He asked his question right as I sat down. "Give me a second, I just got here," I said. He nodded and let me catch my breath.
She apologized for fumbling with her words. "It's okay, take your time," I said gently. She relaxed and found them on her own.
He raised an eyebrow at how we'd met. "Ha, it's a long story," I said with a smile. We had all night, so I told him anyway.
She muttered that the week had been brutal. "Ugh, you can say that again," I agreed. We both laughed at how tired we looked.
After a rough start, she finally smiled and tried again. "That's the spirit!" I cheered her on. Her whole attitude shifted in an instant.