Harrison's yes came so fast I had to sit back. I had prepared reasons and plans. None were needed. He agreed as if he had been waiting.
My head said be careful. Fast promises can break. My gut said his feeling ran deeper than I'd guessed. I set that thought aside. I could not plan around it.
“I meant it," he said. “If you need help, I'm in."
“People say yes in the moment," I said. “Later they think."
“I have been thinking," he said. “For a while."
We finished our coffee. He asked if I had eaten. I had not. We ordered simple food and ate in a quiet that did not press on me. When I checked my phone for a message from the hospital, he waited. No questions, no hurry.
Outside, the sky was flat and bright. He opened the car door like it was habit. He drove without music.
“Home?" he asked
