"I understand. I'm thinking of doing small things to honor the people who were important to me. The fact that most of them are dead because of me probably makes me a hypocrite. Fall and Winter seems like the times when people think about death the most. Not hard to see why. Things seem to die in fall." He shakes his head. "Isidor was right. I really do have a poet in me somewhere."

Now that he has permission, Ben settles down to enjoy the rest of the tray of cake. "I'll wait for it to cool a little before I eat another piece - that first one burned on the way down, and I figure that serves me right. Sorry about that, by the way. I didn't realize you made it in honor of somebody you loved. You've told me about your mother. She must have been a special woman."

Ben sighs, relaxing as he watches Mantis and his animal friends. "I've never seen you wearing white before. It looks good on you - does it mean something in your culture."