[Taking a moment to himself has done a small wonder for Prior. He's steadier, brighter, and whether that's a simple product of the fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra or not, it nontheless eases the air around him. He replies lightly.]

I couldn't care less. Little or big?

[No mention of the apology, but it's caught and tucked away along with the small impulse to mention that one shouldn't be off one's guard when one has been repeatedly warned to be on it. Two things are obvious: firstly that Byerly went along with stories of prophets and angels far more easily than he believed them - which is only reasonable - and secondly...

that it was kind to at least pretend. Of course if Prior hadn't been fool enough to be lead to believe it was more than that they might have spared themselves the last few minutes, but there have been far worse minutes in Prior's life of late, and ones less easily moved on from.

As he does now.]

I myself am an only child. Sometimes I think mother forgot she had one at all, so it was akin to the delight of a new arrival every time she realised I didn't belong to the nanny. Of course, why she thought we had a nanny is beyond me.