[ This particular friend certainly worries a lot. It's a Scott's thing, even if he tried to keep it to himself most of the time. ]

I'm afraid there's just me so you'll have to lower your standards a bit. [ Self-deprecation aside, Scott was still smiling. His posture relaxed and the tone of his voice changed from amusement to something more open and sincere. ] It's good to see a familiar face.

[ The garden was covered in strange plants and trees that hid them from view of other people and Scott had no doubts that the design was intentional. There were also places to sit here and there and he pointed to one of the nearby cushioned benches. ] Should we...?