Page "Earth's Children" Paragraph 18

Ayla's growth in her ability to understand social interactions and motives burgeons as her earlier experience with the Clan's Great Meeting intersects with her experiences at the Mamutoi summer meeting.

She is able to map old experiences and graft them onto new ones.

Ultimately, she realizes that she and Jondalar have never had a clear discussion of his interests and preferences and of whether or not he cares for her as she cares for him.

She is certain that she prefers Jondalar to Ranec and that she is looking forward to her mating with the latter as she would to a funeral for a much beloved child — that is, not at all.