"We'll see how it feels," she agrees, with a nod. She doesn't need to say otherwise. She knows it's hard for Alice, and all of it new. So she asks, and lets her figure out how it will work.

She's worth the wait, and the patience. She'll be waiting at each step Alice is willing to take.

"Either way, I get a nice walk with you, so it's kind of a win-win."