Oh, wow!!! Thanks so much! The idea of them as "grownup orphans" came to me midway through the fic, as I realized just how similar their experiences were on some levels, having estranged themselves from their respective homes because of something they Just Couldn't Live With. But that doesn't mean they don't love them--- but I think it also informs the home and family they've made with each other, as does the differences between their situations. (Fran, as she puts it, is probably not ever going to have to burn down her forest.)