She threw the words out casually, as if it was just no big deal. Off to the side, she could see the pigeon lady staring at her again. Oh well; there were worse things to be than a public spectacle. If the woman had some more stories to tell her friends later, good for her. "I'm right, aren't I?" she said triumphantly. She wanted to feel as happy about this as she sounded, but honestly, having it confirmed didn't make her feel any better. On the contrary, she probably felt worse now than she did before.
"I didn't want to worry you," he said at last. If that didn't put the last nail in the coffin, Des didn't know what would. It was her turn to sigh, though she tried to do it quietly, so he wouldn't hear it over the line.