Dex’s blue gaze was stormy as he brought it to meet Rowan’s. He chewed his lower lip, considering her words a moment. “You too,” he said in return, regarding her with a slight tilt of his head. Though they were each clearly guilty of doing so. It wasn’t the first time they’d exchanged careful words. Otherwise perhaps they’d be having a different conversation. He didn’t press though, catching the way she forcibly smiled in spite of her thanks. Dexter didn’t take it to heart in the least though. He knew better. Well-intended or not, it was hard to accept some things. Hard to reach out as well. “Yeah, I know what you mean. As much work as there is to be done, the downtime seems have carved out this ever-expanding hollow space.”
Another wry smile appeared as he suggested that she took her own advice - something she’d never been able to do. Long before she’d chosen to live her life in the stars she’d never been able to follow the logic in the words that she gave others herself. “Maybe one day.” Though it wouldn’t be any time soon when she’d already spent years going over that time in her head. The doctor nodded in agreement. “Both the solution and the cause. I try to keep myself busy but there’s only so much you can do.” It occurred to her, not for the first time, that Dexter was perhaps the person out here with her who was most likely to understand and that made her a little more relaxed around him, slightly freer with her words. “I suppose we have to face it sometime though.”













