"You're learning, learning what you want. He's still stuck on shielding you from what someone else thought you were supposed to be. But A is A, and A can choose what he wants better than anyone else can choose for him." She pulled back enough to wipe away his tears with the edge of her sleeve, then pulled him close again. Damn L, and his stupid stubbornness. It hurt more than it healed to keep A from learning new things, even if they were 'dangerous.' "He won't love you any less if you do what is right for you, he'll learn to accept it. Because A is not L, and L is not A. L and A don't have to be the same, shouldn't be the same. A should be River's A who loves to cook and grow and sing and swim. A should be Schrodinger and Einstein's A, who is gentle and sweet and learns how to rest and play. The old A, from the bad times before, has gone from seed to tree. The seed shell is gone now."