"Oh I spent some time at a convent once," Jack said with a glint in his eye. "Met a lovely woman. Lovely man too. Who knew priests could be so adventurous!"

He laughed, just gently. As always never clear if his teasing were merely that, or held a little more truth.

"Guess you've got a lot of time to make up for then, eh?" he said. "Sightseeing."

Still diverting from himself to some degree, perhaps. But better than he was before. Mere conversation as opposed to hiding.

"There's so much out there to see, Reinette. And you should see it all."

Some children were playing a short distance away, kicking a ball back and forth. One of them gave a somewhat more powered kick, and the ball came careering in their direction. Jack leaned forward in just enough time for it to narrowly avoid hitting Reinette in the back.

One of the boys ran over and looked at them, "Can we have our ball back please?" he asked.