Arrietty flinched when he turned his head, but did not shy away.  She knew she was in no danger this time, not with Sho- the only outsider to ever show understanding for her mere necessity of survival.  She was, in fact, beginning to forget why she'd even come here to the mainhouse in the first place as her mind flooded with all the questions she'd never had the opportunity to ask over the years.  She laughed weakly when he suggested she take back her clip.  She didn't need that thing anymore.  She was a 'borrower', which meant, at some point, she would have to give things back.<br/><br/>“I missed you, too, Sho.  Your heart.  Is it...?”  she wasn't certain how to ask.  The last time she spoke with him, he told her he was going to have surgery.  Simply the fact that he was here proved that the problem was at least treated, but she wondered if he was still troubled by it.  He was working on a farm now, of course, so it must be under a lot of strain.  This connection alarmed her.  “You could be putting it under too much stress-!” She couldn't stop herself from voicing her worry, and immediately backed down.  “I'm sorry,” she quickly apologised, “I didn't mean to-”<br/><br/>There was some movement in the hallway, and the sound of shuffling footsteps approaching.  This time, Arrietty didn't stop herself from taking cover.  She backed up in between the pillows, ducking below where the light cut off just as the door creaked open.  She remained totally silent as the old farmer Taishou poked his head in.<br/><br/>“Sho?” his withered, wispy voice barely penetrating the sound of the radio.  “Heard some noises in the barn.  Would you check up on Suta?”  Taishou was constantly expecting the heifer to calf any day now, and now, any noise he heard on the farm, he instantly assumed was Suta going into labour.  The old man was quiet a moment as he eyed Sho under his white umbrella eyebrows.  “Were you talking to someone?”<br/><br/>Arrietty and Spiller had been checking up on Suta every morning.  If she calfed now... mother would have quite the fun time witnessing it.  She hadn't much else to do in recent times with her father around now to help with chores around the house.  She found herself oddly excited by it.  Yet, Sho was right.  As much as she wanted to, she couldn't let anyone know they were there- even Sho, as much as she trusted him.  Revealing herself was enough.  Arrietty would never hear the end of it from her father if he ever found out she was communicating with the beans again.  She leaned on the pillows surrounding her as she thought about how she would keep this meeting a secret from her parents.  She couldn't go back empty handed.  She needed something- maybe some thread or fabric or-<br/><br/>Pillows.<br/><br/>She dove underneath to the backside of the pillow and began slicing out just the corner with her pins.  Using the same tool, she took the threads and patched it so that the stuffing wouldn't fall out.  A bean wouldn't notice unless they turned it over and looked for it.  Even then, they would simply scratch their heads.  Taishou would probably never find it.  Smiling, she stuffed the piece of fabric and thread into her pack and waited.  She would need to bring back the glider as well.  Things just got a little bit complicated.