There was something appreciable about the softness of Anne's palm and the relaxed nature of her handshake. It felt as though she was letting Gracie put in the majority of the work for that quick up-and-down motion before releasing a hold so gentle that she might as well have kept her fingers straight. It was such an odd thing to fixate on, and yet it occupied Gracie's mind for those few scant seconds, until she realized that likely reason: It was the first welcome human touch the young blonde had felt in at least a couple of weeks. Toffee was a fine companion, and an affectionate one as well, but his erratic barking and licking was a poor substitute for social activity.<br/><br/>Anne smiled brightly to hear that her new acquaintance was indeed new. "Oh, wow, you mean you lived out there all this time? Or you're actually from out of town?" It was hard to miss the intrigue flashing in her expressive eyes, but easy to guess a number of reasons why that would be. Without internet or phone lines, the small community probably chewed up local news fast and received word about the outside world slowly, if at all. An attractive survivor with a dog, a bow, and a working car could become the talk of the town pretty quickly if she stayed around for too long.