"Don't say that," she murmurs, petting the kitten gently. Then she looks up at him, smiling, lips trembling just a little. "Darling, I-"

And then she gives up on that. She's not good at talking about any emotion that isn't some kind of happiness. "You're holding the poor thing wrong. You have to support the back legs, you see? Otherwise its spine hangs and it's a lot of stress on their bodies." She demonstrates, scruffing her kitten again and putting her other palm under its rump.