Sebastian Vael's through waffling (andrastian) wrote in angellogs, @ 2019-11-20 00:18:00 |
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Current mood: | hopeful |
Entry tags: | !complete, aedan vael, meghan vael, noah fon ronsenburg, sebastian vael |
Who: Noah Vael, Sebastian Vael, Aedan Vael, Meghan Vael
When: Current
Where: Craigcrook Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland
What: Noah's coming out of the bath with a freshly home Sebastian. They're discussing dinner. Meghan mentions her bird.
Rating/Warnings: Some very mild flirting and smooching, Meghan refers to having an injury and needing stitches, Medieval casualness about home healthcare (but with experts, more or less.)
Status: Complete
Noah's in the bath, in the main house, since Balthier and Basch are using the gatehouse for the night, and it's not like it's a major issue letting them have the privacy.
Besides, he likes having his brother happy.
Right now, he's warming up after a fairly cold run out there turning over the compost heap and even after his shower he still felt a little cold. So he's got a mug of tea, a good slice of ginger, and milk on a stool, and himself in the bath.
Sebastian’s back from a later evening than usual downtown. Admittedly, there were civic responsibilities to tend to. And how amusing is it that he can think of it in those exact terms and have it feel like it really means something along those lines? He wants to laugh at himself sometimes. Maybe that’s Iomhar rubbing off on him.
In any case, Sebastian’s heading in, and, after a text from Iomhar that he and Jacob are going out, one from Aedan saying that he’s taking Meghan into town, then riding, and one from Calum that he’s at some kind of chamber concert, he’s looking forward to an evening with Noah. Granted, when he doesn’t find him, he’s heading upstairs to look around a bit.
Noah does message his phone at least. "When do you think you'll be in? I turned the compost over, and retired to the bath. I could make food, if you want it when you arrive? My brother and Balthier are in the gatehouse."
“Heading through right now, actually.” Sebastian sends back. “Stopped off to make tea but now I’m looking for you. Ah the bath. That explains it. Or I could come and join you. Either’s fine. And are they? Good. MY brothers are both out tonight. Date for Iomhar and...Well Cal could very well be on one too, I suppose. All he said is that it involves a concert. Aedan and Meghan are riding and Ellie’s not visiting until the weekend proper. Soo….”
He lets that trail off and adds a winking emoji. Because he CAN.
"Check with them about food, and I'd happily go to bed early if you're free. Or we could be a little more civilized in the library?" Noah's sitting up a little in the bath, holding his mug. He waves. "Sorry I didn't let you know where I was."
“Hari’s good for food, I think.” Sebastian sends back. “They’re spending the night at the Frye’s place, apparently. But civilized is good.” Sebastian’s sending as he hits up the elevator, and then heads around the corner and up the stairs to his tower room to meet Noah, and grins over the top of his phone at him before sending a quick “hi”. Because hey, why not, right?
He’s a dork sometimes.
"I meant the riders?" Noah's saying it outloud and then types back a "Hello, love." He tilts his mug. "I've got a little tea, but I can finish this and dry out. Unless you'd like to sit and chat a while?"
“I’ll check in with them then.” Sebastian says, sending that one out. “And we can chat for a bit. That’d be nice I think. How were things today?” And he’s getting a message back with some beeping now. “Aedan says they’ll be at least a few hours yet but food’s a good idea when they’re back since he hadn’t thought about it yet.”
"We can plan on that then." Noah moves his phone out of the way and the mug and smiles. "I'm glad to see you. How was work?"
“Good. Busy.” Sebastian says. “We were over a bit for a meeting. New security concerns, mostly, with the downtown. But they’re resolved and recommendations sent along to the appropriate people. Some of which involves Calum, wth the planning for two months from now.”
"The holiday stuff? That sounds worrying." Noah stretches. "Right. Let me get up and grab a towel, and I'll kiss you properly, m'gradh."
“Aye that.” Sebastian says “It’s just a bit to organize and put together and keep flowing nicely. Cal’s more than up to coordinating that, but there were permits and such to sign and I”m glad all I have to do is appear at midnight, and carry on for a little while before I head back in. First footing and all.” he adds, amused. “Ellie and Meghan are coming, Meghan’s said she’d like it. Aed’s obviously not, which fine with me if he’s not ready. He might be some year.”
And that?
