He had the urge to press her for details — where was she going, when, why? — but recognized that he hadn't earned that yet. She hadn't entirely shut him down when he'd brought up wanting to reconcile, though, so they were moving in a positive direction. Maybe someday they'd be back in each other's confidences. Maybe even someday soon.

"Yeah, owls are good at that," he joked. He considered adding something about him being able to meet her wherever she ended up, too — he had a ship and the know-how to get around most places, and he did not actually have any work commitments until the season started in May — but recognized that again, that was too much, too soon. Besides, what he actually would have been trying to convey with a comment like that would had nothing to do with the logistics of going abroad, but rather If you did leave I'd still be on your side. That sentiment was dancing a little too close to the last real conversation they'd had before the blizzard, though, and again — too much, too soon. Someday.

"I'm — glad we ran into each other," he said as he reached to finish his own beer (subconsciously mirroring her, for no reason at all). He certainly hadn't been glad when the conversation had started, but now that they'd reached this point he was brimming with optimism about the future. Not that he expected talking to Zelda about it would be easy, but he didn't expect that she'd actually say no — not if he got her to understand what it was he really wanted from all of this, and that it had nothing to do with her or how she compared to Jo.

---