"It's great, not knowing when he'll come back," she said.

"You're either a masochist or an idealist, I still haven't figured it out."

“Maybe… a bit of both.” She looked up from her work to gaze thoughtfully at the boy across the table from her. No, not a boy. She hadn’t noticed that he’d turned into a man while her back was turned, this brother of hers.

“It’s sorta like a test,” she resumed, “a test of will.”

He laughed at her. “You’re an idiot, Sarah.”

“Maybe an idiot,” she mused, “but a strong one. If that’s what it takes.”