There is something... [His drawl dabbled with silence, as he realized what he was about to say. There is something so remarkable about relationships. Testimony from a man all too used to loneliness and isolation, and probably not the image he wanted to project before a young woman whose opinion did in fact matter to him.]

-- Truly fulfilling. About finding people here. I doubt I could have encountered anyone like Raina back home. [Chilton cleared his throat, all too aware of his brief drift in speech.] But an outing between us doesn't have to involve our respective dates -- hypothetical or otherwise. Your schedule permitting, of course.