"You need to take good care of it," Rory said seriously, her gaze firm as she looked at the two males before her. "It saved my life. If anything happens to it, I'll be so upset I won't be able to eat."
There was a saying that circulated everywhere in the interstellar world: when a woman refused to eat, it meant something had gone terribly wrong at home. Back when Rory lived alone, no one had ever cared whether she skipped meals or not. She had never understood why it was considered such a grave matter.
But the instant the words left her mouth, the reaction was immediate.
Jasper's face drained of color. His hands tightened instinctively around Burnt dumpling, his expression turning tense and solemn. "Rory, don't worry," he said quickly, his voice low but resolute. "As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to it. I swear it."
