"I definitely prefer Briar," she said, but, for the most part, Martha listened to his story in silence. After all, what could she say? He must have been a child when he'd been forced to start stealing to survive and when he'd been arrested for the first, second and third times.

"I hope that was the last time you got arrested," she said, because apologising for something that had already happened would have sounded less than sincere. "And I'm glad you got out."