Nina guided me beneath the center line of lights where retreat would remain visible. Couples moved around us, imperfect enough to remove performance from the dance. I followed the rhythm while the unfinished question returned inside every breath.
"Pain?" Nina asked, keeping one hand behind my neck while the other remained inside mine.
"Three," I replied, checking before desire could reduce the number, "stable since Olica's investigation."
"She likes you," Nina said, turning beneath our joined hands before returning against me.
"Your family expresses affection through legal pressure," I replied, finding the beat after her movement surprised me.
"You survived without promising me three children and a retirement home," she said, amusement warming her face.
"I removed the architectural drawings," I told her, earning laughter loud enough for another couple to glance toward us.
