He thought it over. "A home base--well, it was a place I stayed when I was in town. A place to sleep and eat and work away from work. A place to store clothes that didn't fit into suitcases that rarely got unpacked..." If it sounded bleak that didn't really reflect completely i his tone, which sounded nostalgic and wistful. "At the time it was home, I guess. But it did have its limitations," he finished. "So...if my reason for giving up is your reason growing them, does that mean that the secret to your nurturing ways lies in your youth?" Given that she was only 25, it was hard to think of her youth as something behind her and for a moment he felt old--but his expression of confident curiosity barely flickered with that unwelcome feeling.