He smiled and kept his hands flat on her back. "If I'd had any choice in the matter, Nat, I wouldn't have gone." He sighed and closed his eyes for just a moment before looking into hers.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily." He smiled, rubbing her back slowly. "I just..." He bit his lip. "My hearing aid died. And I know they don't have the batteries here to fix it." He cleared his throat. "I've gone 2 years without needing a new battery and this place killed it."