“I shook my head and settled myself in the bumpy wicker chair. Now, what would be a good segue? So, I hear Jih isn’t the only one who’s been knocked up….”

“So." Noah said carefully. I was sitting up cross-legged and tangled in my sheets."So." I said back"Would you like to hear about Curious George's new adventures?"I shook my head."Are you sure?" Noah asked. "He's been such a naughty monkey.""Pass.”

“I shook my head. “I don’t think so. This isn’t a good idea. This isn’t right.”“There’s all kinds of right,” he murmured. “On the spectrum, we’re still in the safe zone.” ...“Definitely right. Usually right,” Patch continued. “Mostly right. Maybe right.”

“You came and fell upon me, I was sitting in the wicker chair. The wicker exclaimed as your weight fell upon me. You were light, I thought, and I thought how good it was of you to do this. We'd never touched before.”

“I never once convinced myself that I was good enough for you.”My face crumpled and I shook my head. “It’s not just you, Trav. We’re not good for each other.”

“Will there be poppy juice in it?"Phresine shook her head."Good. My wife and I agreed that only my wine was to be poisoned.”