"Just proves you're strong, even without the kitty." He smiled and hugged her a little tighter. As he listened to her, he sighed.
"So there are feelings that there you weren't willing to admit or didn't even realize were there?" He made a face. "You should have seen how hurt he was, Maryanne. He yelled at AJ for no reason. She told me all about it. And all because he thought you didn't want him." He sighed again. "Given that, can you really blame the guy for moving on? For finding a way to forget about the pain?"