[ Adolf isn't sure what kind of answer he was expecting, if he wanted something simple or if he'd wanted her to voice her opinions, unpleasant as they might have been. He concludes that he would've been fine with either, and the steady stream of words that come out of her mouth, stilted but sure, settles quietly in his conscious as he breaks them down, syllable by syllable.
Comfort seems pointless: he knows what that's like, words that border on pity, words that console but never get at the root of the issue. He doesn't think to correct her or to draw empty observations, the 'it won't-s' and 'you aren't-s'.
She said so herself, all those weeks ago. That she'd never let something like that happen again, and he believes her. ]
—There'll be more things, for you. More opportunities to laugh.
[ 'For you', he says. Optimism isn't a strong suit of his, but he's willing to bend his cardinal rule at the moment.
He reaches out for Oona, puts his hand on her shoulder and applies the faintest pressure— almost a squeeze— before he lets go. ]
...As far as experiences go, it'll only get better from here. I set the bar low.
[ Again, a wry joke: 'don't expect this to be the highlight of the year, you'll probably have a lot more fun than this in the future'. But it's the kind of joke he doesn't make too often, and the quick flick of his gaze to the side should properly convey his mild shyness.
Listen, he just wants Oona to be happy.
(And he thinks vaguely about Rosa, their first 'date', her head pressed against his chest. "Of all the days I've lived, this is the happiest", she'd said.
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Comfort seems pointless: he knows what that's like, words that border on pity, words that console but never get at the root of the issue. He doesn't think to correct her or to draw empty observations, the 'it won't-s' and 'you aren't-s'.
She said so herself, all those weeks ago. That she'd never let something like that happen again, and he believes her. ]
—There'll be more things, for you. More opportunities to laugh.
[ 'For you', he says. Optimism isn't a strong suit of his, but he's willing to bend his cardinal rule at the moment.
He reaches out for Oona, puts his hand on her shoulder and applies the faintest pressure— almost a squeeze— before he lets go. ]
...As far as experiences go, it'll only get better from here. I set the bar low.
[ Again, a wry joke: 'don't expect this to be the highlight of the year, you'll probably have a lot more fun than this in the future'. But it's the kind of joke he doesn't make too often, and the quick flick of his gaze to the side should properly convey his mild shyness.
Listen, he just wants Oona to be happy.
(And he thinks vaguely about Rosa, their first 'date', her head pressed against his chest. "Of all the days I've lived, this is the happiest", she'd said.
Don't think about that, he tells himself.) ]