“Sounds promising.”
"Am I going to be doing appearances? I mostly need to know if I'd need to get anything more wintery made, for cold weather that's also dressy." Noah's setting the tub to drain and snagging a towel before leaning into kiss him. "I can message him and see if he wants me to make a plate or a bowl or a mug of tea for him. Hello, love. I'm glad you're home."
“The city understands if you don’t, actually.” Sebastian says; .”You’re certainly invited to any number of things in the next few months, but no one’s going to push. I wasn’t Lord Provost when things happened with Aedan but I was known enough that no one is going to question him not sticking around and someone else staying back with him. Or all of us, depending. “
He returns the kiss smiling. “I’m glad to have GOTTEN home. And he’ll text when they’re on the way back up. I think they were still in town, and then heading over. The point is some thing you can only see at night. I’m supposed to go at some point too, but we’re waiting for a better night for it. It’s a little too cold for my knee and back.” They’re not major problems but.. Sebastian laughs.
“It’s odd how no one tells you, when you’re younger, that you’re writing a check that’s going to come due in about seven years and you’ll pay in a lot of inconvenience when it’s cold, isn’t it?” He looks amused.
Noah wraps an arm around him. "I thought you meant he wasn't showing up for dinner, and I was confused how Ellie would be there. I might be a little tired. Let me get dressed and we can make some dinner of some sort."
“Ah sorry.” Sebastian smiles. “Hogmanay, not tonight. If it IS tonight, then I’ve got a LOT of shopping to organise and apologies to make. I think we DO have some invitations from American friends to do Thanksgiving at the end of the month, in terms of events. We could go and bring something. It’s been a while since we were able to cook together. I saw a cranberry pie that looked good and not too complicated. I could make that butter crust I stumbled into for it.”
"Hmm - how would pot pie sound? If you want to test it tonight?" Noah's reluctantly moving to dry off and get his clothes on. He downs his tea as well.
“I’d veer away from chicken for anything we’d bring.” Sebastian muses. “Since the point of that is a turkey, but there are others. I’d be up for trying it.”
"I've got no clue what'd be proper to bring. Cranberry pie doesn't sound bad as a concept though." Noah tugs on his slippers and leans to turn the vent on to de-steam the bathroom. "Right, shall we do a little cooking work? I could put on some music, if you'd like."
“I think there’s also beef pot pies and such.” Sebastian says. “We could look around a bit. But for tonight we could do a chicken. And aye, let’s do that. Music would make it pleasant. Verra pleasant indeed.” he adds, the edges of his words blurring a little.
"Then we'll do that." Noah smiles at him and takes his phone. "I'll message them about potential pie. We can do a thickened broth gravy, no cream, and vegetables, depending on what we have. Your crust recipe on the bottom, and biscuits or leftover mash on top, if we've got some in the fridge?"
He's smiling at Sebastian. "You look happy, you know? Do you have plans for the evening? We could sit a while, in the library and be sociable, and then head to bed, or sit up and watch the stars if it's clear for a little?"
“Do I? I AM happy.” Sebastian says. “And that would be nice, actually. Either one of those depending, probably, on how things go. “ He likes the thought a lot. “There’s the telescope to try now that the new lens is installed, too.”
Noah types in a bit, and then offers his arm to Sebastian. "You know, I think we're coming up on when I got here. At least the weather is getting colder. I think I can be sentimental."
“Really? YOU?” Sebastian grins. “Aye, it’s fairly close to it. I’m glad you did.”
"I'd hope so. We did wed." Noah grins back at him. "I hope there's mushrooms. I'm feeling like mushrooms and perhaps bacon in this."
“We can do those.” Sebastian nods. “I’d like it, actually.”
"Let's see what we have then. Do we have plans for a day or two off before the serious things for the holiday roll in?" Noah's checking the fridge.
“Not quite so many.” Sebastian says. “I’ve got some charity things to appear at, but they’re not the sort that a lot of people linger in. And I’m doing some dropping off of packages, which I much prefer. Those you feel as though you’re able to be helpful.”
"I'm up for going to charity things, if we have the right clothing for it. Especially if - crowds and length of time is what would make me a lot more anxious. Once I'm familiar, it won't be so bad, but at first -" Noah shrugs. "I'm just afraid I'll end up ghosting after you like a particularly sour bodyguard and not know how to handle things."
