He was still likely to meet some not-insignificant trace amounts of old Xan even during this visit. But she'd learned things about herself, and about not taking everything so seriously.

And he was a safe person to try that out on. Especially because he'd react like that (so no, she didn't take his laugh for anything other than what it was), and because he was not likely to embarrass her even if he decided to comment on this change in her.

It all added up to her pleased little smile at him as they moved. "Yeah, I thought you'd be into that."