"Not really a step back, more of a..holding pattern." Another softly spoken bit of humor to lighten his dark mood.

"You can't tell me you don't have any questions or issues with all that's happened, if we just jumped right into things there is bound to be some problems. If we take our time and ease into it I think it will work better for both of us."

Come on, she was practically the personification of mediation of course she would feel this way.