Steve shakes his head but is careful not to reply until he's not got his mouth full of food. He doesn't want to be rude, after all, no matter how strong the urge is to focus on clearing his plate quickly. Some habits are difficult to break.

"We couldn't afford to feed ourselves, let alone a pet. We found an injured dog in Germany during the war and nursed it back to health once. That's the closest I ever got to a pet before these three stumbled into my life. And I probably couldn't even keep them if Adia and Harrow didn't help me look after them when duty calls. It helps that they're as smart as they are, they understand when I talk to them."