I wonder if I should say I'm sorry, because his family is gone. I look at him, searching around, and just stay quiet. We're not sorry, not either one of us, so it's not something that needs to be said at all. "You're not a stranger now," I tell him instead, still feeling far off and unfocused. "You're here now, with everybody else." He's gone sharp and everything behind's gone blurry.

I blink it away and, when I look back up, I'm smiling. "I gotta go now, I promised Valmont to be back straightaway, but I can save you a cookie if you want? I made them!"