"…I've been meaning to talk to you."
Liam glanced at her as she spoke those words.
"About what I asked."
It was not phrased as a question.
She nodded faintly.
"Yeah."
There was a brief pause after that, as though she were deciding how best to begin.
The academy buildings around them stood tall in the soft gold light of evening, their shadows stretching long across the path. Somewhere in the distance, a group of first years laughed too loudly before immediately quieting again when an instructor passed nearby. The sound faded just as quickly as it had come.
Sheila kept her eyes ahead for a moment longer before speaking.
"I thought about it," she said. "Properly."
Liam said nothing, allowing her to continue at her own pace.
"For more than just a day or two," she added. "I kept thinking about it during class, after class, while trying to study, while trying not to think about it… and it never really left my mind."
That was answer enough to tell him she had taken it seriously.
