"I know I will never tan quite as well as you have," he says. "But I would like to eventually get to the point where I can simply exist in the sun without becoming cooked."

He glances down at his arms - which to his credit, have improved in color since his first arrival in the desert. Is he using this as a distraction, to calm himself a bit so he does not get too 'excited' before she has soothed his sore muscles? Possibly.

"Perhaps come planting season I will be closer to my goal."

Then his focus turns back to her, and her words, his eyes growing a little darker as he pictures just what that might exactly entail.

"We do still need to...practice that ritual."