[She catches his meaning without any trouble, head tipping in half a nod as if to concede that he has a valid point. The little extra raise at one corner of her mouth is about as lopsided as her own smile gets most of the time, and that's another respect in which she is less sloppy than he.] I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. [Like the quiet, that is.] It can be awfully lonely.

[And she's more than familiar with how much the quiet can cause one's mind to drift in directions one would rather it not. She had a year of near silence, after all, and plenty on her conscience to keep her thoughts busy the whole time. It's a wonder she didn't go insane. Idle, her eyes linger on the cup for a moment before moving back up toward his face as he speaks.]

I suppose it is. [Giving him something else to think about is... good, she imagines, if her earlier assessment counted for anything. Her thoughts catch on that subject in particular, focus moving back to the rose a moment or two after his does in a silent gesture of consideration. While she isn't quite so quick to accept the idea that that 'talent' is one she possesses, it does provide her with an opportunity.]

Can I tell you a secret? [There's a note of humor to it, but it's barely there in comparison to the joking of before. The secret, such as it is, is obviously not actually one at all, and that much can probably be deduced from the way she says it. Her voice is gentle more than anything else, and her shoulders move in a muted approximation of a shrug.] Knowing what to say is all about knowing how to listen. [Or when to, which is always, as far as she's concerned.] If you listen carefully, people can tell you how to help them without even realizing they've done it. And... sometimes what helps them the most is just giving them the chance to say what they need to say.

[Like, for instance, if something is clearly weighing on them but they appear to be reticent to talk about it. Just as an example.]