"I'm going out to the garden to see if the weeds have totally taken over yet. Come out and help me carry tomatoes?" Andrew asked Angel. As excited as he was to see the dog, Andrew was more pleased to see the smile on Angel's face.

The garden was lovely, it has been his main project all year too get food for himself without being a monster. Weeds had posed an interesting problem. He didn't want to whither them so they litered the ground, but an especially tough weed could of course be shriveled instead of being left to take nutrients from other plants. He was going to have to take care of things the normal human way now, and he couldn't wait.

And he might even walk in the grass. It might bend and leave footprints, but it would survive his footfalls. He would walk barefoot in the grass. Or lay down and look at the clouds above him and not worry about a thing for a few minutes. Yes, he was ready to be outside in the sunlight for days. He hoped Angel would join him out there at least gathering ingredients for dinner. But she could come and go as she wished, she was no prisoner. Not even really a guest, someone he hoped would choose to live here. He'd marry her if she'd have him. But one step at a time.

Andrew jaded outside, hoping she'd follow.