Cissie didn't answer at first, holding him close and hiding her face in his mop of hair. After a quiet moment, she started talking. It was hard to say out loud. "I think... I think we've all been through too much, for things not to change. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing," she added quickly. "It just means... we're all a little more grown up." He couldn't see, but she smiled sadly into his hair. "Maybe it means we appreciate each other a little more this time around."