"Maybe," I said, matching his smile. I could see that moment of concern flickering across his face, but left it unacknowledged. I could pretend that I wanted to do what I could to keep the moment light, but was I really anything more than a coward?

"You'll be closer to Neil," I said offhandedly, turning my back on him to hide my smile. Neither of them seemed willing to admit to how close they'd somehow become, but in Jamie's absence, it was a relief to know that he still had people who loved him.