She hummed softly, nodding a little as she watched him, and all his little nervous habits. She waited, watching as he got it all out, and took a long drink from her cup before setting it on the table.

"I froze," she admitted softly. "Because even though I was aware that you didn't know what it meant, it opened a path I had never imagined I could take. I always thought I would be trapped pretending to be a man, or hiding from my family, or in a marriage I didn't want. I never dared to imagine a future where I could actually be happy. Where I could be myself, with someone I care deeply for, able to do the work that I love," she shrugged. "I didn't pull away because in that moment, I wanted to marry you -- and to be clear, I still do, but only if it won't trap you in a miserable half-existence for the rest of our lives. I failed to consider that part of the equation at the time, and for that I am sorry."