"If she were around, we'd be talking mergers. This isn't a merger, it's a - cannibalization."

"Well, she's not around, and you can't - wait. Can you make her be around?"

"I definitely can't help you there."

"I'll need to think about it. I guess it's an option."

"It is!"

"What's Soph even like?" Bella asks, closing her eyes.

"Um... she plays softball," he offers.

That was not the kind of information Bella was looking for. "You and her don't really hang out, huh."

"We do some. But I don't know her that well. I mean, I like her! I just don't have, like, a list of her characteristics on file somewhere."

"I guess that's fair."

He shrugs.

"Do you remember me getting along with her okay, though?"

"Yeah. You guys were fine."

"Like - you've met Aurora and Lexi, right, can you compare?"

"I dunno," he says. "Maybe not as close?"

"Makes sense, I guess, they're twins."

"Yeah."

"I really appreciate you listening to me."

"Anytime."

"I think I'm out of things to say. I just need to think, I guess, and - meet Soph."

He nods.

Bella hugs him.

He hugs back.