[ There are the beginnings of a smile as she grants him permission to stay; a sense of accomplishment on his part, like he's done something good here. Helping a kid feel more comfortable in a strange environment — that's a pretty damn good thing to do, right? Being someone she can talk to.

That smile softens when she calls him nice, like it's not exactly something he's used to hearing all that often (it's not) but is deeply appreciated all the same (it really, really is). ]

Yeah? Thank you. [ His voice is warm — a low rumble, matching her in volume. ] I just know when I ended up some place new, I appreciated having someone to show me the ropes. So. Figure the least I can do is pay it forward, you know?

[ Kid needs help, and he's there. It's kind of the reason for being that he's adopted. ]