"Well," Nick tilts his head a little, "mine and my mom's." He smiles, tightly after that, and just - as his father has left Nick so out of his own life - leaves his father out of it as well.

"I was a bit young. But we both liked Nellie."

A bit of a pause, but Nick didn't miss Teddy's words. "Is it only animals that you feel you can't have?"