It was, mostly. “Okay,” he said finally.
I turned back to the stove, pouring the eggs into the pan. The soft sizzle filled the silence. We moved around each other carefully after that. Not in a forced way. Just… aware of space.
When I reached for a plate, he stepped aside without me asking, when he grabbed the salt, our shoulders brushed lightly, small things, but I noticed all of it.
I plated the food and set it on the table.
“Done.”
Julian pulled out a chair and sat. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
I sat across from him, picking up my fork and for a few minutes, we just ate.
Julian looked up after a moment. “This is good.”
“Thanks.”
“You’ve been cooking more.”
“I have more time now,” I said. “And I wanted to learn.”
He nodded slowly. “It shows.”
I smiled a little, then looked down a
