Laughter caught Elias by the throat and shook his arms free. It seemed strange coming from him -- laughter, that is. He was clearly not a man accustomed to mirth.
"That is one conclusion," Elias said, still smiling as he sprayed the top of the grill pan with non-stick cooking spray. " But I rather meant to say that I am a man who values responsibility above personal comfort. In that, you and I are the same. You came to your sister when you learned about her - regardless of the personal sacrifice it meant to you. I respect that."
Elias used the knife by the chicken to lift and then set the meat on the grill pan. From the cabinet, he pulled a few jars of seasoning and dusted the meat on each side quickly.
"I regret that she did not respond favorably."
Every scrap of that surprising laughter faded. "Family is paramount. Turning away from it is..."
Elias shook his head. He could not immediately find the words to express how foreign and wrong such a thing was in his eyes.
"I was not pleased to see it," he finally said. His movements had become sharp and precise and angry.