Alfred tensed. He knew which day she was talking about, of course. There were only two days anyone ever talked about anymore, when it came to Alfred and Jo: the blizzard, and the time before. Zelda had only seen how much their relationship had deteriorated the day of the blizzard, but Alfred and Jo both knew the rift hadn't opened then.
They didn't talk about it. Even stuck in his flat alone together for hours in the blizzard, they hadn't talked about it — and then it had still been fresh. He didn't want to talk about it now. Some part of him still thought she must have already known as well as he did, and that her asking was pointless masochism. Putting it in words wouldn't change anything — it would just hurt.
He stood for a moment, still tense, just looking at her. It was almost as though he were waiting her out, trying to see if she would lose her nerve and skirt the question, and he wouldn't have to say anything. Eventually his shoulders dropped. "Nothing changed," he admitted. "I just realized something that had been true the whole time."
They didn't talk about it. Even stuck in his flat alone together for hours in the blizzard, they hadn't talked about it — and then it had still been fresh. He didn't want to talk about it now. Some part of him still thought she must have already known as well as he did, and that her asking was pointless masochism. Putting it in words wouldn't change anything — it would just hurt.
He stood for a moment, still tense, just looking at her. It was almost as though he were waiting her out, trying to see if she would lose her nerve and skirt the question, and he wouldn't have to say anything. Eventually his shoulders dropped. "Nothing changed," he admitted. "I just realized something that had been true the whole time."
MJ made the most Alfredy of sets and then two years later she made it EVEN BETTER