Author(s): Alicia Hope

Fiction

A short story with a modern take on an age-old dilemma.... 'You write such wonderful heroes in your books Alicia, I've fallen in love with every one of them so far. So, how come you still haven't found a hero of your own?' 'That's because the heroes in my stories are make-believe men. No real man could live up to them.' 'Well of course they're not real Luvvy, you're a fiction writer. But writing about impossibly handsome, heroic types in your books shouldn't stop you from finding one in real life.' 'But Polly, real-life heroes just don't exist. Or, if they do, they're as rare as ... the Fortescue Diamond.' Rare? Maybe ... but just how perfect must the right man be?