He heard what she said, but Alvin was really paying attention to her expression, the way her shoulders slouched, the concentration on keeping the storm of emotions hidden beneath the surface. He knew the look well, had often worn it himself over the years. He wanted to stay rooted in that for her, even though deep down, he was a little relieved. Alvin hated that the dissolution of his situation with Sisse had led to this for Sloane, but at the heart of it, at least he'd done the right thing by Sisse.

Now he had to help get Sloane back up.

"I think if you talk to Ma, she'll understand." Fiona Bixby had gone through it over the years and she stood taller than anyone he'd ever met. She'd lost a son in infancy; had two children suffer career-ending accidents; her only daughter had come back from the dead. Alvin wasn't sure there was anything she couldn't handle these days. "She might read Mr. Podmore the riot act of supervision, but," he trailed off on a hollow sort of chuckle. It had to be easier than watching Sloane hide away here and be miserable. At least she would be busy at the zoo, have ways to occupy her hands and her thoughts and then she'd be off again in two weeks.

The question was; would she ever come back?