“Well,” Sebastian says. “You don’t HAVE to go, is what I’m saying. I’d not mind your presence but I won’t force you.” He does want to make that clear. “Some of it , I can’t get out of, of course, but...I can get more details as time goes on.”
"Well, I'm thinking too that - you've got staff? If there's something where me standing around a little and being uncertain as I find my feet would still be helpful, I'm open to trying it? They probably know where I'd feel more under the spotlight. I don't want to be . . . Gabranth, under the lights, if that makes sense." Noah's found some bacon and he's doing some chopping now. "I think if we make the crust and do it on top, we could make the filling, make the crust, and bake it when they're closer to being here?"
“That too.” Sebastian nods. “There are plenty who could be there with me for a lot of those. I’ll look through and see where the priorities are.” He nods. “And that does, really. And sure, that’s not a bad thought.”
He’s settling into working on things now, falling into a pretty easy rhythm as the time passes, before the front door is opening and Aedan and Meghan’s voices can be heard a little.
“...So long as I got to my herbs, I’ll be able to fix it.” Meghan’s saying. “You’re not bad at stitches as I’ve seen. Since I can’t get to it, that’ll be your job.” And she’s laughing a little.
Noah raises an eyebrow and puts the kettle on. "Hello, Aedan, Meghan."
Sebastian’s raising one back at Noah, because, really? But he’s interested to see this play out, so he’s coming around.
Aedan’s turning, and smiling a bit. “Ah hello.” And he looks confident enough in all of this. There’s no point in actually lying, since it’s a pretty well documented fact by now that Iomhar’s the only blood member of the family that’s ANY good at the skill at all. Covering things UP is a little different, but there’s also just going ahead with giving people just enough information.
“We’ve got something to take care of, but shouldn’t be TOO long with it.” he says.
Meghan’s got a cloth pressed against the side of her left hand and she’s wincing a little, but not TOO badly. “Barn accident.” she explains, wrinkling her nose. “Fixable. I’ve got the old remedies and a fair bit of the newer supplies with me.”
Sebastian raises an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t stitches be better with someone qualified to do them? I know Aedan technically CAN but that’s on animals.”
“I’ve taken them on people.” Aedan offers. “Emmett, for one.” then he thinks about the statement and snorts. “Which sounds far more evasive than it is. Jacob was right there at the time trying to distract him from watching me. It gets a little nerve wracking when someone’s looking straight at what you’re stitching.”
“Someone with paperwork saying they’re qualified then?” Sebastian suggests.
Noah eyes them. "If they stay sweet, and you, Meghan, agree to going to a first aid class to learn what people here think about how to do stitches, how about that? I trust Shaun's training, but healing isn't just the doctor, it's also the patient being careful. I was definitely an annoying patient."
“That’s fair enough.,” Meghan nods. “The bloke who looks like he could be my twin if I had a twin brother was saying, when I went to ask, that they like you to be a little older to get full on certified, when I went to see what I’d need to do to get hired on here, and found out it’s more complex than I’d imagined, but by January, it’ll be soon enough to my birthday they might look the other way with it. I’ve got a development one I’m finishing at the end of this school term, and need to decide what other electives I’ll be signing up for and there might be a British Red Cross sponsored one offered if enough students express the interest right there too.” She laughs.
“And true it does. We didn’t often get patients who weren’t either in the middle of giving birth, or preparing for it, but you’d sometimes get a husband whose wife broke his fingers grabbing his hand, or bit him wide open, clear to the bone, during the worst of birth and those were always...interesting.” she shakes her head. “The WORST to get to settle down, I fear.”
“Oh I learned from Doctor Judy.” Aedan says brightly. “Not Shaun. But the point’s the same, isn’t it?”
Sebastian studies him a long moment. “The vet taught you to do stitches and you’re fine with using that on people?” Then he’s shutting his eyes, grabbing for his mug of tea and taking a really long sip. “...Right then.”
“Well, just look at poor Mollie’s knees.” Aedan says. “She needed a lot of stitches when I st...rescued her.”
An excuse that has Meghan giggling a little. “At least Smoke doesn’t bite half as deep as that poor mule’s cuts.”
"If you get bitten once, you might get bitten again." Noah shrugs. "Sebastian thinks you should see a doctor, you think it'll be fine. I'd say take honest care of it, and come to someone if it isn't and learn how to care for it again, and it's not as bad as doing nothing."
