[Lalli tries to keep the thoughts from coming through, but Mandi might be able to catch a stray thought of -they never asked, even after we buried her- before he pinches at the bridge of his nose to chase the thought away. And when he looks to Mandi, it's with a sad sort of acceptance.]

It changed everything. But it was easier to pretend everything was okay than it was to try and communicate through a language barrier.

[He doesn't have to imagine a 'what if' situation here.]

You didn't fail yourself. You were hurting and did what you could to keep going, right? That's not failure, that's survival.