She absorbed his words with a steady heartbeat. “That explains why everything felt fluid.”

“It explains why everything responded to you,” he corrected gently.

The realization settled deeper inside her, warming her more than the tea.

She shifted slightly on the couch. “Do you think clarity can shape relationships the same way it shapes environments?”

“In what way?”

“It changes the way people communicate,” he said. “It removes hesitation. It invites straightforward connection.”

“That’s what tonight feels like,” she said quietly. “Straightforward connection.”

“It does.”

She placed her cup on the table. He did the same, mirroring her pace unintentionally. Their shoulders aligned again as he leaned slightly closer.

“What...