There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line. It wasn't an empty silence; it was weighted, the kind of pause that happens when someone is consciously choosing which version of themselves to present.
"Thank you for telling me that," she said finally, her voice softer now, stripped of its professional armor. "He was confident about it, which is Tyler's default mode when he believes he's correct, but hearing it validated by someone who can actually parse the logic rather than just absorbing his enthusiasm... that's useful, Mike."
"That matters."
"He's going to do well, Aveline," Mike said, his voice carrying the quiet authority of a man who dealt in certainties. "He's not just studying; he's preparing at the correct level of abstraction."
"He's learning how to spot the trap before he even steps into the room."
"I know," she said.