“Well, aye.” Meghan nods. “I do need to do something. And true. I got a little too close is all.” Then she’s snorting. “It occurs now that a few things are out of the bag, aren’t they now?” And she looks pretty resigned to the fact. “But I can’t exactly argue for keeping my pet while I’m standing here bleeding, can I then? After that’s fixed, probably.”
“Well, right.” Aedan nods. “Mollie’s gotten me more than once.”
Noah blinks slowly at her. "And Aedan borrowed Mollie, no? Take care of the bleeding. I'll make tea for you two."
“Rescued.” Aedan supplies. “But aye, so I have. Anyway, we’ll go ahead and do that then.”
Sebastian’s shaking his head, hiding a grin as they head off.
“THAT was less evasive than usual.”
"Aye. Which was partly why I did not say a nurse immediately. I'll ask Aedan to check that she is taking care of it, to be safe, but - honesty. Are you all right with that?" Noah's moving to put the pie together. "Shall I slide this in and we can sit with a big pot of tea and wait?"
“She does know what she is doing, I’ll admit to that.” Sebastian says. “It’s more that it concerns me that someday it might be bigger and it’ll not occur to either of them to get more help than each other. The problem my brothers have, actually. But hopefully the first aiding will convince at least Meghan.”
He’s stepping around to fill up the kettle again. “That does sound like a good idea.”
"It's also - outside." Noah shrugs. "When I was . . . uncertain, it was easier to trust a teacher, versus someone who wanted to be a friend."
“True, that.” Sebastian nods. “AND if there’s nothing official yet, there IS Liam to ask if he has time. He’d likely be willing. Sort of like how Aedan and Hans manage to get along so well. Or Pat for that matter. And she seems to have a hard time as it is, with us. I suppose I understand it, but it does make balancing hard. Cal seems to be the only one she really KNOWS. Granted, it used to be said that it was easier to bond with a neice or nephew. They were the ones you could trust you were actually related to. Granted, that’s usually with a sister’s child, not a brother’s, but she’s obviously a Vael and the timing wouldn’t have been right for anyone else. Not knowing when Gerard came back into the picture.”
"She seems mostly all right with Aedan, which is good." Noah's sliding in to sit and sighs. "Would a pumpkin be good tomorrow? I could roast it, or make a soup. Or curry."
“So she does.” Sebastian nods. “He...seems to get it. The feeling of coming into a new world. She was so young during the coup of course. I suppose it’s natural that she would be worried. But...you seemed to do well. Terrified as she’s been. Perhaps you’ll be easier now.”
He’s pouring the hot water into a pot now, then out, to warm the larger one properly, then adding more water and a teaball filled with the loose leaf kind to the pot, and slipping a cozy over it.
Noah slides his hand over Sebastian's. "I've got a timer on dinner."
“Oh lovely.” Sebastian smiles. “How long do you reckon we’ve got alone?”
"Probably enough to hold hands and have a cup of tea?" Noah smiles at him. "I love this."
“I do too.” Sebastian nods. “This, you and me, and the family things. It’s good.”
Meghan and Aedan are heading down about twenty minutes later, with Meghan’s hand wrapped in glittery purple veterinary bandaging, clearly holding stitches and a gauze in place over them, just to keep things clean. They’re also both smelling of antiseptic and a bit of lavender, and Meghan’s giving them both a smile as she’s heading back. “Could I be some help now, messeres?” Which comes out fairly automatically as a form of address, though it has Aedan wincing.
"We've got ten on the pie, but there's bread if you're hungry. There's tea here, if you want some. You don't have to call me Ser. I've honestly still an utter ameteur at figuring out the proper ways to conjugate it." Noah pats a spot. "I saved back some stuff, Aedan, if you want me to heat up some broth for you."
“That would actually be fantastic, thanks.” Aedan gives Noah a smile. “I had an entire sandwich earlier so I’m not in the mood for much yet, but I know I need to grab SOMETHING.”
“He was impressive.” Meghan says, and that’s not mocking. “Given what Aedan’s told me, I was, well. I’m happy you’re building things back up there. It’s important.”
