Two years without speaking, two words the following year, etc. He fell in love with a lovely woman. He stayed silent for two years to call her “my darling.” His need to tell her he loved her delayed him for three years.

After five years, he wanted to propose, so he waited four more. After nine years of silence, he took the lady to the kingdom’s most romantic spot and said, “My darling, I love you!” Will we wed? The lady asked, “Pardon?”