She reached out to give his shoulder a squeeze. In some ways, it was good to have normal family problems to focus on, rather than constant zombie problems, but there was a limit to how much one could take. “Je t'aime,” was all she could think of to say to that. Simple words; a reminder of her support.
“I hope the dog really does keep her from being lonely,” Leah said, a bit of sadness making her smile fade a little. Marigold loved attention. Leah had never heard the girl complain of loneliness. Her smile returned, however, when Analeigh did her customary wiggle whenever she sensed someone's touch. “I wouldn't be surprised. We'll see how things go with Mari's puppy first. That dog may end up turning into a family pet, rather than just Mari's.”
Eating dogs, or pets in general, was something Leah could never imagine doing. The very thought made her nose wrinkle in distaste. Thankfully, meat was more common here in the compound than it had been in the city, so there was no concern for anyone ever suggesting they eat the rescued dogs and cats. “Makes me sick just thinking about it. Also makes me wonder if they're even still doing that.” That particular safehouse had been in a poor state the last time she'd seen it.
She snorted softly when he went off on his ramble. “It's cute when you ramble.” At least now it was. Leah remembered when it used to be one of the things that pissed her off most about him. “Especially when it comes to suggesting ways to educate Marigold. My brother already told me he wouldn't mind helping Mari take her dog for walks, so maybe we can incorporate volunteers into the list. Chores that also mean getting the chance to spend some extra time with someone in the family. Danny's doing better around Mari. Do you think he'd want to help her out with training the dog?”
“'It's got character' is what people say when they don't want to hurt somebody's feelings about something they made,” she explained, laughing. “What if I said your face has character, huh? What would you think I meant?” There was no seriousness at all in what she was saying.
“Well, you did rescue a bunch of mothers from the city, so yes, I did know that. More like Saint Marchand, protector of mothers, but that's what I'd say if I was complimenting you. I was making fun of you there. Still am, actually.”