Halt saw Gilan as often as he could, but they were busy men, and Gilan had his own family, his own friends. He didn't really need Halt.

Now Will was his own man too, and one with an eye on Alyss, something that took up a good deal of his free time. Halt understood, and it wasn't like he would be alone. He had Pauline.

"You're sulking again, dear," the aforementioned wonderful woman said patiently.

Halt was not sulking. He was quiet, but he was always quiet. He might - only might, mind you - be missing Will, but Will, despite what Halt had allowed himself to forget, wasn't Halt's son.

Halt was a grown man. He wasn't sulking. He was enjoying his break from inane questions.

"I got a message from Will today, by the way," Pauline said.

"You did?" Halt sputtered.

"Mm. He's going to be in the area soon and thought he might stop by."

"Why didn't you say that before?" he demanded.

She looked at him wryly. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh." He frowned. "Why mention it now, then?"

She rose from her chair and kissed him on the forehead. "Because, dear, you were sulking."

Well, he might have been. Just a little.