Her hands paused for just a moment, then continued as she stayed silent for several seconds. As she finished with the meat in front of her, she wrapped the strips with cheesecloth, then finally lifted her head and looked over at him. "This place...It's...almost a home, to me, and I'd never had one before here. I don't like seeing how it's become, and I'm hoping to one day change it. If not for here..." Clint might still be alive, they might have long since been married and had several children of their own, or they might BOTH be dead by now. Dismissing the thought, she met her son's eyes, and after a moment gave a slow, genuine smile. "If not for this place, I'd never have been given my greatest gift...you. I've felt a lot of pain here, but...it's also where I've had the most happiness." She'd fallen in love with her son the day she'd felt him move inside her, and despite the changes that there could be in her life, she wouldn't change a single thing if it meant not having James.