"I shan't turn down any pie," Higgs assured Lydia with a grin. So far his experience of Lydia-made pies had only been good, so he couldn't imagine that suddenly changing. The way she stabbed at her salad also made Higgs laugh, and he shook his head at her claim that she may not have a dog by now if it wasn't for her insistence to talk at him. "Don't be silly," he told her. "Even mute, I'd ensure you'd get a dog," he said teasingly. They were both well aware of Higgs' love of dogs, this wasn't necessarily even an exaggeration.
After a moment, Higgs' expression returned to a more serious one, as he reached across the table to take Lydia's hand briefly, giving it a squeeze. "Thank you," he offered softly. "Truly," he added before pulling back. Higgs did mean it, he appreciated Lydia and her friendship a lot. Even if he didn't need anything specific from her, not right now, anyway, it was lovely to know that she was so willing to be there if he did. "Eat," he told her rather than saying much else on the topic.