My instinct's the same as yours on Ron. Even if it made me feel better, the apology clearly didn't mollify him much, and I'm sure he's convinced I--well. Never mind. Yeah, I plan to give him a few weeks, and then I'll write to him. Maybe it'll cheer him up if I give him another opening to yell at me again.

Mum hinted to me about grandkids once. But I have a hunch Dad privately told her to back off, and she hasn't done so since. I know I want kids...someday. And someone to have them with. Not now, though. Or not yet. And yeah, I'd prefer not to bring them into a world like this. Which just adds a sense of urgency to the work we do for the Order, doesn't it? We need to get cracking and change the world, I guess.

I can't blame other parents for going ahead, though. God, we need to have some hope in the future if we're going to go on at all, don't we?