. Relatively speaking, he's doing pretty fantastic, actually.

He sits back a little and gently takes her hands, moving them to have her grasp at the hem of his shirt. Then, still holding his hands over hers, he pulls his shirt off over his head, letting her help. He knows he could just do it himself, and he knows she would probably manage it on her own too, at this point. But he kind of likes that it's a collaboration.