To Neil, ED-E makes a shy series of beeps, quick and fast, and basically reiterating that he's not hugging back.

Alex is talking to Sarah again, and ED-E sees his arms around Neil, inches from ED-E, and he thinks this is how they should always be. This is how they should be if there was a dog at Neil's knee, head resting on his thigh.

Come make it a little better, Alex had said, and ED-E wonders how. How do we start to make it better?