This is hard territory to navigate. Even harder than she'd thought it would be, and she'd set the bar pretty high. The way he phrases what's confusing him is heartbreaking, her mouth turning down in a frown as she takes a slow breath. It's such shaky ground. She's used to knowing exactly where she's going to step next, sometimes three or four steps ahead. But there's no map for this.

Her fingers run gently through his hair again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think I don't want you. I just - I don't want to put any pressure on you. You have a lot to figure out. Decades worth. All I've ever wanted is for you to be free to make your own choices. What I meant was that any way you are is exactly enough for me. I'm here no matter what."