"All right then, you win," Stephen said, raising his hands and laughing. "Sorry, Nehaa, I'll defer to the young man of the house."

He glanced behind himself--he was standing in the open door, anyway--and rose again.

"Do you mind if I stop standing in the doorway, though? It seems a little awkward." The question was only half-directed at Nehaa--Stephen was trying to gauge Vaals' comfort level. Even if that meant he'd be sitting just inside the door...well. He could live with that.