"Thanks for the tip -- and the free shower. I think I'll save that for now." She can already tell she's going to get a lot more desperate for hot water than she feels right now.

Maybe she could've guessed about Milton being picked over already for herself, but Root does still genuinely appreciate the advice. She levels a smile at Chloe, something like relief filtering in past her habitual defenses.

"I wasn't sure what to expect when we got to town, but it's nice to know it's possible to make friends here."

Root isn't making assumptions; she took that warning about treat me right seriously, respects it; but Chloe is a quantity that she understands, something she recognizes. Some of what's here is absolutely foreign, confusing and off-putting. Finding anything she knows how to handle makes her grateful.