Bill kissed her pout and gave her a placating smile. "Well, now, that's because our mothers are very different creatures. Your mother's like a...a swan. She knows when it's time to push you out of the nest, and she's proud when you learn to swim and fly on your own, and even prouder when you find a mate and make a nest." He fluttered a hand, miming swans taking flight.
"My mother is more like...a bear. She is warm and fuzzy and caring, but she'll maul anyone she thinks is messing with her cubs. It takes her a long time to get used to a new person's scent, so to speak. Also, bears aren't really big on salad." He briefly shaped the hand into a claw, playfully gnashing his teeth like an angry bear. "And if you ever tell Mum I compared her to a bear, it may cause an international incident, so please take that with you to the grave."