"It worked, for what it was," David agreed. "Safe place with people who'd sort of been where I'd been."
He'd never really been one for comfort - rather, never really been able to accept it. He was always the one offering a friendly ear, who sort of knew what to say and how things went, but when it came to himself? Long years spent brushing himself to one side made it hard for David to deal with actually acknowledging things anyway.
Fortunately for both of them, the boy reappeared a moment later, a tray balanced professionally on his left hand. Two large pieces of blueberry pie, two glasses of milk set down on their small table with an automatic-sounding 'here-you-are-enjoy-your-meal'. David raised a fork, but waited until Arla did the same before making any move towards his pie.