"No, no, no, I'm very close," she told him plainly. "Stay there. I'll be up in a couple minut.... Oh, for Christ's sake. Hold on, Francis, I think these guys need directions or something." She pulled the phone away from her ear. "That way!" She cried out in surprise, but it sounded more like it was in shock rather than pain. There came the sound of definite scuffle, and a couple of grunts before Poppy returned to the phone, slightly breathless. "They fell asleep," she said. "Anyway, I'll be up in a minute, okay? Stay where you are, Houston."
"What? Did you find a spider?" she asked, concerned. "Get it out before I come home, okay? I can't handle a spider."
She paused and there came a noise that could have been a sniffle. "Oh," she said quietly. "S... so you want to break up with me?"
She sniffled again before clearing her throat. "That's what someone would say if they were trying to trick me into believing that they weren't breaking up with me."
"I don't know," she said, shuddering. "You grew tired of me or something and you don't know how to break it off."
She was holding a large bag, and her lower lip trembled. "If you're going to break up with me," she said quietly, "can you do it so that I can see your face?"
