It had been a while since she'd heard him give one of his speeches like this, probably because it had been a while since she'd needed one. Back in those early days, she'd been scared and skeptical, wanting to throw herself all-in to this relationship but worried that it wouldn't be everything it seemed. It had been wonderful, though, Steve had been wonderful and kind and understanding and funny... and she'd been able to move away from her doubts. Just not permanently, it seemed.

"I'm glad I'm stuck with you," she assured him with a faint smile in return. "Because I am choosing you. If you still want me to live here with you after all this, then I want that too. I just... I need you to understand why I'm so exasperating when it comes to these things." Oh yes, she'd noticed his reaction.

Holding her hands out to him palm-up, she instructed, "Have a look, then I want to go sit down. I need to tell you about my Mama Raven." It was a name she'd never spoken to him and had never planned to. Even now, the words were laced with pain.