( there's a beat, a slight jolt in the conversation that makes her accidentally skip over his advice and then purposely skip over his next comment )

Allowed versus not crossing a line.

( one day perhaps she'd tell him that she almost did, that she'd stepped down instead. though that was absolutely rephrasing how it had gone )

Though a whilst I know it doesn't help it's perhaps relieving that being here isn't a punishment.

( she'd strongly considered it such, or a purpose but instead she was making her own purpose )