For the five minutes that Alfred was gone, Zelda stayed sunk in the bathtub with her eyes squeezed shut, trying to tamp down the feeling of exasperation that swelled up in her. Sometimes it seemed to her that her husband was always leaving — on adventures with Orion, turning over in their bed as if there was a wall between them, going on long trips on the Voyager. She shouldn't be surprised that he left her now, when she could not sort out what to do next, and was not sure how to describe what had happened.

When he came back, when the door opened, she was surprised. Zelda moved upwards in the bath, effectively un-sinking herself. The air smelled like tea and a little bit like brandy, and a small smile came onto her face. "Oh," she said, still in that rasping tone, "Thank you."