“I HAD to get the cousin who’s some variety of healer, didn’t I?” Aedan wrinkles his nose a little, then smiles, so he clearly doesn’t mean that. “But I did try. After Meghan got back from school, and after I was through prep class.” he makes a face.
“How is that anyway?” Sebastian wonders. “Ellie finished with the Greek version, but that’s ALL she’s been doing so….”
“You don’t need to do that.” Aedan holds up a hand.”
“Do...what?” Sebastian frowns and blinks.
“The trying to make it sound like there’s, you ken, reasons out of my control that have to do with Ellie finishing before me. She’s not seventeen years younger than me here, for the one thing, Da. Not that I knew her at home, obviously, but it’s not SO surprising that she didn’t lose a year like I did, AND that she got here knowing how to read. I’m not embarrassed of my timing, and I’m finally done this year. The class is boring as anything. Study prep, but I SHOULD be out of the classes and ready to start the testing in January. I don’t expect to pass the first time around, but that’s okay. I know my value.”
"It's good that it's got an end date. If you need help from people, let me know." Noah shrugs. "I won't be good for a lot of the history, even with Shaun's attempts. There's a lot of bits and pieces I don't know, but I can try."
“I can do that.” Aedan nods. “Luckily it’s mostly a lot of English to finish now. Which,” he makes a strangled gagging noise. “Impossible, more or less. But I’ll get there. I do appreciate that offer though.” he’s glancing at Meghan now, like he wants to urge HER to say something, but she’s very interested in tracing a ring around the table now.
Sebastian’s glancing at this and clearing his throat.
“I’d think that could go for just about anyone. If you’re needing help with something at school or otherwise…”
Meghan’s eyes spark briefly, and, for all that they’re brown, not the blue of literally everyone else, the look in them is pure Vael Avoidance. Sebastian knows it well.
“It….Uncle Cal said that he’d be willing if it came to that. I don’t want to bother him over something silly, though. I think some things aren’t meant for some people. It’s not that I won’t try, but...no sense putting yourselves out if I can’t do something in the new world, is there? I’m just...not as smart as I would need to be for a lot of things.”
"Why is it silly to have help with things?" Noah tilts his head. "It's a different world, and a different culture. It's not intelligence or lack thereof to say you have no way of knowing something you had no chance to learn?"
“More that there are things that are worth asking for the help with and worth the person’s time and some others... “ Meghan shakes her head. “It’s different when people have real, important things to do, and you’re stuck here trying to work out how to pass World Literature. At least some of Aedan’s Shakespeare coursework overlapped so reading THOSE notes from that course helped with working out what on EARTH the faeries are on about in that play. And Emmett knows some people from the Hugo, so that’s a bit more history, but once it gets into some of the other stuff…” She laughs a bit. “I hope it’s not just me and animal communes really ARE a strange concept even in fiction. The context of that is...I don’t see it.”
"Wasn't Animal Farm a metaphor about Communism?" Noah gets up to check the oven. "If you need help, it's good to ask for it."
“Russian revolution most of all, it would seem.” she shakes her head. “But that’s one example. Some of the rest of this..it feels so STUPID that I don’t grasp what everyone else is running ahead with. It’s not as though there’s something wrong inside my brain. But...asking. I might be able to...I just hate BOTHERING people. It’s all triffles, no?”
Noah brings the pie over and the serving bits and bobs. Knife. Big spoon. Spatula. "If you ask me, you're being unfair to yourself. I didn't know what a bacon was, you know, when I got here. Would you think it'd be a trifle if I failed something when I could have gotten help?"
“Of course not.” Meghan says. “That just seems more...the sort of thing that’s a bit more understandable. And well, important. But I get the point, I think.” She’s just not used to asking people for any sort of help is part of it. Doing that means you’re admitting you’re weak, which isn’t great.
But on the other hand, keeping quiet and letting things continue...it’s a hard call to make.
"You don't have to talk to people you don't want to, but Aedan or Balthier might know someone who'd understand not being from here, and might know enough to help. It just seems self defeating to decide that it's useless." Noah serves up some plates of food, casually leaving one nearish Aedan if he manages to eat a bite. "But I'm a former bodyguard, and you'd get people who'd happily charge off because it was easier to their minds."
“That sounds a lot like things Hari’s said too.” Sebastian notes. “That sort of mindset. I don’t get the impression it ended well, and...you’re here now, right?”
