⟪ she gives his hands a quick look, before picking out a bowl to fill with lukewarm water. dried blood, angry, red blisters. it looks as if he did some hard labour of a sort, but she bites the question back. once the water's ready, she picks a clean towel –– kitchen towels have been moved into one of the drawers there, as by her request –– and sits herself down by his side, guiding his hands into the water so they can soak a bit. works best with dried blood. ⟫

Bill told me.

⟪ she guesses that won't stay a secret long, or that it might not have been one in the first place. ⟫

That you just need space like that sometimes. So you... don't have to talk about it anymore than you want to. I mean, of course I'd like to know, I care about you. But if you can't, or if you just don't want to –

⟪ she's rambling, she knows. ⟫

I need you to know that this is okay.