"I'd like that very much. Should I...hm. I'll write a letter of apology before you go, too. Just in case. So if you go home and you've been missing a long time, we can at least explain some of it. I'll tell the truth. You were stuck in a warzone and it wasn't safe to send you home at first so we needed to wait until we had an escort plan. I'll apologize for keeping you and maybe it will help a little?" He nodded to himself, kitting his fingers together on his stomach and relaxing there, looking at the stars and imagining bridging the gaps of time and space so gently.

"While we're at the Reef I'll look for a nice gift for your grandmother. It's customary, right? Gifts for family elders?"