Cricket sighs and strokes the sleek, fuzzy face and back, content now that he has the reassurance he wanted. "I was gonna save some coffee and pour out a libation but then I didn't know if that was only a Greek thing, and then I thought who the hell wants old cold coffee?"

"I'll get you a cup in the spring. Or when you get here, if there's any left." He tilts his chin obligingly for those kisses. "Supplies're gettin' kinda low. And people are hungry and mean. I mean, I'm a'ight, but just so you know."

In point of fact, everyone's on the same light rations, so he's hungry, himself, but he's dealing with it better than most. "I just want you to be okay."

He sobers a little. "Can't go back to the house right now. It got busted into. I tried to scare 'em off, but there was two of 'em...well, I shot 'em, but they still broke down the front door, and my bedroom door."