Her fingers slide along the curve of the glass, buying herself a second before she answers. “Yes.”
I shift back slightly, giving them both room to sit with that, then lean forward again, drawing their attention back to me. “What you’re missing is direction.”
Daniel’s gaze sharpens. “Direction how?”
“You’re both managing each other,” I tell him, holding his eyes, “instead of letting one person take the lead.”
Melanie’s posture changes, subtle but immediate, her body angling forward just a fraction more.
“And you think that’s something you can do?” Dan leans slightly forward and lifts an eyebrow.
I hold his gaze. “I know I can.”
I don’t add to it. I don’t need to. The silence that follows stretches, full, both of them turning it over in their own way. Daniel glances at her again, waiting without realizing he’s waiting, and she keeps her eyes on me for a second longer before she finally looks at him.
“You okay with that?” He directs the question to her, but his body stays angled toward me.
She draws in a slow breath, and her shoulders drop with the exhale. “Maybe. Probably. I don’t know. I do know, I don’t want to keep doing this the way we have been. We… I.” She half turns to face Tom. “I don’t know you very well. I like you, but… it’s a big step.”
I watch her for a second, then shake my head once. “That’s not what he asked.”
Her gaze snaps back to me, sharper now, fully present.
I hold it. “Are you willing to let me lead?”
Her fingers tighten around the glass, then ease. “Yes.” She meets my eyes. “I want that.” Her gaze flicks toward Daniel. “And I want you to have room to figure out what this is for you.”
I turn to him.
He takes a second to put his mug down, but when he answers his voice is clear. “Yeah.”
I hold both of their gazes, watching for hesitation that hasn’t made it into words, then set my glass down, the soft sound pulling their attention with it. “Then we set boundaries first.”
They both straighten slightly, their focus locking in.
“If either of you needs to stop, you say it. No waiting. No pushing through to see if it passes.”
Daniel nods, his posture more engaged now.
Melanie doesn’t move, but her attention doesn’t waver.
“You answer when I ask,” I continue, my gaze moving between them. “You stay present. You don’t guess what the other needs.”
Her throat moves as she swallows. “O-kay.”
I let that settle, then lean forward again, closing the space just enough that they feel the shift. “Last chance to say no.”
Neither of them looks away.
Neither of them speaks.
I rise, and their attention follows automatically. “Up.”
Melanie moves first.
Daniel follows.
I give them just enough space to step ahead before I move behind them, not touching, but close enough that they feel where I am as we move down the hall together.
