The dinner ended.
But it didn’t conclude.
That was the difference.
Nothing about what happened stayed contained within that room. It followed. It lingered. It embedded itself into perception—quietly, invisibly, but with weight.
And perception—
Was harder to control than reality.
Because reality could be managed.
Perception—
Spread.
⸻
The drive back was silent.
Not strained.
Not uncertain.
Just… deliberate.
City lights stretched across the windshield, reflections shifting with every turn, fragments of motion breaking against the glass like something trying to form but never quite settling.
Neither of us spoke.
Because there was nothing immediate to resolve.
Only something to assess.
“You held position,” Shawn said finally.
Not praise.
Evaluation.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t ove
