She giggled. "I'm glad," she told him, sincerely. "People like you should always be around. You're very nice."

And he was, he'd been so nice to her even though she was awkward and rude and clumsy with words. People like that were rare, so rare, rarer still now that she refused to lie about her boys. She was grateful for each and every one she met. She thought that as hard as she could, in hopes that he would hear it.