“I wouldn’t ask you to do that, no. This isn’t anything of that scale, but…” she frowned. “Given our relationship, with you having been my patient, there’s a power imbalance. I want to do what I can to ensure I don’t abuse it. I want to be fair to you.”

“Okay,” I said. After a pause, I added, “I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Even if this turns out to be minor, it is hard to do without risking a breach of trust and damage to our friendship.”

“Okay,” I said.

“I want to ensure we’re on the same page, when it comes to expectations. I definitely don’t want you to feel obligated, whether it’s because you feel you owe me something, or because you feel you should. I know there’s a tendency among heroes to want to step forward and help. I’ve counseled many a junior hero that they needed to learn to pick their battles.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” I said. “I pick my battles. Except for the broken trigger last week, the community center, and, oh, everything else.”

“It is a concern,” she said. She matched my smile with a small one of her own, but it was fleeting, more an acknowledgement of the joke than anything. “You’re quick to say you want to help, before you even know what I’m going to ask.”

I nodded. “I don’t think you’d ask if you hadn’t thought over it. I trust you.”

“I’d still be concerned, grateful as I am for your trust in me.”

I swished the ice in my iced tea.

“I am sorry,” she said.

“Sorry?”

“If I’ve upset you, approaching this like I have.”

“Did I give you that impression? That I was upset?” I was pretty sure my face hadn’t betrayed anything. I was reasonably sure my power wasn’t leaking, either.

“You did. And if I’m right about that, please don’t misunderstand me, I am sorry, and I wouldn’t fault you for being upset. I would like to have meetings like the one I think you were anticipating today. You and me, staying in touch to a degree, talking over iced tea and ice coffee. I’d hoped to have one of those meetings before getting around to this topic.”

So it wasn’t too urgent, then.

“Okay,” I said. I took another careful sip of my iced tea.

She drew in a deep breath, reached back to where the damp, folded paper towel was laying against her neck, and set it within the lid of her iced coffee, which she’d put to one side. She stared down at it for a moment.