"We did." His voice still sounded dumbstruck and dazzled. It was difficult to tear his eyes away from her, but he also wanted to soak up the surrounding area. A few tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as he felt his throat closing. In a tight voice he admitted, "I didn't know if trees really looked like that any longer." Thirty-ish years was a long time to go without having visual references. Everything had become hazy and dark. At first Matt had been terrified when those images of what things looked like had started to fade, and then over time he became used to navigating with his new norm. He knew that these memories, too, would fade over time. That he'd go through that whole process of loss once more. Only he was older now, more experienced. There would be sadness, but not the absolute terror he'd felt as a child because he knew he could survive it.

He reached for Kate's hand, lacing his fingers with hers. "Walk with me?" He wanted to stroll, to take in as much as he could of this city that he'd never get to experience like this again. The air smelled sweeter than it probably really did in a city, full of flowers and pastries. The stonework for the buildings was gorgeous and intricate, everything so vibrant and alive. He heard a bird in a nearby tree and actually saw it. "She matches your eyes," he noted softly, at the bluebird. Would birds even be awake at night to sing? They were in this dream. It was a literal idyllic version of a date night in Paris. He would never experience the actual real city with his sight, but he was being given everything he wanted for what it might be. Was this all from his and Kate's mind? Maybe. He'd read a lot about Paris over the years in various stories. Or was this Kate's friend, this Sandman, taking what bits their minds carried and painting the rest for them? It didn't matter, but Matt wondered. "If your friend helped us experience this, then I'm guessing he's a romantic."