[A nod. He'd have to take that as a yes, or at least, as much of an answer as she was able to give him. She was getting by. Life wasn't exactly bliss, but it was tolerable, and that was as much as they could probably hope for.

Well, she was looking at him again, with a slight air of inquiry about her. As though she were asking the same thing of him.

Maybe it was her silence, but it seemed to demand a more honest response than a simple, I'm fine.]

Trying to deal with a bunch'a stuff on my plate. I'll be al'right.