As Liya left in a huff, Hawk called after her, "Hey, where are y'all goin'?"

"Just to the corner for tihtaak for an hour!" Liya called back, as she fetched her messenger bag from where it'd been hanging, with the little bouquet still poking out of it. Hawk bent over the low table again.

"Okay," he said, hearing Liya's footsteps pass the doorway again, "Love you."

"Love you too!"

The sound of her footsteps receded as Hawk potted the little plant he'd gotten into the cup of dirt. Once it was secure, he set the whole thing on the windowsill, and peered out past it in time to see Liya going down the stairs to meet Yoshi, who was down in the courtyard waiting for her.

Hawk watched them in silence for a moment, and then walked away, flopping down on the bed. He lay there in the quiet , head pillowed on his arms, with the new plant bathing in the sunset, and sighed.