He tapped his pencil onto the paper and then, following the instructions, circled the words that best described him. Compassionate. Present. Considerate.

In response to the question: How would you best describe him, she marked: Distant. Aimless. Selfish.

But then her words, spoken aloud, resounded with honesty rather than accusation; his, in return, carried a humility she hadn’t heard in years. What began as a reckoning slowly became something quiet and hopeful, like the first warm breeze after a long winter, hinting that thaw was possible after all.