"That's less good. But hopefully this can be the last one."

Nod.

....glare.

He stays until the kids are done eating. Then he leaves.

"Forgot to ask him about the horses. But I guess we can do that tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Everything all right?"

"Kind of silly to be upset that he can talk."

Hug. "Seems better than feeling like if we need a translator for anything we have to use the - thought thing."

"Yeah." Hug.

"He seems like he hates you a little less than he did?"

"Did you think so?

I keep feeling like - they just want to get you to say 'okay' and then they can drag me away and feel very accomplished. And even when they're nice it feels like that's what they're being nice for."

Cling.

" - can't tell. Don't want that. At all."

He holds her for a while and then - laughs, a little sadly.

"Hm?"

"We went off to a place where everyone thought I mattered and no one cared about you and you had to just - trust me, that I'd keep you close and safe and taken care of. And now we're somewhere where everyone thinks you matter and no one cares about me and I just have to trust you and it turns out I don't like it very much and I don't know what to make of that."

Hug.

" - trusting people is - hard, yeah. And not feeling like anyone else cares about you is hard.

"I hope I can figure out how to be as trustworthy as you were. About everything. I'm not very sure how, but - I want to be."

"And you want to stay here?"

"I think - I think your court can't provide for the kids all night. So - for a little while. Not forever. And then someday, hopefully, I'll be immortal, and the kids will be able to take care of themselves, and we can travel wherever we want, and it won't matter what anyone else thinks of either of us, very much."

Nod. "Kids grow up in like - ten sunrises. I can be kind of frustrated and trapped for ten sunrises."

"I think human children take a little less than that, even. But I'm sorry to ask it of you. Just - seems like the best option."

"I was okay paying objectively a lot more when I felt like I was choosing it. But -" shrug. "I won't leave."

Nod. Hug.

"I love you very much."

"I'm glad."

"Slightly worried that this place is - bad for us in ways I can't articulate and therefore ways I don't know what to do about. Even if it does have food and horses and games. Even if they're worth it."