Lawr smiled faintly, taking a seat at the center island. It sounded like a very nice thing, to have someone who cared enough to surprise you like that. Lawr hadn't known something like that since he'd run away from home. Even if his parents were overbearing at times, they still planned surprises now and again.

This was close, though. Someone cooking dinner for you was always nice. And what a fabulous dinner it was shaping up to be! His mouth was watering at the scent of the chicken, and he was eying the couscous a bit warily. (He'd never seen rice that tiny before.)

Lawr shrugged at the question. In truth, the boy was a glutton for punishment, and he'd relished every letter with a bit of heartache and the mantra in his mind: At least they cared enough to write...

"They're not as bad as people say... some of them are actually kind of funny. I got one from my br-- from Dallas. He called me a nancy and a chickenfaggot. ...I don't even know what that means."