“I’m sorry. I wish none of this had happened, especially under my roof and in the process of negotiating our marriage.”
“It does feel very inauspicious, doesn’t it? Although perhaps people will say it’s lucky in a perverse way, like how they say it’s actually lucky when a bird does its business on you.”
“I can confirm that there is nothing lucky about getting covered in bird droppings, and I should know, given how many birds we have. I’ve never understood why people say that.”’
Leaf took a large mouthful of wine and turned from contemplation of the fire. “I think people say it because they’re uncomfortable dealing with another’s distress, so they would rather pretend the cause doesn’t exist and tell everyone they should actually be grateful for suffering.”
“That feels disturbingly accurate.”
“Doesn’t it, though.”