"Sounds like a fair trade," Karin said, nodding as she did. "You brought him out of his shell-" She canted her head, a wry smile twisting her lips- "For better or worse. And he helped you get by." She arched a brow, glancing toward her sister. She was partly teasing and partly not, and even she could not have said which side now held greater sway. "If only everyone made such good use of positive influences." She drew a deep breath, praying for her own relaxation, wishing it were easier to let go of this damnable need to guide and correct and occasionally bludgeon with the truth. She nipped at the end of her tongue, searching for something less pointed to say. "Oh, well. All that aside, we've all turned out pretty well so far, huh?" She reached up, clutching at her water like a lifeline, sipping at its still frigid contents.