"I thought you were never going to speak to me again."
Terry was actually surprised Helena did.
"I wasn't," Helena agreed.
"And what made you change your mind?"
"You did get Nando out of that mess that I got us into. But in the end you did solve everything."
"I hope you learned a lesson."
"Oh?"
"To not go looking for trouble. He told this wasn't the first time you have."
"I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble's the one who usually finds me."
"Here's your charm back."
Terry held it out to her.
"You really didn't have to get the charm back."
Helena took it, and Altair stepped up. She put the charm back on the cat's collar.
"I'm so glad that's over." she finally spoke again. "Oh! And I did forget to say I was sorry. Because I was so unreasonable. So, I must ask you for an apology."
"Apology accepted." he said.
"Thank you. Now we can forget everything about it. And everything having to do with it, as well."
"Everything?"
"Of course. I see now Mai didn't tell me herself, because it simply was not her secret to tell. It was yours, but-" she stopped herself.
"But?"
"I won't tell anyone. I'm pretty good at keeping things myself. I'm in no position to ask, but you must do something for me."
"Why do I have to do whatever it is for you?"
What was it that she couldn't do herself.
"Because it's something I can't do. What you must do is…you must go to…to…Pai, and you must…apologize."
"That's the first time I've heard you call him 'pai'." he noticed.
"You must apologize to him." she ignored him.
"Apologize?"
"Yes. For, um, for everything."
"No."
"But…an apology is necessary, isn't it? For everything. Will you?"
"No, I won't." Terry said.
"You won't?"
"No, because I think you should be the one to tell him yourself."
"I can't do that."
"Why not? Because you don't apologize?" he asked. "You just did to me."
"But that was a little different."
"I don't see how it's too different."
"You see him, I don't. So it would be easier for you."
"Even so."
"But it would be easier for you."
"No, I think that's something you should do yourself."