Mallory laughed. "Fine, fine," she said with a giggle, throwing up her hands in mock-surrender. "Whatever! It was a good birthday gift," she added, in a slightly lower tone of voice.
And a good birthday gift it had been, indeed. She'd never had anyone do anything nearly as sentimental as that - if graffiti could be called anything near sentimental! - before, or since.
"Better than my homemade ferret!" she added, giggling again - this time in embarrassment - thinking about the pathetic ball of fur and yarn she'd given Benson as a gift.