Oh sweetheart," Molly explained, touching him on the arm again, kitten-light. Both of the women had tears in their eyes. For him? He didn't understand that, because they hardly new him. Piers had known him all his life and Piers hadn't cared at all.

All couples had little niggles they had to deal with. People who squeezed toothpaste tube in the middle, and people who were oddly obsessed with rubbing their groins together. It wasn't a big deal, not really, considering how lucky they were in every other way.

Aiden felt so safe he didn't even go to his room to weel, just covered hos eyes and let the fire's warmth and the warmth of tears mingle on his fingers.Molly had clarified Carol's statement for him, explained that "ace" in his case probably meant "homo-romantic asexual.

He’d thought he had to give Aidan up so that Aidan could find someone he genuinely desired, but if Aidan wasn’t capable of desire, then that changed everything.