The repetitive cycle of up and down in this place meant that Emma went from craving some kind of socialisation to deeming isolation a great idea and then back again. More often than not it was Jefferson who scoffed at her and let her entertain the idea of ignoring everything, sometimes even encouraging it, but usually the next terrible thing would happen and Emma was forever incapable of just sitting by and letting it unfold.
"I could throw some tantrums. Leave a mess everywhere." She was mostly not responsible for doing that, but she could definitely step up her game. "I know I could get more possessive." Because she felt that letting him out at all was sharing enough of her part.
"If I was getting bored would I be demanding more attention?" Even though he was almost always at her beck and call, never a doormat but always just there. She really liked that about him, that he didn't let her push him around, but he didn't just ignore her either. And although he was out of reach of her feet, he couldn't escape the tossing of a dish towel at him while she chewed her way through the snacks. "Maybe I'm just feeling selfish again."