"Not really, no," she answered, adjusting the book so her new stranger could see. "But what's normal these days? Certainly a woman named James is the least odd thing around," Avery was teasing, and she lifted a corner of her mouth to indicate as such. Sometimes her voice could be a bit too deadpan for new people. "And what should I call you? Not that I mind; I'm excellent at nicknames."
Friends and family talk was dangerous territory, luckily most people weren't interested in sharing their past these days but the few that did made Avery uncomfortable. Despite the casual mention, Avery pressed on and flipped the page. "Singing has its merits," she replied. "Especially these days. Lightens the mood or something... There's not much singing at the hospital though. Quite a drab place at times."
Ah, there it was. The family mention. That didn't mean the moment was ruined though, Avery had dealt with this enough to know how to proceed from here. "What sorts of comics? Wasn't much for them before, but I've found a few in the wasteland that were quite fun," There was a moments pause as they hit another rough patch of the highway. "Perhaps one of them was his."