Jokes about burning houses down go over... Quietly. Matt laughs awkwardly, but he's the only one who does.

Somehow Viatorus' scrambling and stuttering is what saves the conversation this time. Sure, some people's lips tighten at the use of the wrong name for their son and brother, but the disapproval is there and gone again in a flash.

"I knew what you meant, dear," Odilia says softly in an effort to comfort him. "We'll all be looking forward to the day we get to meet your fiancée. And of course you know the two of you are welcome back any time you'd like and for any reason, whether Peter is here or not. I've always found that when life gets tough working in the garden has a powerful way of clearing my mind. We've always got an extra pair of gloves waiting for someone who needs them."