"It's not-" I trail off, because I don't really have an answer to that. Of course there's no good time. There's no good anything about this. It's terrible.

I bet he's smiling as he says that next part, and I sigh again, weary at the rush of thoughts this brings on.

"I have." I admit. "I have thought about how much I would enjoy it. And I have thought..." My voice breaks and I wince. "I have thought of how difficult it would be. For you. For us. How I... I don't know. I don't know anything, 'iromu, about the future. What if..."

The thought had only occurred to me a few times before, I always quash it before it can get out of hand and destroy me.

"What if this state of stasis is permanent?"