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Afterwards, he had a baby and a house, and no wife.She had no husband, and no kingdom, and no family, and not even an ash-covered hearth to sit in and weep. She had Red and Jack, who wanted mothering. But she'd never had a mother, and didn't know how to be a mother to someone else's child.Afterwards, he fell apart.She wanted to fall apart, but there were people who needed looking after. More and more and more. Not just Red and Jack, but the Baker and his baby, and others who lived near the forest who didn't understand why so many people were dead or gone away.Afterwards, he saw how much she'd done for him, and he saw that she was there, and the thought occurred to him that she would make a good wife. But she wasn't his wife, his wife was dead, and no one could take her place.She realised that the Baker was sweet, and gentle, and that he loved his little boy and wanted the best for him. She even realised that the Baker thought of her as a potential wife. But she didn't know how she felt about that.Afterwards, he realised that kissing her was a bad idea.She realised that he was very lonely, and that he didn't entirely understand how to live that way.Afterwards, he watched as Jack and Red were married, and he looked at Ella and almost made a wish.She watched Jack and Red, still children themselves, trying to make the best of their shattered lives, and wondered what she would do now.Afterwards, he thought he would grow to love her, and wondered if that would be enough.She realised that she could, in time, grow to love him, which was more than she'd ever had the chance to do with the Prince, and that she might as well take this opportunity. It wasn't as though she could ever do any better. He was sweet.Afterwards, a long while afterwards, they fell in love. And they were happy.