( And, even then, if it was Bonnie's grandmother, or anyone else. He respects when Caroline has to step in. )
Your crashouts look a lot different. ( He kisses her forehead, remembering the crashout in question. ) So. Everything you said - with your version of crashing out ( he maintains she is an elegant crashout ) it was just the crashout?
And you couldn't make them... any weirder than your mom and other people coming back. ( Well, she could, but not as weird as Taylor could once upon a time. ) I said 'Thank you,' once, the first time Marissa said 'I love you.' I said... thank you.
I made up for it. But, I'm not good with it. Great. With it. Taylor tried to get me to say it. ( Hard. ) If your "I love you," wasn't the crash out and it was you. Then, without crashing out on my side, ( He says, he knows leaving her on the end of the sentence. But he means it and wants her to know: he means it. ) I love you, too, Caroline. And, thank you for saying it.
( He leans forward, cutting off any second guessing or excess. He's a man of action, and, yes, sometimes words. But, right now, he'll settle for a great kiss in his parents' backyard. )
She leans into him softly, enjoying the moment and when she pulls back, she's relaxed, feeling a little more certain in this space with everything that's been spinning out of her control.
Probably the best Chrismukkah gift he could have given her.]
Those latkes did sound pretty good. Do you think there's any left?
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[That phrasing does make her smile.]
Your family is not something I have to endure. I'm having a good time. Really.
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( Or, if they were wary. Or distrustful. )
Thank you, for coming back.
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[She knows she doesn't have to keep thanking him for that, but it's worth being said.]
And thank you for keeping me on track. I know I was crashing out, as the kids say.
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( And, even then, if it was Bonnie's grandmother, or anyone else. He respects when Caroline has to step in. )
Your crashouts look a lot different. ( He kisses her forehead, remembering the crashout in question. ) So. Everything you said - with your version of crashing out ( he maintains she is an elegant crashout ) it was just the crashout?
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Did he hear it?
She doesn't want to make things weird, and it's hard to say, right away, if it's a good thing or not.]
Not all of it was just the crash out.
[A pause.]
But it can be. If any of it is going to make things weird.
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( He'll maintain that, too. )
And you couldn't make them... any weirder than your mom and other people coming back. ( Well, she could, but not as weird as Taylor could once upon a time. ) I said 'Thank you,' once, the first time Marissa said 'I love you.' I said... thank you.
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[That's nicer that some other responses but understandably not ideal.]
I mean, it's not what you hope for. But ... it shows you appreciate the effort.
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It wasn't just the crash out. I mean ... if I wasn't I probably would have said it better but ... I do.
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( He leans forward, cutting off any second guessing or excess. He's a man of action, and, yes, sometimes words. But, right now, he'll settle for a great kiss in his parents' backyard. )
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She leans into him softly, enjoying the moment and when she pulls back, she's relaxed, feeling a little more certain in this space with everything that's been spinning out of her control.
Probably the best Chrismukkah gift he could have given her.]
Those latkes did sound pretty good. Do you think there's any left?
🎀
( And they head back inside! )