Oh, you've got a cat! [She smiles at that, a kind of dopey expression not like her usual. Cute animals are her weakness and downfall - cute things in general, but cute animals are the worst.] That's what I would've chosen if Arthur and Merlin hadn't come into my life, I think - although Caleb's got Dog, and they're not supposed to get along.

[Welp. There's the point. She might as well stop looking for excuses to bustle around and get to it.]

No, thanks, everything's ready. Cream and sugar there - it's a brilliant little tea set, isn't it? Very proper. The thrift shopping here is top-notch. And it should be ready now, I'll pour. What do you take? [If only she had someone around who could give her unconscious little waves of warmth and calm when she got this wound up, just nudge them into her consciousness without her ever knowing. But of course there's no one like that.]