Noah knew what those two words meant. They meant 'I'm not going to say no, but the answer is probably going to be no anyway'. He'd heard it used plenty of times before, typically when asking if he could have something he knew he wouldn't be allowed to have. Still, maybe this version of his dad didn't mean it like that. He could always hope.
With a nod, Noah offered him another smile. "It'll be okay," he stated with the certainty only felt by fanatics and small children. "We have each other. That's enough."
He waited a second, a heartbeat really, before adding hopefully, "And we can get a puppy, too! Then it'll be three of us!"
Hey, it was worth a shot. Noah figured he had to at least bring it up. Besides, he was hoping his dad wouldn't use the dreaded 'we'll see' twice in the same conversation. If that were the case, a puppy was as good as his.