One corner of Ray's mouth turns up-- not the kind of smile that's full of joy and unironic enthusiasm for life, but real all the same in its subtlety. The kind of smile people like them use to connect to each other, that says: it gets better, but it never goes away.

"I haven't even been here a week, and this is the first time I actually feel like I'm having a real conversation with someone. Thank you, Lydia. Really." To suddenly feel human and real again? Ray is pretty sure that is a priceless gift. And something he'll never forget.