they loved for a long , long time , until manic heat slowed to loving warmth . `` they just need to be loaded . '' tara , i love you , he whispered again . my mothers last message helped me realize how important it was for her to believe that i was at peace in my choices before she died . as they entered the city , marco decided to take stock of the faces behind him . and his eyes were no longer velvet . the bat is called fiddles and the meerkat is christopher . 