His mother was playing with him; he recognized this. Two could play. He nodded, as though this was as much of an answer as he needed to the question, and then shuffled deeper into the armchair he was sitting in. He had a book on his lap, as a prop, and turned his attention towards it as though he were going to read. "You'd know the one, if she had. Nevermind, then."

He trusted that his mother's curiosity would be sufficient to keep the matter from dropping so soon.

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