Right. Right...Yeah. In retrospect, that was obvious. Not something like I need to have been an only child to have really flourished - Mark's need for independence is, after all, coupled with a frustrating, self-defeating sort of neediness. And even after a year, he's still not completely sure of his place in the family.

But it's better like that, isn't it? After all, the alternative to pretending to have gone off on his own is, well - pretending to have lived a life similar to Miles'. And he is fervently, desperately done with pretending to be like Miles.

"Fine," he grunts, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I guess that at least vaguely sounds plausible."