"I think I might have to agree with you there," Nell said lightly. "But life is what it is."

She smiled gratefully up at him as she took the coffee. Black was just fine with her, though when she had time and access to real cream and sugar she surely did like to indulge a bit. Her eyes closed as she took her first sip and felt the warmth of it slide down her throat. "This is terrible coffee, but right now it tastes so good."

When her eyes re-opened they went to the dead-to-the world little one on her lap, and her smile grew fond. "He reminds me of some of my siblings when I was little," she said. "My sister, Mud - Mindy, really - would sleep like this. I swear you could've picked her up and swung her around in circles and she wouldn't have noticed."