He regretted bringing it up—I fear you don't say anything because you don't want to ruin my day—but knew, if she'd done so, he'd want her to answer completely.

"It's nothing tangible," he said. "Not necessarily real. Just… are you sure you want to be bogged down now with things that have all to do with me, not you, not really us?"

He knew what she'd say but he needed to put it that way.

Maybe he could hope it wouldn't burden her but instead free her to tell him hers.