"Not fishy, no," said Chris, voice calm. "Logical. She needed the impetus. You know what I think? I think she's wanted to make up for a long time, but could never find the strength to make the first move, because she was ashamed and afraid of how you'd react. George comes back into her life, I come back, and she's got someone to push her, to be strong for her. That's how we work."

Chris sat up a little straighter at Kirk's second question, and rested his elbows on the arms of his chair. He'd been expecting this at some point, and thinking about it never failed to send a wave of guilt crashing over him. "Yes. Of course I did. You were gonna be mine, too."