“So I am.” Meghan laughs. “Not sure what I think of that all the time but…”
Noah gestures with his fork. "See how we did, if you're willing? And I'd say tell Calum about Smoke and ask Aedan or someone for advice. Maybe Ellie and Morgan. They might explain it in ways that works better for you."
“Ah right.,” Meghan picks up her fork there. “And true. Morgan would have the most experience with all of that, wouldn’t she? It’s pretty similar to here where she’s from. And I should, really. I don’t want to…” She shakes her head. “If things had gone according to the plan in Starkhaven, when I was little, that is, it would have been simple to have him, and to hunt. I’ve marked out on the local areas where ordinances allow it, and the ones that need permits and what they need. Is it me or is it funny that all sorts of things do have a license now? Emmett’s not happy he’s finally going to be old enough and can’t apply for the auto sort,legally speaking.”
“And the pub’s renewing THAT license every year.” Aedan nods. “So I suppose with that in mind, keeping a hawk and hunting with it isn’t THAT odd to need a permit for. Not that it sounds so hard a thing to do, granting it, when you found him with that broken wing and such.” Aedan smiles at Meghan.
"And Calum likely knows the legal rules, if you need licenses or training, and where it's all right to hunt. And gear, for your hands." Noah shrugs. "I'm no expert in hunting birds."
“I have got some pretty decent gear most of the time.” Meghan says. “This was me being a bit stupid, offering him a treat he really liked, He seemed to think I was taking it away and…”
“Snap.” Aedan winces. “BUT the rest of the evening was good. And I don’t think legally..” He looks to Sebastian: “No one’s going to take him away here, I can’t think. Are they?” That’s said, right there, with an air of certainty that has Sebastian laughing gently at Aedan’s concern there.
“No one’s taking your bird away.” Sebastian nods, looking right at Meghan now. “You want someone to...how’d you fall into hawking anyway? You’re not...at home no one knew you were anything…”
“At home I COULD have done it.” Meghan shifts a little, sipping tea, playing with her fork before taking another bite of food. “There’s not many things I could have had, had life played out according to the narrative, that I can still get here, and there were less at home, but hawks..i thought of it a lot. Hunting and riding, Satinalia celebrations with feasts and parties and dancing. I may not have been the heir apparent anymore and I may not be now, with most of that list far beyond me, not to mention things that can NEVER be brought back, but I’d always wanted the hunting, at home, and I still wanted it here and when the chance came up…”
She smiles. “His wing was hurt and I knew how to fix that, and keep him still and warm, and the vet I found says I’ve done everything well, so...it’s a piece of what used to be that I can still get to if that makes any…”
Then she breaks off, looking a little surprised as Sebastian blinks.
“That’s the most I’ve EVER heard you say.” Aedan laughs quietly. “In front of them, anyway.”
Noah blinks. "I'm not sure why you thought you had to hide this, but - it sounds like you've been thinking about things."
“I thought I”d have to be getting rid of him if I said a thing,” Meghan shakes her head. “I didn’t imagine being able to keep him if anyone knew. I try my best at keeping from being attached to things, they come and go so fast, and you’re not able to hold on to much but this one..this would hurt. Hans did say it would go easier than I feared, admitting it.” She smiles a little tentatively. “I don’t...it does seem to be all right, so far.”
Noah looks at Sebastian and makes a slight gesture with his hand.
“Look at it this way.” Sebastian suggests, smiling a little. “I brought home a strange man from the woods, Aedan brought a mule, a gelding, and the gelding’s owner, not to mention a...not to mention Damien, and Sherrinford. Ellie brings around a wizard, and a sorcerer and Tony Stark’s alternative universe daughter and the strange man from the woods.” he smirks at Noah, “brought home his twin brother. Considering those odds? You’re doing fine. And Smoke.” he looks thoughtful.
“For Amadis’s Griffon, right? When Andoral was slain? I like your sense of history. And well,” Sebastian nods toward the grey warden symbol on the tshirt he changed into before cooking. “Anyway, it’s fine with ME.”
“I’m…” Meghan actually seems to sink back into her chair, relieved. “It’s good I haven’t got to carry that one anymore. I’d thought that...well I don’t know, but...thank you. Both of you.”
And she’s turning back to the food now that she’s actually able to eat. “The bacon’s lovely, by the way.”